The London Duck Tour

 (A text by John Rigg read at Easy English -no idea when-)

Fueron utilizados durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y cuando ya se les consideraba prácticamente inservibles, los duck se reciclaron como originales autobuses turísticos.

Are you planning a trip to Lon-don? Here's an original way to see the sights of the English capital: the London Duck Tour. The 'duck' in question is not an aquatic bird, but an amphibious vehicle! The tour not only visits many of London's most important landmarks (such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Downing Street and the Ritz), but also plunges into the Thames for a 30-minute trip up the river. The ducks date back to the Second World War, but don't worry: they have been totally re-built and are absolutely safe. During the tour, a guide recounts unusual historical anecdotes about London and tells the story of the ducks. Remember to book your seats well in advance as these vehicles only hold 30 passengers.

General Motors designed and built about 21,000 ducks for the US army during the Second World War. Ducks are most famous for transporting thousands of troops across the English Channel on D-Day (June 6th, 1944), when the Allied forces invaded France. The military continued to use them until the 1970s, when helicopters took over many of their tasks.

London Duck Tours also hire ducks for events and parties. Anyone who falls in love with these remarkable vehicles can buy their own: a duck can cost anything from 10,000 to over 100,000€. Remember, the cost of renovating these vehicles is high. In any case, they still have a role to play in the modern world, as they have demonstrated during recent US disasters: ducks helped rescue many people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Note: The name 'duck' comes from the acronym DUKW. 'D' is military code for the fact that it was designed in 1942; 'U' stands for 'utility (amphibious)’; 'K' indicates that it has all-wheel drive, while 'W' refers to its two powered rear axles.