Mr. Toad's Acceptable Mode of Transportation

Tuk-tuks are fun.

That's what I learned this week.

We have a driver but no car yet. We discovered that regular taxis are difficult to procure and can be inconvenient. But little yellow auto-rickshaws, or autos, which are also called tuk-tuks in some places, litter the streets here and are a cheap, fast transportation option. When we need a ride someplace that's just a little too far to walk, Mike sticks out his arm and like magic an auto pulls up to whisk us away.

I'm sure I'm not the first American to say something along the lines of, "It's like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." But I can't help it. Riding in one is sort of like being on an amusement park ride. You're encased in a little bubble and you're holding on tight to the railing in front of you. You're concentrating on keeping your hands and feet inside the auto while you zoom through traffic in straight lines, then slow down to a crawl to go around corners without tipping over. There's the smell and the sound of those little engines. There's a pleasant(-feeling, not necessarily -smelling) breeze while you zip along. And they are all painted bright yellow with various designs and pictures.

And if you've had a particularly harrowing shopping experience and you're hot and tired and just want to go home, you can say, "Let's get the tuk-tuk outta here."