September 27, 2009

kunming commutes

When we lived in minnesota, driving to work was rather uneventful for elissa and me. On our 10 minute commute we would typically see 15-20 cars as we leisurely rolled along. If it was a crazy, day we might have to slightly adjust our steering to avoid a stray garbage can that some 7th grader forgot to bring back to the garage. (gasp!) I am aware that city commuting is a little more intense than that, but Kunming commuting is in another category altogether. Sometimes we scooter riders just smile at each other after a close call as if to say, “aren’t you just glad we’re all still alive!” You have probably heard the saying that getting there is the adventure. In Kunming it’s definitely true.

How bad can it be? Well, do you drive on the wrong side of the road in a continuous game of chicken with 4-6 million potential opponents? Do you have to doubletake at kids peeing and pooping on the sidewalk? do you jump up curbs and slide down make-shift ramps on your way through construction zones? Do you dodge big loogies as they whiz past your face? Do you lose sight of the road for seconds at a time when busses spew out enough carbon to use up all of Al Gore’s credits with a single shift?...we do.

Enjoy some of our recent photos from Kunming commutes!


5 comments:

Jeremy said...

Ha, some of those are great! Thanks for posting, great to see the city!

Denise said...

Who needs morning caffeine when you can use adrenaline instead? Miss you guys.

Unknown said...

your sense of adventure must really come alive, dodging speed bumps and poop mounds!

Lindsay said...

so fun to see those pictures! Dustin & I want to come and visit sometime!!

Chris Bechtel said...

Can you please post some live action shots while driving the scooter? I'm visualizing Elissa (or Jon if he is man enough) hanging off the back of the scooter snapping away. I think your blogging community would really enjoying seeing you put your lives at risk for our viewing pleasure. (I might increase my monthly giving if this happens). Safe travels!