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Crossing the Street in Vietnam {Gadling}
Aug 28th 2007 1:21PM I have to sympathize... In Istanbul I once managed to cross a street - but only onto the traffic island in the middle. It took me two hours to make it OFF the island and over to the other side.
And in Addis once, I stood by a monumental plaza wondering how I was going to get across - when a wizened old man with a cane did exactly the same as did your Vietnamese savior - he marched me across!
Perhaps I'm ready for Vietname now...
US Government fines Travelocity for Cuba Trips {Gadling}
Aug 25th 2007 6:08PM The US embargo of Cuba is one of the more senseless things I've seen - and it doesn't stop people from traveling to Cuba, only the poorer ones. Americans have been going to Cuba for years, either by flying through Canada, or - if they are in that income bracket - by simply sailing there. The marina in Havana is lined with yachts harboring the US flag. Washington - wake up already.
Driving Drunk: Legal Limits vary by Country in Europe {Gadling}
Aug 10th 2007 7:43AM Unfortunately, drinking and driving in Europe is not so much about the law but about attitude and coolness.
In Britain, it is no longer cool to drink and drive and a designated driver is a must - Britain is the European exception. In France, where I live, no one gives a second thought to drinking and driving - apart from an odd look at the hapless person who might mention it. In fact, on Saturday nights, I refuse to drive, period. If I go out, I make sure I'm home before 10pm, or I spend the night wherever I'm going.
The French have a custom of placing flowers or a small monument or cross along the road whenever someone is killed. I live in a rural region, with small roads and not a lot of traffic, and this is what my road network looks like leaving from my village outwards in various directions.
15 km (9 mi) stretch: two flower arrangements
10 km stretch: one cross, one flower bouquet
15 km stretch: 4 flower arrangements, one cross
10 km stretch: 2 flower arrangements
Usually, each marker is more than one death. None of these were out when I moved here four years ago.
I don't know how many people have to die before the link between drinking and driving has been made here - clearly, more than have so far.
Scribetrotter
http://www.women-on-the-road.com
Best Underground Transit In the World Is... {Gadling}
Aug 9th 2007 8:56AM Clearly the person who put the list together didn't actually RIDE the Moscow subway, and certainly not at rush hour... it is stunningly gorgeous, no doubt about that, especially if you're keen on revolutionary art. For that alone it is worth a visit.
But many (most, I think) stations have little or nothing written in other than the Cyrillic alphabet and if your Russian is poor or non-existent, finding your way around can be a nightmare. I still remember spending hours going around in circles and ending up where I started, despite being with a Polish friend who spoke some Russian.
At rush hour, escalators run at least twice as fast as those in other cities. A huge crowd packs the top of the escalator, funneling itself into one thin string of humanity, at high speed. If you miss your footing or skip the rhythm, you may be as good as dead.
So yes, Moscow, but not at rush hour or without a detailed itinerary.
http://www.women-on-the-road.com
For women who love to travel on their own!
