Rapid Travel Chai

Venezuela has natural treasures that to my eyes surpass any country in South America, of course they also have their sad state of political affairs as the headline Without Chávez, Annual Speech Falls Short—By Nearly Nine Hours suggests (WSJ).

The South Ferry subway station in New York will take a further 3 years to be repaired post-Sandy. The bidding process alone with take a year (WSJ). The new mega airport in Beijing, to complement its other, recent mega airport, will be completed in roughly the same time (China Daily). Its not just the US that is seemingly incapable of rapid, large projects, Berlin’s airport is The Eternal Building Site (The Economist). Metro systems are turning up in more and more cities (The Economist). Circling back to the greater New York area, the Mad Max-like Pulaski Skyway is soon to be no more (New Jersey Monthly).

The last-street level view of Mt Fuji from Tokyo is also condemned (The Economist).

Motoring on, a New York Magazine writer receives a new insurance upsell immediately after Avis announced to buy Zipcar, causing her to wonder Will Avis Wreck Zipcar? (New York Magazine). Hertz has dabbled with its own knock-off, Hertz On Demand, I have a card with them that have never used, though it has the nice feature of not requiring paid membership.

Britain’s motorway service stations are improving, can fusion restaurants with their wasabi mashed potatoes be far behind? (The Economist)

Russia will transition its domestic passports to smart cards (russiaSLAM).

Richard III’s bones may have been found, if so, the debate about where to inter them will heat up (WSJ).

Arthur Frommer writes on Haiti’s tourist potential, which I have loudly trumpeted since my visit in October.

You Say Pakistanis All Hate the Drone War? Prove It, The Atlantic provocatively argues.

Brussels gets even more oomph out of a statue of a naughty pissing boy than the once ubiquitous, unauthorized image of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes (WSJ).

Mannekin Pis, photo by kellinahandbasket