I live in the Marshall Islands and when you search for certain atolls (or even airports!) Google will take you to random pieces of ocean with no land anywhere nearby. When I lived in Kampala, Uganda, Google knew all of the names of the streets, but they were all shifted over by one street. So you would look up an address and then have to figure out if it was actually the street to the right or the left. Oh, well. Living off the map is more exciting anyway.
YES. This dotted line (http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/27.96649/84.04257) is a FAR more accurate representation of the "road" we were on than Google's "highway" (https://goo.gl/maps/xgvhWXosEWA2).
I had this exact same experience in Eastern Kentucky. I know it's not nearly as exotic, but it was definitely every bit as scary. As this highway that you thought was going to prove a shortcut over the next mountain range dwindled into nothing, you realize that you are on a dead-end with about 17 non-working cars in front of you, Confederate battle Flags pointing at you from every side, a bunch of keep out and no trespassing signs that you've already had to pass, and the knowledge that up here in what they call hollers, they're all just big families and they don't call the police. So you know you're going to have to drive right back past all these places that you've already driven by once, and you're hoping that they haven't rustled up the local militia before you have to go back out. Because you know that they have one.
This made me laugh twice because the literal italian translation of "highway" is "alta via" which actually indicates a mountain hiking trail lasting more than one day!
This happened to us on Crete. Scariest drive to a beach I've ever done.
ReplyDeleteWell, you really don't need a map (let alone Google) to know that there is no highway over the Himalayas.
ReplyDeleteOr around, or along, or anywhere near, really...
DeleteI live in the Marshall Islands and when you search for certain atolls (or even airports!) Google will take you to random pieces of ocean with no land anywhere nearby. When I lived in Kampala, Uganda, Google knew all of the names of the streets, but they were all shifted over by one street. So you would look up an address and then have to figure out if it was actually the street to the right or the left. Oh, well. Living off the map is more exciting anyway.
ReplyDeleteIakwe iakwe. Which part of the Marshall Islands are you in? I was there a few years ago, but I only went to Majuro and Ebeye
DeleteIakwe! I live in Majuro, but I just got back from a trip to Jaluit. They have some amazing Japanese "ruins" there. Ebeye is next on my list.
DeleteTry Open Street Maps instead of(or collaboration with)Google
ReplyDeletehttp://www.openstreetmap.org/
YES. This dotted line (http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/27.96649/84.04257) is a FAR more accurate representation of the "road" we were on than Google's "highway" (https://goo.gl/maps/xgvhWXosEWA2).
Delete"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need... roads."
ReplyDelete"Where we're going, there are no...roads"
Deletetouché
DeleteI had this exact same experience in Eastern Kentucky. I know it's not nearly as exotic, but it was definitely every bit as scary. As this highway that you thought was going to prove a shortcut over the next mountain range dwindled into nothing, you realize that you are on a dead-end with about 17 non-working cars in front of you, Confederate battle Flags pointing at you from every side, a bunch of keep out and no trespassing signs that you've already had to pass, and the knowledge that up here in what they call hollers, they're all just big families and they don't call the police. So you know you're going to have to drive right back past all these places that you've already driven by once, and you're hoping that they haven't rustled up the local militia before you have to go back out. Because you know that they have one.
ReplyDeleteWow! Sounds like an adventure.
DeleteThis made me laugh twice because the literal italian translation of "highway" is "alta via" which actually indicates a mountain hiking trail lasting more than one day!
ReplyDeleteMeta...
Delete