driving fun

One thing is for sure and that is that driving conventions and habits here in Davao are nothing like my previous UK experience or for that matter anywhere else in the world. There are of course rules and regulations but they treated with a broad brush of interpretation by the driving population and generally speaking more or less anything goes.

For example the rule that driving should be on the right of the road only applies if it gets you there quickest, otherwise left side will do nicely, or going the wrong way down wrong carriageway will only be a matter for the convenience of the offending driver.

More or less, anything goes, except in heavy traffic when yes, anything goes.

To be honest it suits me because at any time and any place on the road, anything can happen, so, you need to slow right down and be prepared for some alarming sites of being carved up in traffic and generally seeing people drive as they wish. It is more creative, it is more fun.

My favourites are at small busy intersections where main road traffic meets local tricycles and jeepney passenger drop off and pick up places. Anything can happen here and to preserve life and limb for all including yourself and passengers and to avoid stress, drive slowly, if you see a gap go for it, smile, wave and be polite and generally all will be fine.

What also i find here is i make mistakes. Like yesterday, now who put that drainage ditch there next to that road repair excavation. Did i see it? can't now remember but the back wheel got more than stuck, it disappeared...see photos.

But, and this always happens here....within minutes, people almost drop everything and rush to help....with skill and hard work, smiles and imagination too. A series of jacking up the car, wedging increasingly large size timbers under the axle, before jacking again on top of smaller timbers, we had a 5 or 6 step jack process that raised the car to a position where a bracing timber could be slipped beneath the offending wheel and then a quick push and we were out. 400 peso tip for the lads, no damage at all by a miracle and 20 Min's later we are on our way.

All top fun here, even at the expense of feeling really stupid for getting stuck in the first place, i didn't have one person laugh at me either, got away with that as well.

Included a couple more graduation shots as well to brighten up the post.........