Everyone needs a way to get from point A to point B. For most of us, that's the tried-and-true car. Alternatively, you can use a motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard, scooter, or your own two feet. There are also public transportation options, such as the bus, trolleybus, 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 types of transport appeared, many of which are still in operation 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. It was powered by human force, but not bipedal, but quadrupedal.
Two or more horses walked in a circle, rotating the winch. Its movement was transmitted through the transmission to the mover, which was a paddle wheel or propellers.
In the late 19th century, horse-drawn boats successfully competed with steamboats in New York City. Newspapers of the time wrote that a horse-drawn ferry with 8 horses could take 200 passengers on board and cross the East River in 8-12 minutes, about the same speed as a steamboat.
And the last horse ferry in the USA, sailing along the Cumberland River in Tennessee, operated until the end of the 1920s. However, as Comrade Bender said, albeit on a different occasion, “the iron horse is replacing the peasant horse,” and the exotic means of transportation on water is a thing of the past.
9. Bamboo Train, Cambodia
The French first built railway lines in Cambodia in the 1920s and railway development continued until 1953, when French rule ended.
From 1967 to 1975, the country suffered a civil war that ended with the Khmer Rouge regime coming to power. By the time it was over, 20% of the population (1.4 million people) had died at the hands of the Khmers, from hunger or overwork. And most of the railways had been dismantled or mined.
In this situation, people needed an alternative to regular trains. And hardworking Cambodians created a bamboo train, a norrie. It is a 1-meter-wide railway track along which trolleys move. The norrie is driven by a tractor or motorcycle engine. Until 2016, bamboo trains did not even have brakes, and braking was done by the engine or even the passengers' feet.
Locals can spend 50 cents on a ride, 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 Cambodian countryside.
8. Toboggan Baskets, Portugal
In the 19th century, the inhabitants of the mountain village of Toboggan on the island of Madeira wanted to get a faster route to the city of Funchal. And they chose an original and unusual form of transport for this - baskets made of willow twigs. They were placed on wooden slats, greased with oil, so that they could slide along the roads.
The vehicle was driven by two drivers, carreiros, traditionally dressed in white trousers and shirts, a straw hat and special thick-soled boots to brake on turns. The steering was done with ropes tied to the slats.
Nowadays, such skiing has become a popular pastime for tourists. A ten-minute descent along an asphalt mountain road costs 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 a huge Pac-Man with people inside. However, the coco-taxis got their name from their resemblance to a coconut, according to locals.
Coco taxi is quite noisy and slow, but very popular among tourists.
6. Barco de Totora, Peru
If you are visiting Lake Titicaca, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, we recommend crossing its beautiful waters aboard the famous Totora boats.
Made from dried tufts of the totora reed that grows along the shores of the lake, they resemble dragons in appearance. It is believed that this shape originally helped to scare away evil spirits.
5. Jeepney, Philippines
The large, colorfully painted passenger taxi, reminiscent of an American jeep, has been a part of daily life for most people in the Philippines for almost 80 years.
The original jeepneys were made from parts of jeeps left behind by American troops after World War II. After the war, the Philippine government did not establish a public transportation system, so jeepneys became the most popular form of transportation.
Jeepneys operate like buses. But unlike most buses we are used to, jeepneys are usually painted in bright colors and decorated with beautiful designs, and sometimes even the driver's name.
Much to the chagrin of the general public, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered that all jeepneys over fifteen years old be removed from service by 2020 and replaced with greener versions.
4. Knock Knock, Thailand
Like the jeepney, the tuk-tuk (also known as the auto rickshaw) emerged after World War II as a response to the lack of motorized transportation.
Today, the tuk-tuk can be found on almost every continent, but it is most common in Africa and Asia. In Thailand, the tuk-tuk owes its roots to the Japanese, who popularized it during their occupation of the region during World War II.
Older models had a 350cc two-stroke engine that made a "thump thump" sound when moving. Modern tuk-tuks have a 660cc four-stroke engine, making them much quieter.
The Thai tuk-tuk, with its blue and yellow colour scheme, has become something of a symbol of the country.
3. Jet boats, New Zealand
New Zealand's Shotover River provides the backdrop for one of the most exciting ways to travel in Oceania. Jetboats powered by twin V8 engines and a combined output of 700 horsepower speed down the river.
Water is drawn in through an intake grate located at the bottom of the hull. The nozzle draws water (25,000 liters per minute) into the internal propeller. It then pushes it out, allowing the boat to move at a speed of 85 km/h.
2. Suspended tramway, Germany
If you've ever watched Amazon's The Man in the High Castle, you've seen futuristic technology from an alternate past Germany, including the Berlin Monorail.
In real life, however, you'll have to travel a little further from Germany's capital to see the country's only example of mass transit via a suspended monorail.
The Wuppertal Suspension Railway, located in the western part of Germany, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, at first glance looks more like a roller coaster than public transport. It is one of the strangest ways to travel not only in Germany or Europe, but also around the world.
1. Rolls Royce 103EX, UK
The list of the most unusual transport in the world is headed by the concept car Rolls Royce 103EX, also known as the Vision Next 100. This is a luxurious iron behemoth, which is designed to advertise the future of automotive solutions. The interior includes a silk lounge chair, natural wood and a hand-made wool carpet.
The car comes with a virtual assistant and chauffeur known as Eleanor. The manufacturer's website states that "each Rolls-Royce will be designed less like a car than as a separate sculpture, crafted from a single seamless surface."
Unfortunately, the Rolls Royce 103EX will never be put into mass production. However, it promises intriguing things not only for the future of luxury cars, but perhaps radical changes to transportation in general.
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