What will the future of bus travel be like?

Road transport as we know it today has only been around for the last 100 years, ever since the advent of the mass production vehicles that have become almost a necessity for our everyday lives. It is strange to think that we have come so far in terms of transportation in the last 100 years. After all, rail transport has been around for over a thousand years (some of the earliest railroads were built by Chinese Emperors during the early Ming Dynasty), and the model used by rail transport companies remains relatively unchanged (though it has become increasingly more sophisticated and high-tech). Could the future of bus transit have the same fate as that? Will it remain much like it is now, and only get more technologically sophisticated?

 

In 2013, South African born Canadian entrepreneur Elon Musk unveiled his plans to develop what he dubbed the ‘Hyperloop’, a transit system he plan sot install in California that will travel at speeds of up to 1200km/h using its streamlined design and air pressure to keep the transporter in a semi-levitated state (much like an air-hockey table). While this technology is still a good few years away from being put into development (and even more time before it will be perfected and implemented worldwide), there is definitely a growing trend in innovation in the mass transportation industry. In 2010, a California based company developed the first ever solar powered bus which is now part of a working fleet of vehicles that provide luxury private transportation in California.

 

For the last 5 years, Japanese companies have been experimenting with train-bus hybrid vehicles that have both steel wheels for use on rails and rubber tyres suitable for the road. This project aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the amount of time the bus needs to use fossil fuels to run by spending a significant amount of time on the electrically powered rail system.

 

For now, these advancements are still relatively young and will take a lot of time to be developed into fully functional business models, but they already indicate the way of the future of bus travel (and mass transportation in general). Perhaps in the next 100 years we will have completely self-sufficient high-speed transporters that don’t even need wheels to move around (such as the model proposed by Elon Musk), or perhaps the line between types of transport will be blurred, with the creation of bus-train hybrids, and even possibly train-boat hybrids able to traverse oceans. One thing is almost certain, however, and that is the fact that things are already starting to look a lot different to what they did just a decade ago.

Playing games and staying entertained on long journeys.

Keeping yourself entertained on a long journey is difficult. Most of the time, especially if you’re in a car, on a bus or on a train, you will have nothing but time to look out the window at the endless hills you’re likely to encounter. The following is a short list of suggestions for ways to keep yourself (and your family) entertained and make sure that you are able to enjoy the trip.

 

 

Technology:

 

One of the easiest ways to keep a child entertained nowadays is by giving them access to technology. It will allow them to keep themselves entertained without having to bug you too much, so you are free to enjoy the scenery on your trip, or take a nap to pass the time.

 

Various technological options are available for your children, ranging from portable media players that can hold their favorite movies and TV shows, or handheld game consoles that will keep them entertained for a large portion of your trip.

 

Books:

 

While technology is the obvious choice children in this day and age, taking books and fun reading or puzzle solving material along for the ride might help entertain them when the batteries run dead, or they eventually get bored of playing the same game over and over.

 

Depending on your child’s reading level, take along some books that will entertain them, teach them, or allow them to develop skills such as puzzle solving and math skills (Sudoku and crosswords are always fun alternatives to books, as they are easily turned into games by children).

 

Traditional Fun:

 

If neither of the above options seem viable to you, you could always opt for more traditional methods of fun and time wasting. Since children love playing games, no matter where they are, use the scenery around you to amuse them. Play Eye Spy, word games or use sing-a longs (if you’re sure you’ll be able to live through all the noise). Travel Bingo is another fun game that you can play and pretty much make up as you go along. Use a sheet of paper for each person and divide it up into five rows and five columns, leaving the middle block open as a ‘free slot’. In each of the other blocks, write something that you think you might encounter on your trip. The first person to see, hear, or experience a complete row or column of these wins.

 

Video games:

 

Portable video game consoles have been getting handier over the last decade, and with that has come increased battery life. You can now take your portable console or handheld game along with you (or even play on your smartphone or tablet) to keep you company. Many newer coaches have plug points, and a wide variety of handheld gaming devices support third party portable chargers that plug into your cigarette lighter or the USB port on your radio.

Why travelling by bus is a safer option.

 

Safety on the roads is one of the biggest issues facing South Africa at the moment, and results in countless deaths each year. The problems on the road are caused by a number of factors, from drunk or tired drivers, general fatigue and mechanical failure, to negligent driving and hazardous road conditions.

 

Travelling in a bus may, for some obvious reasons seem safer than being in a car, For one, its bigger, so you wouldn’t expect the same dangers as you would in a smaller vehicle. However that doesn’t mean that there aren’t hazards. This is why it is imperative to wear a seatbelt and perform all of the necessary checks when stepping into any sort of vehicle, no matter the size, or the distance you will be travelling. It should also be noted that the number of accidents that take place on the roads that involve busses is minute compared to those involving cars and smaller vehicles.

 

Larger bus coach companies like Greyhound have professional drivers on all of their routes, which means that you will be in the best possible hands throughout your trip. However, there are a lot of things that may happen along the way, not all of them related to the safety of the vehicle itself that you can safeguard yourself against, and it is always recommended that you take these precautions in order to make your trip as pleasant as possible.

 

For instance, if you’re travelling in a bus that has luggage storage in an undercarriage, make sure your bags are well marked with your contact details, and that they are securely locked in case of theft. If the luggage compartments are overhead, make sure to keep your luggage close by, and keep an eye on it at all times, if possible.

 

These factors make it obvious that choosing bus travel is both safer and more convenient for anyone wanting to travel long distances. Having more space available to you to roam, as well as not being put under pressure to drive (having a professional driver doing all of the hard work for you) are only some of the reasons why many people prefer bus travel to other methods.

Preparing for your first long-distance bus ride.

 

Most of us aren't used to spending a lot of time on the road. Travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town by car only takes around 14-15 hours, compared to the 6 hours it takes to get from Johannesburg to Durban. Travelling on a bus, however, is a whole new ball game. Although you won’t be the one driving, the drive may seem even more daunting, since it takes much longer than travelling by car or plane. Your first time especially could be a bit difficult to navigate, since the long hours, cramped space and general tediousness of the trip will end up taking its toll.

 

The problem with being stuck on a bus for extended periods of time is usually not that the bus is ill fitted to take passengers on long journeys in comfort, but rather that people tend to get bored extremely quickly when not in control of what it is they’re doing.  This is why it is important to know what to do in order to prepare yourself for such a long, winding journey. There are countless options that will work well enough to keep you occupied for just long enough to perhaps survive the trip.

 

First, you may want to get yourself settled in as quickly as possible. Make sure you are comfortable in your seating position. Bring a small neck pillow or some sort of device that you can rest on if you plan on getting some sleep. Just make sure that its soft enough to allow you to sleep. Don’t try sleeping on your laptop bag!

 

Something that is very important, and should probably be stressed most of all, given our tendency to get bored as people, is entertainment. Bring something with you that you enjoy. Movies on a laptop, smartphone or tablet, music on a portable player, iPod or smartphone, games, books or crossword or Sudoku puzzles will all help keep you distracted when you get too fed up with staring out of the window.

 

Remember to take snacks and food with you onto the bus, especially if it is a long one. Staying hydrated and fed will help you relax and also stop you from losing concentration if you are doing something fun. Also, try to keep yourself in a good mood, and remember that there are other people on the bus too. Don’t make everything uncomfortable by being difficult or rude to the people sitting around you.

What kind of souvenirs to bring back for your loved ones?

 

Going on holiday away from your friends and family sometimes raises expectations when you get back. Apart from having to recall stories and details about your trip that will allow them to live vicariously through you, they may be expecting you to bring back gifts and souvenirs (or even if its not expected, you may want to do it anyway). The following is a list of the kinds of souvenirs and gifts that will be your best options to bring back for your friends and family to help share the experience (edited and adapted from ‘worldwidegifts’).

 

Unique and Unobtainable Gifts

 

Giving a souvenir item as a gift means that you’ll be able to give your loved one something that no one else could get them, and that they couldn’t have gotten otherwise. Many items are only available- or at least, only affordably and easily available- within their country or region of origin. By bringing back an object like this, you have a gift that will be a completely new item and experience to your friend or family member. If you have someone close to you who collects something, you can obtain them a special item to add to that collection that they would not otherwise have been able to access, which is always an amazing gift for a collector.

 

Foods 

 

One of the most popular types of souvenir to give as a gift is food. Food is closely tied to culture, so any region or country will have a lot of specialties that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere.  Snack food and candy tend to be the most popular types of food brought back as souvenirs. They tend to travel well and to be varied enough to demonstrate the differences between cultures. For example, there are many candies and snacks available in the U.K. that are not available in the U.S. and vice versa, even though those two countries speak the same language and have relatively similar cultures. The differences in foods between more disparate countries are even more intriguing.

 

Alcohol

 

For a slightly more mature take on local flavor, alcohol is also a popular gift to bring back for adult friends. Many people collect wines from different areas, for example, so if you find a place during your trip with a particularly good or interesting local wine, that can make an excellent gift. Also, alcohol is made with different ingredients and processes in every region, just like food varies from place to place. Every local alcohol will have its own unique flavor. If you’re traveling to a place that is famous for a certain type of alcohol, for example, if you were traveling to Ireland, that could also be an opportunity to get a very authentic bottle Irish Whiskey for a friend who favors it.

 

 

Local Crafts

 

Just as every region has its own foods, every region will have its own styles and ways of making art. This will depend on the resources and the culture. Local traditional crafts will be made using materials native to the area - woodcarvings in forested areas, shell ornaments in seaside locations, and so forth. These traditional works of art convey the personality of the area in a way mass produced objects cannot. They are especially good gifts for those friends who are interested in the place you traveled, or for people with whom you really want to share the culture of the region. They are also great gifts for friends or family members who make arts or crafts themselves- they will appreciate seeing the different techniques and materials traditionally used by another culture.

 

 

Collectables

 

Souvenir shops offer a wide range of collectible items like magnets, keychains, shot glasses, and figurines. If someone close to you collects a certain type of item, getting an iteration of that item from your trip can be an excellent gift. It is something you know they will enjoy as part of their collection, and it’s not something they could have collected on their own without also going to that place, so it contributes to their collection in a unique way.

Top travel books to read.

 

Reading is always a positive thing. One cannot read and not learn anything from it. This learning process is not only limited to informational, non-fiction or science books, but even in fiction books. Today we take a look at the top 5 travel books that are an absolute must read.

 

1. Naples ’44 by Norman Lewis

Norman Lewis arrived in Naples mid-war in 1944 as an intelligence offices employed by the army to liaise with the locals of Naples. This book is a year- long diary that tells the story of the city and its people, a population that is starving, having eaten all the tropical fish. The women were driven to prostitution and the array of characters he meets ranges from a gynaecologist specialising in restoring lost virginity to the widowed housewife who times her British lover against the clock. Lewis wrote that if he had the chance to be born again, Italy would be his home of choice.

 

2. Travels with Charley: In search of America by John Steinbeck.

John Steinbeck took his French poodle, Charley with him in his converted pick-up truck to tour the United States of America in 1960. The book is a phenomenally written and absorbing account of the landscapes and encounters on his tour. His bleak evocation of events and attitudes, especially in the deep south, gives one a clear view on how much America has changed in the past years.

 

3. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

This has been considered to be Theroux’s finest book and as his first, it recounts a journey through Europe, Asia and the Middle East that lasted four months. This book has especially been a favourite of train travel enthusiasts, as it features some of the world’s greatest lines.

 

4. The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

This definite favourite of Hemingway portrays the colourful ebb and flow of 1920s American expatriates as they lose themselves in the lives and loves of Spain and Paris. Most memorable for the incredible bull-fighting sequences set in Pamplona, it will probably also change your perception of the word “utilise” forever.

 

5. Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger

This book was published in 1959 and accounts Thesiger’s dangerous journey through the Arabian deserts. Over a period of 5 years he recorded the lives of the remote tribes he met, often in hostile lands. His tales of trouble, unlikely friends and of a time long since passed is now a timeless appeal to travellers all around.

 

When you’re unsure of how to occupy yourself while relaxing on the beach this holiday, make sure you have one of the above ready to learn something new.

 

Reading is always a positive thing. One cannot read and not learn anything from it. This learning process is not only limited to informational, non-fiction or science books, but even in fiction books. Today we take a look at the top 5 travel books that are an absolute must read.

 

1. Naples ’44 by Norman Lewis

Norman Lewis arrived in Naples mid-war in 1944 as an intelligence offices employed by the army to liaise with the locals of Naples. This book is a year- long diary that tells the story of the city and its people, a population that is starving, having eaten all the tropical fish. The women were driven to prostitution and the array of characters he meets ranges from a gynaecologist specialising in restoring lost virginity to the widowed housewife who times her British lover against the clock. Lewis wrote that if he had the chance to be born again, Italy would be his home of choice.

 

2. Travels with Charley: In search of America by John Steinbeck.

John Steinbeck took his French poodle, Charley with him in his converted pick-up truck to tour the United States of America in 1960. The book is a phenomenally written and absorbing account of the landscapes and encounters on his tour. His bleak evocation of events and attitudes, especially in the deep south, gives one a clear view on how much America has changed in the past years.

 

3. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

This has been considered to be Theroux’s finest book and as his first, it recounts a journey through Europe, Asia and the Middle East that lasted four months. This book has especially been a favourite of train travel enthusiasts, as it features some of the world’s greatest lines.

 

4. The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

This definite favourite of Hemingway portrays the colourful ebb and flow of 1920s American expatriates as they lose themselves in the lives and loves of Spain and Paris. Most memorable for the incredible bull-fighting sequences set in Pamplona, it will probably also change your perception of the word “utilise” forever.

 

5. Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger

This book was published in 1959 and accounts Thesiger’s dangerous journey through the Arabian deserts. Over a period of 5 years he recorded the lives of the remote tribes he met, often in hostile lands. His tales of trouble, unlikely friends and of a time long since passed is now a timeless appeal to travellers all around.

 

When you’re unsure of how to occupy yourself while relaxing on the beach this holiday, make sure you have one of the above ready to learn something new.

5 games to play on the bus trip.

One part of traveling can take forever to pass and that’s traveling on the bus. There are countless things to do and many games to play, but somehow we always forget them when we need them! Let me take you through 3 easy and fun games you can play while traveling on the bus.

 

1. I Spy

Most people know this game, but I’ll explain for those who are not familiar with it. One person chooses an object they can see, but doesn’t tell the others what it is. For explanatory reasons, let’s say the word is “sock”. Then the person will say “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with s.” The other people must then guess what the person is seeing. Alternatively the person can say “I spy with my little eye, a sock!” and then the other people must spot the sock. Either way, this one can keep you busy for quite some time!

 

2. Thinking of a number

One person chooses a number between 1 and 100, but once again doesn’t tell the others. Each other player gets a turn to guess what the number is and they will only be told whether the actual number is higher or lower than their guess. The first person to guess right, gets to choose the next number.

 

3. Rock, paper, scissors

This is a pretty familiar one. A flat hand represents paper, scissors is with fingers 2 and 3 sticking out and holding your hand in a fist represents rock. The players count together to three and on three they reveal their choice. Paper covers rock, so paper wins; scissors cuts paper, so scissors win and rock smashes scissors so rock wins. First player to reach ten wins, wins the game!

 

Now that you have some more options for occupying yourself on your bus trip, sit back and enjoy the ride!