Our contributing editor, Ana, says, “Cars are banned on the Isle of Sark (Channel Islands). Tractors, bicycles and horse-drawn carriages are the only means of transport here.”
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Funny photo from Jersey, The Channel Islands
Duck Crossing in Jersey
Pot Roast: a winter warmer from the U.K.
Canadians love to joke about how there is always snow, we all live in igloos, and our main source of transportation is the dog sled. While, it is definitely not a main source- there are roads, highways, airports- dog sledding is a part of the culture in the North.
A small sled meant to carry one rider inside and one driver on the back.
The Yukon is north of 60° (latitude). It’s a 2.5 hour flight up from Vancouver. It borders Alaska, USA to the west and British Columbia, Canada to the south. It was home to the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890’s. And, in the winter, boy is it cold there!
One major winter event is the Yukon Quest: a thousand mile race from Whitehorse, Yukon to Fairbanks Alaska. This race follows the gold rush route and is called the toughest dog sled race in the world. The race can take between 10 and 20 days to complete, with limited checkpoints between. This is not a winter sport for the faint of heart. Yukoners are hearty, strong, and adventurous.
Tourists can partake in this cultural sport without facing the sure death that would befall the inexperienced musher (sled driver). A resort just outside of Whitehorse offers day trips and short expeditions. It is called Muktuk Adventures and is home to experienced mushers of the Yukon Quest. We did a quick 2 hour trip that followed a very small portion of the Yukon Quest trail. It ran on top of the frozen Takhini River.
The trip starts with a major bundling up in winter gear: wool socks, winter boots, thick snow pants, giant jackets, warm hats with ear protection, hoods, and, of course, water and wind proof gloves. We then learn the easy basics: a sharp “Let’s go” will get the dogs moving, a low “Whoooaaa” will bring them to a stop. Two to a team, we each have one driver and one rider pulled by five dogs.
Let me tell you, if I was as excited for a day’s work as these dogs, life would be perfection. Every dog in the yard wanted a turn to get out for a good run. Imagine 100 dogs barking and running in circles for attention. Even on the trip, their excitement never dwindled. They barked and danced. They ate snow and played with each other. They constantly seemed tangled in their lines beyond repair during breaks, but always seemed to sort themselves out in time to start up again.
I am more clothing than person!
The dog village.
Overall, it was quite a fun experience. I did fall once, but managed to pull myself back up onto the skis of the sled, find the brake, and give a “whoooaaa”. No harm done. Being on the river, most of our trip was flat. The way back up to the cabin, though, was a short uphill. Here, the driver is expected to jump off and run with the sled to help out the dogs. Hopping back on is the tricky part.
The team pulling us across the frozen river.
I am very glad to have been able to join in on such a stereotypically Canadian winter sport. Though I am years of training off of running a race, maybe next time we will try an overnight expedition.
Eager to keep going!
Suppose you want to sell you car, how do you go about advertising the sale? You can place an ad in your local newspaper or a noticeboard, you can list it on one of several specialised websites or you can use social media (Tweeter, Facebook) to let your contacts know.
In Argentina, although many people use the methods mentioned above, the traditional thing to do is to place an empty can or plastic bottle (filled with water so that it doesn’t fly away) on the roof of your car while it’s parked.
Our next door neighbour is trying to sell his car
In the past, people used to ring the bell of the house the car was directly parked in front of. Nowadays, car owners place a piece of paper with the car model, mileage, price and contact information. If someone is interested, they’ll try to contact the owner in order to start negotiations.
Do you have a similar custom in your country?
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Buying a car in California
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It starts early in the week when I type an appointment in my work calendar for 4:30 p.m. Friday: “Bike ride home.” Just the act of typing those words puts a smile on my face because I’ve just blocked that time from any meetings and I’ve got all week to look forward to a glorious bike commute home over San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge.
On the commute home via the Golden Gate Bridge
Friday morning I get my gear ready: the bike pants, the windbreaker, the gloves, the iPod, the helmet, the Camelbak, and the sunglasses. Since I live 25 miles away in Marin County and there’s no shower at work, this is only a one-way commute. I jump on the bike-rack enabled commuter bus in the morning and head southward towards The City by the Bay with all the other gas-guzzling suburban commuters. (more…)
Oopsie Daisy!
This photo was taken by our contributor Anna, who snapped this photo in Jersey which is one of the Channel Islands. The islands are in the Channel between the UK and France and they are quite small. Is that why the cars don’t fit in the garages?
See more photos:
Funny photo from Spain
Love in the USA
Pasifika in New Zealand
Test your cultural expertise with our weekly quiz. This week’s question is from Austria.
When either a pedestrian or a driver in Austria, you should be extra careful to observe the road rules and etiquette.
True or False?
Mardi Gras – Carnival Season
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Buenos Aires Cathedral’s tiled floor
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From our contributors: week of February 6
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