Tag: road

South African Road Etiquette

M's Adventures
Cattle roam freely.

When driving in South Africa, it’s not just the baboons one has to think about.

There is also a “abnormal/le” sign that I didn’t managed to snap.

First, they drive on the British/Japanese side of the road so the driver is on the right side of the car. Using stick shift/manual with their left hand (you can rent an automatic but it is more expensive).

This I loved. It was obvious where you were going.

When renting a car, make sure to get a bigger one as most rental cars are tiny. Ask for automatic if you need that. And get all the extra insurance as they are extremely picky about dings and scratches. When dropping off, don’t worry too much about filing up the tank (just pay the extra – it won’t be as expensive as in the USA). The gas prices are controlled by the government.

Also lovely. Where there is a tree with shade, you can find community.

As for etiquette, when on the road, drive on the shoulder if you want to let the other cars pass you.

Most importantly, if other cars let you pass them, make sure to thank them by putting on your hazard lights for a quick second after you have passed.

Watch out for when there are folks doing this. I don’t know what it was.

Try and keep small change (100 rand) for the parking “guards” who watch out for your car when you go into a store or restaurant.

One of the car guards.

Shesha is the term for express lane.

Shesha line sign.

Be prepared for sights you have never seen before.

Driving in the big cities is fierce just like anywhere else.

And some you have.

Very blurry but you can see that he is selling brooms.

There are pit stops along the highways, but some are far from each other. Use online maps to figure out where to stop. Many of the stops we went to had their toilets out of service and had portapotties outside. These were surprisingly clean. They even had sinks with running water.

Driving while eating chicken wings. Is that legal?

Worst Traffic in the World?

M's Adventures
A tourist bus in the souk.

I went to Egypt to see the treasured outpost of the Roman Empire. But, I also went because I wanted to see the traffic. Is that weird? Yes, and thank you. I had heard people say that the traffic in Cairo is the worst in the world. I have been in LA, Dhaka, Lima, Bogota, New Delhi, and NY traffic. Of all those places, I still vote that Dhaka has the worst traffic. Could Cairo take the crown?

Blocks of ice for sale blocking the Cairo traffic.

Yes, it can. The reason is that the traffic in Cairo is lethal. Cairo is much bigger than Dhaka and there are many roads where one can gain a great amount of speed, thus making traffic accidents more likely to be lethal.

A pick up point in front of the mosque. It was a calm day.

So, I would have to agree that Cairo has the worst traffic, but Dhaka has possibly the most interesting? In Dhaka one saw all kinds of things in traffic, from half a million rickshaws to elephants.

All Roads Lead to Rome

M's Adventures
Six miles outside the Aurelian walls of Rome.

This is such a well known expression. While “all roads lead to Rome” is an idiom, I don’t think it gets used that way as much these days. People seem to take it literally. Everyone wants to visit Rome. As an idiom, it actually means the opposite, that there are many ways to approach the same subject. No one seems to know if the Romans ever said this. The earliest example of its use in English is from Chaucer. If you want to geek out about this, read this article.

Great place for a bike ride.

On a beautiful sunny day, it is hard to imagine the atrocities carried out along this road 2,000 years ago. The Romans crucifed people, famously Christians, along this road. But, this road was also used as a graveyard and many of the most famous sites today are the remains of mausoleums. This road was built more than 2,300 years ago. In 71 BCE, the famous Sparticus fought along here. Over 6,000 slaves were crucified as a result of that slave revolt. At that time in the Roman Empire, one in three people were slaves.

The large paving stone are original and have the groove marks from chariots.

The Appian Way goes all the way to Brindisi in Apulia. I would like to see it down there too. But, closer to Rome, one Sunday, I decided to go walk on the most well preserved part of Roman road, near Rome. Today, this road is a park and tourist attraction. There seems no trace of the sorrow of the past. And the only armies one sees are joggers, walkers, and bikers.

One can get to the archeological park and join a bike or walking tour, or just choose a spot and go there. I took a 20 minute car ride out to a spot where a modern road intersects with the Appian Way. It seemed so far out. Cars are allowed on the Appian way but there are parts where most drivers choose the highway. The taxi service had no problem finding me when I wanted to return. One can walk from the center of Rome and walk out but the road is busy for the first five or six miles (8-10 kilometers). One can take the bus or metro as well. My taxi ride cost 29 euro each way. It was so far removed from central Rome that I saw bales of hay and chatted with farm hands.

Even the air is fresher out here.