Everyone should have a way to get from point A to point B. For most of us, this is a proven machine. Alternatively, you can use a motorcycle, bike, skateboard, scooter or your own legs. There are also public transport options such as a bus, trolley bus and metro.
But the imagination of inventors is not limited to such banal means of transportation. And in different countries of the world from time to time the most unusual and bizarre modes of transport appeared, many of which are valid today.
10. Horse ferry, USA and Canada
At the end of the 18th century in the United States, and then in Canada, a ferry appeared to transport people and supplies by water. He was set in motion by a living force, but not a two-legged one, but a four-legged one.
From two or more horses walked in a circle, rotating the gate. Its movement through the transmission was transmitted to the mover, in the role of which the propeller wheel or propellers acted.
At the end of the 19th century, in New York, guided vessels successfully competed with steamboats. The newspapers of that time wrote that an equestrian ferry with 8 horses could take 200 passengers aboard and crossed the East River in 8-12 minutes, at about the same speed as the steamer.
And the last horse ferry in the United States, walking along the Cumberland River in Tennessee, worked until the end of the 1920s. However, as Comrade Bender said, the truth is on a different occasion, “the iron horse is replacing the peasant horse,” and an exotic means of transportation by water is a thing of the past.
9. Bamboo train, Cambodia
The French first built railway lines in Cambodia in the 1920s and the development of the railway industry continued until 1953, until the French rule ended.
In 1967-1975, a civil war was going on in the country, which ended with the coming to power of the Khmer Rouge regime. By the time it ended, 20% of the population (1.4 million people) had died at the hands of the Khmers, starvation, or overwork. And most of the railways were dismantled or mined.
In this situation, people needed an alternative to conventional trains. And the hardworking Cambodians created a bamboo Norri train. It is a railway track of 1 meter wide, along which the trolleys move. Norri is driven by an engine from a tractor or motorcycle. Until 2016, bamboo trains did not even have brakes, and braking was carried out by the engine or even by the feet of passengers.
Local residents can spend 50 cents on a trip, tourists - ten times more. The bamboo train does not move very fast, its average speed reaches 50 km / h and passengers have a beautiful view of the countryside of Cambodia.
8. Sled Basket Toboggan, Portugal
In the 19th century, the inhabitants of the mountain village of Toboggan on the island of Madeira wanted a faster way to the city of Funchal. And they chose for this an original and unusual form of transport - baskets made of willow twigs. They were placed on wooden slats, oiled to glide on the roads.
This design was driven by two carreiros drivers, traditionally dressed in white trousers and shirts, a straw hat and special boots with thick soles to slow down cornering. And control was carried out using ropes tied to the rails.
Nowadays such skiing has become a popular fun for tourists. A ten-minute descent along an asphalt mountain road will cost 25 euros for one person and 30 euros for two.
7. Coco taxi, Cuba
One of the most unusual modes of transport in the world resembles a giant yellow helmet with seats and wheels. It can be compared to the huge Pac-Man with the people inside. However, the name coco taxis came from the resemblance to coconut, according to local residents.
Coco taxi is quite noisy and slow, but very popular among tourists.
6. Barco de Totora, Peru
If you visit Lake Titicaca, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, we recommend crossing its beautiful waters aboard the famous Totor boats.
Totors created from dried reed bunches growing along the shores of the lake, they resemble dragons in their appearance. It is believed that this form initially helped to scare away evil spirits.
5. Jeepney, Philippines
The large and colorfully painted passenger taxi, reminiscent of an American jeep, has been part of the everyday life of most people in the Philippines for almost 80 years.
The original jeeps were made from parts of jeeps left by US troops after World War II. After the war, the Philippine government did not create a public transportation system, so jeepneys became the most popular mode of transport.
Jeepneys work like buses. But, unlike most of the buses we are used to, jeeps are usually painted in bright colors and complemented by beautiful ornaments, and sometimes also by the name of the driver.
Much to the chagrin of the general public, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered all jeeps over fifteen years old to be removed from the routes by 2020 and replaced with more environmentally friendly versions.
4. Knock Knock, Thailand
Like a jeepney, a tuk-tuk (also known as auto-rickshaw) appeared after World War II as a response to the lack of vehicles.
Today, tuk-tuk can be found on almost all continents, but it is most common in Africa and Asia. In Thailand, the tuk-tuk owes its roots to the Japanese, who popularized it during the occupation of the region during World War II.
Older models were equipped with a 350 cc two-stroke engine. cm, which made a sound "knock knock" when moving. Modern tuk-tuks are equipped with a four-stroke engine with a capacity of 660 cubic meters. see, which makes them much quieter.
Thai knock knock with blue and yellow colors has become a kind of symbol of the country.
3. Jet Boats, New Zealand
The New Zealand River Shotover serves as the backdrop for one of the most exciting ways to travel around Oceania. Jetboats, equipped with two V8 engines and a total capacity of 700 horsepower, are swiftly rushing along it.
Water is drawn in through the intake grill located at the bottom of the housing. Through the nozzle, water (25 thousand liters per minute) draws the internal propeller. And then he pushes it out, allowing the boat to move at a speed of 85 km / h.
2. Suspended tramway, Germany
If you've ever watched the Amazon series Man in a High Castle, you've seen futuristic technology from Germany’s alternative past, including the Berlin monorail.
However, in real life, you will have to move a little away from the capital of Germany to see the country's only example of mass transit via a monorail suspension.
The Wuppertal cableway, located in the western part of Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia, at first glance looks more like a roller coaster than a public transport. This is one of the strangest ways to travel, not only in Germany or Europe, but around the world.
1. Rolls Royce 103EX, UK
The list of the most unusual vehicles in the world is headed by the Rolls Royce 103EX concept car, aka Vision Next 100. This is a luxurious iron hippo that aims to advertise the future of automotive solutions. In the interior - a lounge chair made of silk, natural wood and handmade wool carpet.
The car is equipped with a virtual assistant and a driver, known as Eleanor. The manufacturer’s website says that “each Rolls-Royce will not be designed like a car, but rather as a separate sculpture made from one seamless surface.”
Unfortunately, the Rolls Royce 103EX will never be launched into mass production. Nevertheless, he promises intriguing things not only for the future of luxury cars, but, possibly, radical changes in transport in general.
