denmark- mass transit? no mas.

After a lot of packing and a 15 minute, $37 cab ride, I arrived at my new apartment. Aside from basic furniture, it contained pretty much nothing (not even an internet connection, which won't be available until Tuesday). Luckily, Denmark offers a solution at prices Cambodia would struggle to replicate.

Founded in 1943 by Sweden's Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA is the world's largest privately-owned company. It offers stylish yet affordable assemble-it-yourself home furnishings and a luxurious shopping experience including childcare and a cafeteria (which happens to serve a mean meatball platter). Their business model is predicated on establishing big-box style stores in suburban areas accessible primarily by car. There's only one problem: I know not one person in Denmark with a car.

So my roommate and I set out for Ikea. It's actually right off of the same road we live on, just 10 miles or so outside the city. And Copenhagen has an internationally reknown mass transit system, so how hard could it be to get there? Really effing hard.

On the way:
6A bus 3 stops and switch to
123 bus, 18 stops and (after a 30 minute wait) switch to
126 bus, 10 stops
Total transit time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

The way back, toting at least 100 pounds of merchandise:
119 bus (the 126 had stopped running) 8 stops and switch to
Suburban train, 9 stops and switch to
6A bus 12 stops
Total Transit time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Fun fact: the average male walks 3.5 miles per hour. If we had walked the 10 miles, it would have taken us 2 hours 51 minutes.

Note my roommate's exasperated look. We have to go back to Ikea tomorrow, but I'm taking a car if it costs me my firstborn child. Mass transit gave me a massive headache.

Music: Arcade Fire- Keep the Car Running