It may have been inevitable that the phrase “UAE gaming license” would appear in a to-do list for the United Arab Emirates. But if you thought that this license was for a complex in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, think again. For the first time in the Gulf region, plans for a casino have received the […]
Infrastructure
The Wuppertal Schwebebahn and Paternoster Lift
I have been a railfan for many years, but not traditional rail. Rather, it is more of an interest in metro systems and monorails. Depending on one’s point of view, that hobby reached its apex — or nadir — a few years ago, when I created a metro system ticket design for home and travel […]
JR West Kansai Area Rail Pass
I’ve written a lot about Japanese rail passes, but never about one in the Kansai region, which includes Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara. A short visit last month helped change that– let’s take a look at the JR West Kansai Area Rail Pass. I want to skip the JR backgrounder, and go right to the […]
The World’s Smallest Escalator
After all, the world’s smallest escalator still involves travel. As usual, there’s an unrelated backstory involved. While studying abroad in Hong Kong in 2005, I used to walk around Kowloon Walled City Park. The park was built on the foundation of the infamous Kowloon Walled City, which was entirely demolished in 1994. Then, after having […]
Kunming Airport International Departures Lounge with Bonus Track
Like many Chinese airports, Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) has steadily growing international connectivity. It offers flights to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, various Southeast Asian cities, and even a 16:30 route to Dubai. For that last destination, I wound up in the Kunming airport international departures lounge. Officially the “first & business class lounge,” it […]
Forgotten about Overnight Rail in Europe?
It’s almost the summer … have you forgotten about one of Europe’s overnight rail services? The European Sleeper, chugs its way from Germany’s capital to Belgium’s capital, stopping at Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp, as well as a few other cities along the route. It has three different classes: Sleepers – Deluxe, with three beds and […]
Metro Access to Istanbul International Airport
If you, too, are as interested as I am in mass transit, then I’ve got some good news– there’s now metro access to Istanbul International Airport (IST). On 29 January the M11 metro line, connecting IST to Gayrettepe transfer station near downtown Istanbul, started operations. For your reference, I’ve added a snippet of the official […]
Manhattan’s Newest Beach
I present to you, Manhattan’s newest beach: Fine, the official title of Manhattan’s newest beach is Gansevoort Peninsula. And if you thought it was the first beach in Manhattan, well … it’s the first public beach. You see, there’s a small patch of flotsam and debris way up north on the island, near Spuyten Duyvil […]