Jul 3rd, 2011 at 6:00PM:
I don't know that any city in the world can match the sheer "wow" factor of Hong Kong's harbor. The city's massive skyscrapers sit precariously perched on the lips of mountainous islands, always looking as if they're about to fall into the sea. There's probably no better way to take in the incredible view of this marvelous city than from the confines of a boat, particularly aboard a line like ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
ferry posts
Photo of the Day - Hong Kong Junk
Jul 3rd, 2011 at 6:00PM:
I don't know that any city in the world can match the sheer "wow" factor of Hong Kong's harbor. The city's massive skyscrapers sit precariously perched on the lips of mountainous islands, always looking as if they're about to fall into the sea. There's probably no better way to take in the incredible view of this marvelous city than from the confines of a boat, particularly aboard a line like ...India restarts ferry to Sri Lanka after 30 years of civil war
Jun 14th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Sri Lanka is still recovering after a long and brutal civil war that started in 1983 and only ended two years ago. The fight between Tamil separatists and the government left 100,000 people dead, many of them civilians, and there were accusations of war crimes on both sides. The government won and the island nation is now beginning to rebuild.
A sign of that rebuilding is the relaunching of ...Orthodox Jew causes bomb alert by praying
Dec 14th, 2010 at 12:30PM: Do these look like bombs to you? They did to the crew of a New Zealand ferry. So much so that they radioed the police, who were waiting for the man wearing them when the ferry docked. Then the armed cops forced him and a companion to the floor.
All in a day's work fighting terror. Or not.
In fact they're tefillin, known in English as phylacteries , and they're an essential part of Orthodox ...Istanbul transit fares increased
Nov 3rd, 2010 at 3:30PM: Travelers visiting Istanbul this winter will pay extra to get around on public transportation. The transit authority has just put a fare hike in effect on the trams, metro, bus, and ferry lines, the first in a year and a half.
A single-leg token (jeton) will now cost 1.75 TL (about ($1.25), up from 1.50, but Akbil (smart ticket) carriers will pay 1.65 TL and .85 TL for transfers. Ferries ...Weekending: Bodrum/Greece
Aug 11th, 2010 at 10:30AM:
As an expat in Istanbul, I am very fortunate to have awesome opportunities for short trips around Europe and the Middle East. My previous weekend jaunt was to Beirut, Lebanon. Though the current 90+ degree weather is ruling out a lot of domestic travel for now, for my next getaway, I made like the locals and headed south to the beach.
The place: Bodrum, Turkey
The Bodrum peninsula fancies ...Trinkets and treasures: Istanbul on and off the beaten path
Jul 13th, 2010 at 4:30PM:
The tourist season in Istanbul is well underway, bringing hordes of tour buses and groups into Sultanahment (the Old City) each day, perhaps even more this year as the Turkish city is currently one of Europe's Capitals of Culture. Whether you are planning your first visit or your tenth, here is a look at some of the most touristed spots, why you should fight the crowds to see them, and where you ...Strike in Greece leaves tourists stranded
Jun 23rd, 2010 at 10:30AM: A strike by dock workers in Greece's main port of Piraeus has kept thousands of visitors from boarding ferries to the Greek islands.
Greece is trying to impose economic austerity measures that were dictated by the IMF and EU in exchange for a 110 billion euro ($135 billion) bailout. Trade unions object to cuts in the minimum wage and a reduction of benefits and pensions.
Railway workers and ...San Francisco's Bay Bridge closed indefinitely
Oct 28th, 2009 at 2:30PM: The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed indefinitely while crews repair an upper-deck cable that snapped during rush-hour on Tuesday evening. According to the AP, the broken cable and a chunk of bridge metal fell onto the westbound lanes, damaging at least one vehicle.
The cable that snapped was put in last month to repair a crack that was discovered over Labor Day weekend. While the ...Detroit's Boblo Boat is back!
Oct 26th, 2009 at 10:30AM: As a child growing up in Detroit, one of my favorite summer activities was riding the "Boblo Boat" down the Detroit River to Boblo Island. An amusement park created in 1898, it closed for good in 1993. The island is now a residential community and any hope of resurrecting the old-time amusement park is gone, but thanks to a local doctor, nostalgia-seekers may soon be able to take a ride on one of ...Dim Sum Dialogues in Thailand: The road (+ rail + ferry) to Ko Pha Ngan
Sep 17th, 2009 at 9:00AM:
The neon pink taxi screeches to a halt. "You must be the best taxi driver in Bangkok." I declare to the driver, and I mean it. Moments ago we were at a complete standstill for nearly twenty minutes, in the center of a jammed four-lane road. An everyday occurrence in Bangkok. I had already started considering alternate travel plans, since I was sure that I'd be missing the southbound train. ...Auckland's Waiheke Island: wine paradise
Aug 31st, 2009 at 10:30AM: New Zealand in recent decades has established itself among the world's wine hot spots, boasting increasingly famous wine-growing regions like Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. But New Zealand visitors thirsty for great wine need not leave greater Auckland to enjoy some of this beautiful country's best vintages. Instead, just a short ferry ride from downtown is Waiheke Island, home base for the Mudbrick ...Budget vacations from Seattle: Bainbridge Island
Aug 9th, 2009 at 11:00AM:
I arrived in Seattle on my birthday last week, which just happened to be the city's hottest day in history. Temperatures across Puget Sound reached 106 degrees! Needless to say, I needed a break from the heat -- and a break from long hours of driving up the northern California and Oregon coast. A mini-vacation on Bainbridge Island was an ideal break from both the heat, the car, and the city.
...Ferry crash in Spain strands 1,000
Jul 19th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Imagine spending 20 hours crammed onto a ferry with almost 1,000 strangers. This is exactly what happened this weekend when strong winds forced a ship going from Orán, Algeria to Alicante, Spain to crash into the dock. Those on board were able to get off, and the next wave climbed aboard ... where they would wait for almost a full day.
On Saturday night – after boarding Friday night ...Dim Sum Dialogues: Planes, Trams, & Automatic Doors
Jul 8th, 2009 at 9:00AM: This is a continuation of yesterday's column on the transportation of Hong Kong. After seeing various Youtube videos of the infamous landing at Hong Kong's now defunct Kai Tak Airport, I'm disappointed that I never had the chance to experience a 747 roaring over a narrow Kowloon street. But the beauty and convenience of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport make up for that disappointment, and have ...Ferry Pier Sinks in Istanbul
Nov 24th, 2008 at 12:00PM: It was a rather bizarre series of events. A floating ferry dock on the European side of Istanbul became unhinged, began to list, and then sank during a particularly violent storm over the past weekend. Usually it is the boats themselves that are at the center of ferry disasters (like the tragic accident in the Philippines earlier this year), not ferry terminals, which are, theoretically, firmly ...Hong Kong-Macau Bridge to be Built
Aug 6th, 2008 at 11:30AM: Hong Kong is now connected to Macau by ferry. Long-running negotiations for a bridge connection between the two cities, and their mainland neighbor Zhuhai, have led to nothing but hurt feelings and finger pointing. Enter Beijing. The government of China has a rare chance to play the good guy in the former colonies. And it will only cost them a few billion dollars. According to The Standard, ...Belize it or not: Island-hopping on budget
Jul 17th, 2008 at 7:00PM: Greetings from Belize. If you come to Belize, chances are you'll stay on one of the islands, not mainland. Not only is it easier to find nice beaches on the islands (cayes), but it is much closer to the Barrier Reef. And if you are visiting Belize, you simply must see the reef. Even if you don't dive, the ocean is shallow around here and the opportunities for snorkeling are plentiful. If you're ...Chillin' in the Stockholm Archipelago
Apr 3rd, 2008 at 9:20AM: I had a little too much fun when I visited Stockholm at the end of last summer. After sampling more than my fair share of Swedish meatballs, downing some aquavit and partaking in the city's surprisingly debaucherous nightlife, my liver and my body needed a break. My salvation came in the form of a wonderful five-syllable word you might remember from grade school geography class - the archipelago. ...A Canadian in Beijing: A Must Do = A Shidu Picnic
May 7th, 2007 at 12:37PM:
The second last day of the holidays and I was invited to go on a picnic in the outlying areas of Beijing with one of my new friends, Rui, and several of his friends. I was the only foreigner (non-Native Chinese speaker) and so I was a bit nervous. Still, Rui's English is excellent and I only hesitated for an instant before accepting the opportunity to see some of the outskirts of this city and ...Trinidad & Tobago Ferry
Apr 23rd, 2006 at 10:31AM: This weekend, my husband, daughter and I took my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law to Trinidad's sister island,
Tobago. Normally, we would've taken the 15-minute plane trip over, but this time, we decided to take the
ferry. About a year ago, Trinidad & Tobago purchased two catamaran ferries to make the trip between the
two islands. Previously, the ferry journey would dtake 5 -- 6 ...
