Toronto: Uneven Flooring

Uneven flooring sign, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. June 2016.

Toronto was so solicitous to offer the above sign in a corridor somewhere, in which construction was occurring.


Some countries should have this sign at all of their border points.

Ethiopia.

Caucasus Georgia.

Guatemala.


And why not? The United States has this sign at one of its border crossings:

Beware poisonous snakes sign at US border, Antelope Wells, New Mexico. March 2013.

Antigua, Guatemala: Cobblestone Repair

Cobblestone maintenance Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

An historic city doesn't maintain its quaint beauty all by itself. Those cobblestones need regular attention just like any other pavement.

Cobblestone maintenance Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

Let's not kid ourselves that such street repair has anything to do with pedestrian or cycling safety, however.  Ho, ho, ho! No. Cobblestones are to walking safety as stilettos are to orthotic footwear. Cobblestones look pretty, they are better for vehicles and people than dust and mud, and they create a pleasing percussion when horses trot on them. More seriously, and in their favor as a matter of practical concerns, they are a permeable surface, meaning that rainwater passes through the cobblestone streets, mitigating storm run-off and street flooding.

Some thoughts on cobblestone streets 

• To Pave or Not to Pave (Nantucket, Massachusetts), about a campaign to save the cobbies back in 1919.
• Cobblestones (wikipedia), history of
• Pavers or Concrete? Making Streets Lively is More Important Than What's Underfoot (Minneapolis)

When I was in Ethiopia for two months in 2010, there was a countrywide jobs creation/beautification project in progress, installing stone pavers on pedestrian walkways. Here's a 2014 article about that very project. While in Harar, I met a German expat involved in this program.

So getting back to Antigua's cobblestones. They're pretty. And sometimes you just have to sacrifice sensibleness for beauty.

Antigua, Guatemala: On Shoes and Tourist Traps

These are the shoes I brought with me to Antigua. When I laid them all out, snapped the pic, then looked at it, I thought, sheesh, did I really bring five pairs of shoes with me?

Well, see here, I'm not going to explain myself [erm, because I did that here].  I still brought only a carry-on bag and they all fit (and I wore the boots on the plane).

Besides, the topic of today's post is what shoes you wear and don't wear on the streets of a place like Antigua.

From my experiences in Caucasus Georgia, Ethiopia, and other places, I knew all about the slippery slopes of cobblestone streets, the uneven pavements, the precipitous curbs, and the surprise holes in the ground.

First thing to notice about all of the shoes, with the exception of the flip-flops, is that NONE are open-toed shoes. This is because if you wear open-toed shoes in Antigua - I don't care how much you paid for your urban-mountain-arctic-walking sandals - you will stub your toes on something. This will fucking hurt. I only have the flip-flops with me to wear at mi casa.

The pair of shoes below are perfect for street protection and comfort:

It has soles that grip the surfaces, and the body of the shoes are flexible enough to mold your foot comfortably amidst the round stones and little jutting triangles of not-so-rotund cobblestones. The soles are also thick enough to absorb pointy edges on the surfaces. There is adequate arch support.

The boots below are also quite good for the street, but they aren't as versatile in what I can wear with them. Plus they're better for cooler weather.  Yes, I see they are rather dusty in this photo, but I shine them up when I wear them.

Enough of the individual-shoe critique; you get the idea.

Let's get to the enemy you'll be up against - the Antiguan tourist trap - which manifests in various guises.

First up is a three-fer:

1. Uneven surface
2. Sudden smooth surface right next to a textured surface
3. Gap in the pavement

 

Antigua - walking peril #1

Cobblestones. So picturesque, so quaint, so slippery.

Antigua - walking peril #2

Serious drop-offs from the so-called sidewalk to the street.

Antigua - walking peril #3

Again, different surface frictions. Those tiny height changes between the round manhole and the cobblestones.

Antigua - walking peril #4

OK, here we go. Padlocks! Hasps! Holes! Cracks! Slippery surfaces. Edges of metal straps!

Antigua - walking peril #5

And while you're watching where you put your feet, you'd better also look up and ahead because .....

Antigua - walking peril #6

... Fuckity-fuck. That would really hurt.


But still, nothing compares to the Ethiopian tourist trap:

"Ethiopian tourist trap" - pavement under construction