Signs. They’re not exciting; they’re not even particularly interesting. Except if they’re telling you to not to wear any feet, or to check under your car for stray penguins. Today we’re looking at official warnings from official authorities around the world that we just can’t help but smile about.
No feet, Yangon (pictured above)
Given Yangon’s reputation for its peaceful Buddhist values, this grizzly warning outside the city’s enormous Sleeping Buddha statue comes as a complete surprise. Either that or the signmaker’s English isn’t exactly top notch – but it’s still a heck of a lot better than our Burmese.
Penguin safety, Cape Town
It’s a wonderful thought to imagine shooing penguins out from under your car. Boulders Beach near Cape Town is home to a 3000-strong penguin colony, and part of the Table Mountain National Park.
The African penguin is more accustomed to warmer waters and sandy shores, and visitors to Boulder Beach will often find them waddling up and down the beach where the tide comes in. They’ve still got a lot of time for relaxing in the shade though, which is why visitors are advised to check under their vehicles before driving away. The penguins have been known to bite, so it may be advisable to shoo with a shoe.
Good swimming, Chiapas
This sign in Mexico’s Puerto Chiapas would have us believe that the swimming’s so good here that it’s actually dangerous not to. And true, there are some unbelievably beautiful white-sand beaches along Mexico’s coast, and the seas are so clear that swimming and diving here are an absolute delight. Although swimming yourself right off the waterfall pictured here probably isn’t that safe at all.
No jazz, Beijing
Either China’s capital has had enough of flash mobs breaking out into Louis Armstrong-style trumpet solos, or they’re averse to en-masse honking on busy stretches of city road. Much as we’d like it to be the first explanation, sadly we think it’s actually going to be the more sensible of the two.
Horn honking has actually been a real nuisance for many residents in China’s super-city, with levels of traffic congestion that often make LA’s notoriously crowded highways look like a drive down a country lane. In August 2010, one traffic jam in China lasted for a torturous 12 days, with an incomprehensible 62-mile tailback. From 2007 onward though, new regulations have been brought in to minimise the amount of honking that this traffic generates – including a 100 yuan fine – hopefully giving Beijing’s inner-city residents a little respite from the car horns/trumpet solos.
If a bunch of simple signs can tell you this much about other countries, just imagine what a whole darn cruise could teach you about the world. Call our Cruise Concierge team free on 0808 1234 118 to find out more about our huge choice of cruises all over the globe – and make sure you’ve got your camera handy on your next holiday, in case a sign catches your attention for all the wrong reasons. Even better, why not share your pictures in our community forum here on the site?
Photos courtesy of BMEabroad, Photopin/Flickr; Keri Geiger, Blogspot; Sjors Provoost, Flickr; Wesley Fryer, Photopin/Flickr.
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