The “motorcy” weaved furiously through the Bangkok traffic. I clung on to the handlebar for dear life, but the orange-vested driver seemed least bothered by the shrieking honks around him. At several points on Sukhumvit Road, I came quite close to tickling the legs of elephants.
Over my travelling years, I have developed a great interest in different modes of transportation. Save for a few vehicular variants, the Western world is mundanely cocooned in its world of radio cabs, buses and trains, with a stray commuter boat thrown in for good measure. For instance, I found the Eurostar a lot less interesting than the now-commercialised gondolas that glide across the Venetian waterways. They recently introduced the pedi-cab or the “velotaxi” in certain American and European tourist traps. In keeping with Western standards, some of these are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes and some even with solar-powered internet terminals that make you feel as though you have embarked on a secret space mission.
Travelling in Asia, however, is always an exotic experience. The colourful three-wheeled tuktuks or the sooty “Baht” boats of Klong Saen Saep are unavoidable forms of transportation in a country blessed with narrow and flooded streets. The cyclos of Hanoi similarly clink their way along small lanes. Moving around in the Philippines is made exciting by the jeepneys that transport anything from 10 to 20 stifled souls, most stuffed within, but some clinging on to the roof — all at the same time.
Alas, the deathly grip of industrialisation is driving many curious forms of transportation to extinction. There are now state-of-the-art ferries that go from England to Belgium within a few hours, replacing the hovercrafts that once crossed the Channel. I am told the Channel Tunnel lets you do this trip even faster. Unlike bullock carts or the cycle rickshaw, the two-wheelers of Indian cities may just last for ever. These speeding contraptions zip through traffic or zoom recklessly over footpaths, ignoring hapless pedestrians, but nothing can get you there faster.
... contd.
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