Today was spent walking around the neighbor and doing a little exploring. After buying breakfast at a "patisserie", which is a French bakery, we sat at a bench and watched all the city activity around us. We decided to do a bit more exploring, so decided on a bus trip across town. We had trouble finding the desired bus stop, and watched with dismay when the bus we wanted pulled away from the curb while we were still half a block from the stop. The good news is that the buses come by about every 10 minutes, so we didn't have to wait long for the next one.
We noticed that some buses, but not all, have wheelchair access. The bus pulls close to the curb and a hydraulic system lowers the right side of the bus to bring it closer to the curb. A small ramp extends from the doorway to the sidewalk. The driver raises the bus before pulling away from the curb. It is much faster than having the driver get out, lower a lift, then raise it back up. We saw a similar system on buses when we went to the Hong Kong Transed conference. Maybe this is the wave of the future!
I have learned an expensive lesson today. I asked for water in a restaurant and was served a small bottle of water that cost almost $5! A soda costs the same! No refills either, guys! If sodas were that expensive in the US, we would all be much healthier!
I am looking forward to seeing artwork from today's Seaturtle class. Keep meet posted on the activity of the CLSC.
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