With all the construction of new highways and speed roads, I’m having difficulty driving in Panama. My main concern in entering and exiting out of the speedways. If you’re not careful you could end up in a crash. Panamanians are not known to be prudent drivers. Give one a car, and you have a potential James Bond 007 agent. Speed seems to be the main cause of deaths in this country. That’s why I decided to invest about $300 in a Garmin Nuvi 50 GPS.
I’ve used the device for over a month now and feel very satisfied with its performance. It’s amazing how well it displays all the roads and highways of the city. For the first time, I now know the names of some our streets. The gadget speaks to you in several languages. I toggle between English and Spanish and the pronunciation of the streets is pleasant and understandable.
During a recent visit to Boquete, I was pleasantly surprised that a car rental company was renting GPSs to its customers at the airport. I think it’s a wonderful idea to aid foreign visitors traveling through the Province of Chiriqui. It is expected that the same service is also available in Panama City. I’ll look into it later. Driving in the city is not an easy task. People are very impatient, most of the highways are under repairs and the construction of the subway has created traffic jams. Having a GPS will make your driving more comfortable, but of course it won’t cut the “tranques”.
Snapshot of my GPS mounted on a cradle attached to the windshield of my Toyota Corolla. I have to be careful not to distract myself reading the screen instead of looking at the road. Listening to instructions is a lot better. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
All the routes leading to my neighborhood and the roads inside the neighborhood are exactly right. It’s amazing how satellites in outer space can make your life easier. Technology is amazing.
This is how the GPS’s 5″ screen looks like before driving out of the garage. My car is represented by the blue car icon. The red thumbtack represents my home in Residencial El Bosque. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
hi Omar, I think the use of GPS while traveling is a necessity today. We could save a lot of time without getting lost and stuck in traffic. And one of my favorites gps is garmin 1450lmt, same like yours, cheap but has a lot of features.
Hello Arthur:
I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s a great tool to save time and fuel when you’re driving in dense traffic in urban areas.
Thanks for your comment.
Omar.-