Combis, the smaller buses that hold about 30 sitting people plus however many more can cram in as standees, are the least expensive way to get around other than walking. For 4.5 pesos (about 40 cents), I can get from "home" to school in less than 15 minutes. Some days, I wish the ride lasted longer so I could observe more of the people.
It's been a little chilly here -- probably 50s in the mornings -- but you'd think it was at least freezing.
There are no school buses here, so parents and kids ride together, all of them bundled up against the cold. The kids wear light parkas and gloves, and often have scarves wrapped over their faces so only their bright, curious eyes show as they sneak looks at the gringa vieja. When the gringa winks at them, they usually smile (though all you can see of the sonrisa is the crinkles around their eyes). The parents wear heavy sweaters, often with a shawl or poncho thrown over that, and sometimes a hospital-style paper mask over their noses and mouths to protect them from the low temperature. (Is it any wonder that Indianapolis Public Schools has to close when it's zero out? Too many kids lack warm-enough coats, and the Hispanic kids' parents don't realize right away what a threat the cold is to kids waiting on a school bus.)
The combi rockets down the street, from one traffic light or stop sign to another, and the driver never brakes until he really has to. In a few places, there are speed bumps, but they're more like speed humps -- they often come in pairs like a camel's humps. For those, even drivers of the big buses slow down. On the routes I take, the 44 Yellow or the 55 Red, there's an extreme dogleg that the driver takes at what feels like great speeds. Hang on or else!
Because I live in an old district, Colonia Azcurate, and go to school in the Centro (Downtown), which is even older, most of the streets are cobblestoned and rough. So much for the idea of knitting on the bus!
One of my few qualms about this trip was the energy consumption to get here and back. But I've since realized that for a month I'm not driving my car or running my TV, and probably not my furnace or AC either, since I left it set low and the cats can't reach the thermostat. So, since I walk or take the bus almost everywhere, and ride with 1 to 4 more people if I am in a car, I've concluded that it's more or less a wash.
This morning, before climbing onto the combi, I stopped at the OXXO, a Mexican version of a 7/11, and bought Kleenex (they didn't have small packets so I had to settle for a small box for 10 pesos), a liter of water (6 pesos) and three packs of gum (didn't see the price) and got back a $100, a $50 and a couple of coins from a $200 bill. The clerk was a little upset over such a "big" bill, and appeared to have very little change. Since my other objective in going there had been to break the 200, I wasn't too sympathetic. Sometimes it's really hard to spend money here!
Off to class, where I'm still luchando (struggling) but enjoying it.
Hasta luego,
Elena
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