Traveling in Lima

So while the last few days have been more of the same, understanding some people and not being able to say much in return, I thought that I would share with you all a little about the transportation system here...using those words very loosely. There are six main ways of getting around here, so I'll try to keep it brief, but still give you a good idea of what its like.

First of all there is of course walking. This is not reccomended if at all possible. Coming from the pedestrian friendly town of Chapel Hill where those traveling on foot can do no wrong, that is not the case here. It didn't take me long to find that out either. You know those nice little pedestrian signs we have in the states with the woman and her child calmly walking across the street? Well, they have those here too...but they are running. I have a picture that I will try to post at a later date when I figure out how.

Next in line is the bus. Now there is no bus schedule, and all of the bus lines are owned by individuals, so they run when they want to. I haven't had a problem with this yet, but I don't see how it can be avoided. The bus is probably the safest way to travel here, and I'll explain why. Its slow, and its big. If you were to hit something in a bus (which I have experienced) you would be going at a slow enough speed that it wouldnt matter, and it would probably be a taxi which is a lot smaller. Buses are often times crowded, but then again in a city with 9 million people, you would expect that.

Then we have the Combis. They are basically like a van that they cram as many people into as possible. They all have written on the side of them where they are headed, and then someone hanging out the window yelling at people where they are going...I think. They speak so fast, that I have yet to catch one word that they say. They are all competing against one another, so at a bus stop, they are all looking at you and waving at you to come get on, whether you are going there or not. Being somewhat tall for the average person here, I always try to get a seat because standing up is extremely difficult, plus you can't see where you need to get off.

Then there is the taxi. Not very many people here own cars, but thats ok because most of them drive taxis. There are two types of these. The regular kind, and the collectivo. The collectivo is another fun way to get around. These cars, all of which are compact cars, collect at certain areas and go to a specific location. They dont leave until they are full. Its basically like splitting a taxi with 3 other strangrs. But they are extremely small and intimate. One night my shoulder was used as a pillow by an intoxicated indivitual. Felt like the P2P all over again! Then the "normal" kind. They don't have meters, so you negociate the price before getting in so you need to know about how much it should cost to get you where you are going. This is the most expensive way of travel, in that it costs you about 4 dollars American for about a 20-30 minute trip.

Finally we have the mototaxis. They are used to get around on the smaller side roads. Its basically just a motor bike with a little cabin built on the back for people to sit in. Probably no better than walking, but a little faster. The problem here is that I don't think that the drivers know that they aren't in a car because they are driving in traffic like they are!

Then there is just driving in general, which I am glad we are not supposed to do! The lanes on the roads are more like suggestions, this is where you could drive if you wanted to. I've seen them go 5 wide in 3 lanes more than once. Stoplights and stop signs are again, more like suggestions. Its basically like one big game of chicken, who is going to yield first. Its much like the Jerry Sienfeld skit about taxi drivers in New York, but on a whole different level. Surely they know what they are doing. I mean they are driving quite recklessly, on bald tires. They have a license. I think all it takes to drive here is the ability to use the horn. I think I have used the horn on my car like 3 times. Here if you only use it 3 times a trip you are doing something wrong.

I hope you have a better idea about what its like to travel here. I know that everytime I leave the house I am in for an adventure! And driving is something that I will defenitly leave up to the "professionals."