Tag: Travel

My buddy Peter H. is the Master of All Things Internet Research-Releated. So when I mentioned to him that I collect metro cards from around the world, and that I’d considered trolling ebay for ’em, he sent me this amusing, meticulously-researched guide:

You shouldn’t get them on eBay. Thats not collecting, its buying. But then again, when are you going to get on Chelyabinsk metro? Maybe you should have friends collect them for you on their trips. Its more fun that way. And free.

I don’t think that any of us will be getting on the Tehran Metro http://www.tehranmetro.com/schedules/maps/index.asp anytime soon.
Surprsingly, they have a map in English. I don’t see the Kill the Christian-Zionisit Crusader station, but the nexus of all their lines, which could just be blandly named “Metro Center” like ours is Imam Khomeni.

Here you can actually buy them direct http://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/doni-chika/donichika.htm from the system in Sapporo, it seems. But only if you can figure out the process in the graphic at the bottom of the page. It seems you start from home, consult the frowning monkey, have a bowl of nail polish soup, buy a gift, and then return home. Got it? Where’s the part where you buy a fare card?

There’s Montreal http://www.stcum.qc.ca/English/metro/a-mapmet.htm, which seems to say come ride beneath, away from the charred, barren landcape of Southern Quebec. Actually, my experience confirms this. Its got a very sad kind of overbuilt a generation ago fell (67 expo and 76 olympics). Christy and I came to one ticket booth a couple of years ago and the ticket agent was so lethargic they didn’t even want to deal with taking our money and waived us through. I asked somone, “Is it free today.” They said, “No, sometimes they just don’t feel like dealing with tourists and their questions.” Merci, I say!

Look at this kooky subway in http://subway.city.fukuoka.jp/index.html
Japan. Each stop has got a little symbol id’ing it. I’d like to go the the deer droppings station
http://subway.city.fukuoka.jp/eki/stations/sakurazaka.html please! Thankfully there’s a little bear-dog to direct you.

Then, there’s other nifty things. On the Seoul Subway you can apply to perform on one of the three “Subway Cultural Stages” http://www.subwayworld.co.kr/english/index.htm> And, only the Seoul Subway has Oh!zemidong. Sorry, its in frames. You have to find the button on the left side of the Subway Cultural Stage page.

I could go on…

UPDATE: An addendum from Peter:

And, the winner of the worst subway map —

The Deagu Metropolitan Subway Corpration
http://www.daegusubway.co.kr/english/dream/index.html

But, their moto quite candidly says “Towards the Subway Era”. Not there yet, but headed in the right direction.

I like their Andromeda Strain-Running Man type graphic.
http://www.daegusubway.co.kr/english/index.html

Here’s a cool gallery of worldwide metro logos.

(Full disclosure: I collect only one thing: metro cards. I’ve got all the major US ones — NY, DC, SF, etc. — as well as Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and one or two more. So this link was particularly interesting to me. I am a dork. A public transportation dork.)

Here’re my pics. Enjoy. The photo below is, from left to right, me, David Z., and the lucky groom, Benny C. A good time was had by all.

Update: Sorry, this image is no longer available on Flickr.

Yes, it’s another weekend of traveling for your faithful scribe. I’m off early tomorrow morning to Westchester County, NY, for Benny C. and Ange G.’s wedding. I’ll be back and blogging on Monday.

I leave you with this, which Jill so thoughfully sent along. This fine specimen is the winner of the 2005 World’s Ugliest Dog contest. They say pets resemble their owners; I’d hate to lay eyes the master of this abominable creature.

43 Places: “…the ultimate place to share stories about the corner joint and destinations across the globe.”

Pretty cool.

Treknologies is a new blog devoted to gear and other resources for travelers.

I’m back from SoBe (that’s South Beach, Miami, to you). Lots of fun. Stayed here. Ate here. And here. And here (twice, very late at night). Got denied entry here. Got in here (more than once) with no problem. Got rained while enjoying the roof deck here.

UPDATE: Miles B. suggests I add the following: I temporarily lost my sanity and bought these shoes (in grey and red); I also came within a whisker of purchasing these absurd $100 sunglasses (in white).