Alongside TRANSPORTING CAMERA-TOTING TOURISTS,THE RHINE MOVES A STEADY FLOW OF CARGOTO THE WORLD'S BIGGEST PORT, ROTTERDAM,WHICH WAITS AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER. Canal boat WORKERS ARE ALMOST A SUBCULTURE. Numerous OWN THEIR OWN SHIPS. THE CAPTAIN AND HIS FAMILY LIVE IN THE STERN,CAR PARKED ON THE ROOFTOP. THE CREW LIVES IN THE BOW. Consistently, IMPORTS LIKE OIL GO UPSTREAM,AND EXPORTS LIKE GERMAN MANUFACTURED GOODSGO DOWNSTREAM. THE POWERFUL RHINE HAS LONG BEEN TREACHEROUS TO NAVIGATE. Water crafts GENERALLY PASS ON THE RIGHT. SINCE DOWNSTREAM SHIPS CAN'T STOP OR MANEUVER AS FREELY,UPSTREAM BOATS ARE EXPECTED TO DO THE TRICKY DO-SI-DO WORK.
Extensive TRIANGULAR SIGNALSPOSTED BEFORE TROUBLESOME BLIND BENDS IN THE RIVERWARN OF ONCOMING SHIPS. Every TRIANGLE COVERS A SEGMENT OF THE BEND,THE LOWEST TRIANGLE BEING THE NEAREST. THEY WARN OF APPROACHING SHIPS. In the event that THE BOTTOM SIDE OF A TRIANGLE IS LIT,THAT SECTOR IS EMPTY. In any case, IF THE LEFT SIDE IS LIT,THERE'S AN ONCOMING SHIP IN THAT SECTOR. THE MOST DANGEROUS BEND IN THE RIVERSWINGS AROUND A ROCKY BLUFF CALLED THE LORELEI. In view of REEFS JUST UPSTREAM,MANY SHIPS NEVER MADE IT SAFELY PAST THE LORELEIAND THE ROCKY CLIFF REMAINS STEEPED IN MYTH. Mariners BLAMED THEIR MISFORTUNE ON A FRÄULEIN SO WUNDERBARHER LONG, BLONDE HAIR ALMOST COVERED HER BODY. THIS LEGENDARY SIREN FLIRTEDAND SANG HER DISTRACTING SONGS FROM THIS ROCK. Simply DOWN RIVER FROM THE LORELEIIS THE PLEASANT TOWN OF ST. GOAR,FOUNDED IN THE sixth CENTURY BY A MONKFAMOUS FOR HIS HOSPITALITY. As indicated by LEGEND, EARLY SAILORS WOULD STOP HEREFOR A REST AND A PRAYER OF THANKSAFTER SURVIVING THE SEDUCTIVE AND TREACHEROUS LORELEI.
