Oh, travel: Transportation

Inspired by my husband, who often bikes to work, I have recently taken up cycling. While pedaling away on a long ride the other day, I was thinking about all the various modes of transportation that one encounters while they’re traveling. My own experiences are almost too numerous to count, but on top of mind, I’ve taken:

a city bus in Chicago
the subway, including hot & sticky summer rides in New York City & rather confusing doors that don’t automatically open Barcelona
a kayak in Maine
planes back & forth across the country & back & forth across oceans
too many taxis to count
cruise ships up & down the east coast of the U.S., through the Caribbean & across the Mediterranean
the Amtrak train back & forth on the D.C. to NYC stretch
plenty of miles on my own two feet.

I am a firm believer of public transportation. I commute daily on the Washington, D.C. Metro system – a combination above & below ground train. Compared to some systems in the world, we have it good: escalators throughout the system (never mind that they’re often broken); air conditioned stations (something New Yorkers often marvel at when they visit); a pretty vast coverage area that will take you to the airport, the shopping mall & the tourist attractions; & decently reliable service. Of course, daily commuters love to hate the Metro, but it sure beats sitting in traffic for an hour to drive 12 miles into the city (my pre-Metro commute).

You can really get to know a city by hopping on their public transportation. Public transit has nothing to hide: it’s out there, it’s raw, it’s sometimes dirty, & interaction with locals is pretty much guarenteed. It hides treasures – the beautiful tile work in many of New York City’s subway stations, the soaring ceilings in D.C.’s Metro station. It offers a great $2 tour – riding the Loop on the L in Chicago.

Transportation, in my mind, is more than how we get from here to there. It’s part of the travel experience itself. The smell, feel & sound of transportation remains with me long after a trip.

My “transportation bucket list” includes a crowded train in India, a rickshaw in Thailand, a scooter in Italy, a bike in Provence, a sail boat around French Polynesia & a high speed train across Japan.

What’s on yours?