s/v Nine of Cups
Vital Signs
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Signs can be an important and
interesting   form of
communication. As we travel
from country to country, we are
intrigued by the signs we see.
Some are cautionary, some
provide information and some
just perplex us.

We thought we'd share some of
them with you. We'll add to this
section as we find more.
They're most definitely not in
any specific order.  
In Bonaire, donkeys are  
everywhere!
In Chile, follow this sign to the
freshest seafood and fish in town.
Taken from a bus while traveling
in Peru...watch out for vicuna!!
A Harry Potter zone in Chile?
We weren't sure how to react.
We had left our compasses and
pacemakers back on the boat.  
(Chile)
Why did the tortoise cross the road?
And how long did it take him?
(Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
Yikes!  This doesn't need any
translation.   (Callao, Peru)
While visiting Brennan and Hannah in Vermont, we happen to spot these!  We congratulate the
Dept. of Transportation in Vermont for their fine sense of humor on the moose sign.
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Handcarved by David, two matching signboards give Cups some class.
No, this is not a bluebird zone as we
thought, but rather the Chile post service.
This is not a bra store, but rather an
upscale chain of clothing stores in Uruguay.
We've crossed both "tropics" in the boat,
but interesting to cross on land. (Namibia)
Thanks to Marcie's sister, Lin, for
this Massachusetts Turnpike sign...
a reminder of home!
How can you resist a sign that says:
"Kiss Someone"...luckily David was
close by! (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
Each country seems to have its own cautions for its citizens. South Africa and Namibia, because of
the number of wild animals, really had some great signs. They even had a sign for an insect!  And
then,of course, beyond having all those great animals, they also have deserts to be wary of.  See
what we mean below...
Watch out for warthogs!!!
and springboks...actually boks of all sorts...
bonteboks, rheboks, grysboks, steenboks!
and you must be wary of Cape Buffalos!
And lions, of course!
But cats? Come on now! Although
Jelly liked this sign a lot!
and swimming with hippos (as if!).
We have to admit...this was the first "watch out for insects" (specifically dung beetles) sign
we ever saw. Not only dung beetles, but dung itself has the right of way! Dung beetles are
an endangered species, by the way.
Look out for dancing deer! (Colorado)
Yup, there really is a Mystic Pizza and it's in Mystic, CT
We were in the Namib Desert...duh!
Also in the Namib Desert...this got our
attention as well as the bulldozers used to
clear the roads! Like snow in Colorado!
Our favorite sign...a baboon rotarian!
Seemed silly until we found a jackass penguin
hiding in the shade under our car.
A new twist on "Curb your dog!"
Continental Divide in the Rockies (Colorado)
In Argentina, sign for a speed bump,
literally translated "donkey back".
Chile...be on the look out
for cholera!

In Argentina's Iguazu
Falls National Park, the
sign said NO, NO, NO!

Don't feed the
coatimundis! Don't touch
butterflies (???) and
don't pick the flowers!

We could, however,
smell the roses!
On the switchbacked descent to Chile
from Argentina over the Andes. The
most hair-raising ride we've ever taken.
A little trivia...
In South Africa, traffic lights are called robots.
From my friend, Janet, from the
Lake Worth area of Florida.
Easter Island - Don't Touch the
Moai's nose (or any other parts!)
Lots of big horn sheep on the loose in
Nevada.
Welcome to Colorado sign at the
airport in Denver. Interestingly
enough, we saw a twister from
the shuttle bus that same day.
Marcie's maiden name immortalized in
Ft. Collins, CO.
Watch out for comets (or falling rocks).
We got our
kicks on "66".  
Photo taken in
Arizona.
Ducks and ducklings...found near a pond in
Sharon, MA near Lin's house
Near Bea's house, saw the turtle pond,
but never any turtles.
On the Intercoastal Waterway in
Florida...watch out for manatees!
Civil War battle fields at
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Our website is exempt!
Jelly's choice!
Sign for St. Pat's Day at the Green Man Pub in Wellington, NZ.
No Chevies in sight!
South Island, NZ's east coast
You wouldn't think you'd have to post
this.       Waitui Marina - Fiji
Australia bush sign
A sense of humor at Mt. Charleston, NV
Henderson Bird Preserve - NV
Market sign in Savusavu, Fiji
Otherwise, you gotta pound your own.
If you enjoyed this page, you may like
our Collective of Animals page.
Check it out and see.
We'll add more signs as we find them.
There are 9 traffic sign shapes and each have a specific
function. See for yourself.
Watch out for sheep!  Namibia
We had to look up "bittern" in our NZ bird
book so we could watch out for them.
Cows on wheels. Wow!  
New Zealand
Ouch!            New Zealand
Napier, NZ  in addition to its Art Deco architecture,
provided some good signs. Above...well, if you die,
here's the place to go. Possum World (right) was
kitschy...possum are pests in NZ and they turn them
into sweaters.
Lots of cool birds in New Zealand crossing roads to get to the other side.
We thought it would make a nice port of call.
We follow direction well...so we
whistled... then hummed a little bit and
moved on. (NZ)
Yikes...turn the dinghy around.  Maryland
Odd place to advertise watches!
Sea mark for Sydney-Hobart race.
A Sydney icon