This week, our Cambodia embed, Tim Patterson, is giving us the inside scoop on the country, live from a guesthouse in Sihanoukville.
Getting around Cambodia on local transport is often equal parts shock, misery and exhilaration.
Shock because it's hard to believe 28 people, 6 ducklings and 34 chickens can cram into the bed of a pickup truck. Misery because on the road from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri, you'll learn that it's actually possible for both butt cheeks to fall asleep at the same time. Exhilaration because the quirky ingenuity of Cambodian transport gives rise to some of the most memorable journeys you'll experience anywhere.
Sure, you could take the bus. But that wouldn't be any fun. (Even if your butt does fall asleep, circulation will return someday!) With that in mind, here's a run-down of the more interesting transport options in Cambodia.
Public transportation in Miami is getting a stylish green makeover.
Outdoor advertising company Fuel is donating 600 bus shelters to the city, payed for by advertising and powered by the sun. The sleek looking structures will feature built-in benches for weary travelers, as well as an overhang to escape bad weather. The sun powered safety lighting and electric components will save 1,200 tons a year of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Ready for some improved train options across London? Well, you'll probably have to postpone your visit until around 2017, but the new Crossrail project could make life easier for Londoners and travelers alike.
The new rail route will run from west to east through London, going underground in the middle, including what we hope will be a very handy connection between Heathrow airport and the center of the city. It will take in some existing stations, and trains will run every two and a half minutes, so waiting around should definitely be minimized.
Of course, we'll all be ten years older when Crossrail gets going, so who can be sure if we'll really care or not; it's also a pity it won't be ready for the 2012 Olympics. A name change might also be a good idea, as we're imagining the headlines now: "Crossrail makes people cross."
In a recent survey, half of London Underground riders admitted to swapping numbers or hooking up with someone they met on the Tube. No wonder the St Pancras Station is promoting itself as a place to go even when you're not going anywhere! With an infusion of hotties, you and your loved one could look like this statue, Paul Day's "The Meeting Place," added to the station in October.
It's hardly shocking that as gas prices rise, more commuters are looking to public transit options they may not have considered earlier. But the Amtrak train leading in gains may surprise you: It's not the soup-to-nuts Northeast Regional or the posh Acela trains, but the Downeaster, the Portland-to-Boston route which picked up 947 extra passengers a day over last year.
We're pleased that we may have reached the tipping point for new public transportation options to be developed nationwide, although the initial result will just be more crowding. (A Midwestern friend of Jaunted says the Milwaukee-Chicago "Hiawatha" service is in dire need of another car per trip, as workers used to driving the 90 miles kick back on the train instead.)
It may be a small island, but even the country of Malta requires trains and buses to cart its residents around. But not this week: Drivers of vehicles large and small are striking in protest of a government effort to offer more licenses for hearses.
The Federation for Public Transport authorized the strike after the government announced it would try to break what it described as a hearse monopoly--the business of the dead is practiced by just 11 licensees island-wide. The strike has led to the rise of "black taxis" (profit-motivated uncertified cabdrivers), but after an emergency bus service driven by armed forces was hijacked by transit workers, tourists are finding themselves on surprise walking vacations.
Also to be stretching their legs: the hundreds of students arriving for a Catholic schools' association athletic games on Saturday. But will strike lines part for the Pope?
Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
Bangkok is a massive metropolis filled with skyscrapers and malls beside shacks and abandoned tenements. Between it all, fluorescent cabs and smoking tuk-tuks flood the congested streets.
Get ready for an adventure if you're trying to get around.
Are you a New York City Subway rider who's constantly plagued by fears of an another terrorist strike? Visiting town and don't want to get blown to bits? Well, you're in luck! Thanks to Subivor, you can save yourself in the event of a bombing or biological attack for the low, low price of $24.99!
0 Comments - Add Yours
by Yamabushi
Are you a New York City Subway rider who's constantly plagued by fears of an another terrorist strike? Visiting town and don't want to get blown to bits? Well, you're in luck! Thanks to Subivor, you can save yourself in the event of a bombing or biological attack for the low, low price of $24.99!
