Riding the City Bus

In Cuenca, the king of the road is the city bus.  Motorists give way to any bus, while pedestrians scurry when a bus approaches since busses seem to slow down for no one.  I can believe the rumors I’ve heard that a couple of people have been killed by busses in the last few months.

These mammoths of the roadways spew disgusting black exhaust as they roar down the city streets.  I try not to breathe as they pass by.  There are plans to replace them with energy efficient vehicles, but I doubt I’ll see this happen in my remaining months here.

Narrow downtown streets weren't designed for these monsters

Despite its drawbacks, bus transportation is cheap and reliable.  Most days I take advantage of the 25-cent fare that will get me downtown in 10 minutes.   And busses are plentiful--I rarely wait more than 5 minutes for my bus, except after 8 p.m.

My local bus stop

The city bus provides a great opportunity for people watching, both inside the bus and out.  I’m a bit shy about taking photos of people on the street, but I find that it’s easy to inconspicuously snap photos of people waiting at a bus stop from the bus window.

View from the bus window

An additional benefit to city bus travel—at times a couple of musicians will board the bus and serenade the passengers with a song or two before they pass the hat.  I always contribute, in honor of musicians world wide (including my son!)

Great Andean music!

At the major intersections in town, we’re often treated to a street performance by jugglers or baton twirlers.  They have to work fast; after a minute of performing, they run up and down the line of stationary cars, collecting contributions.  I always wonder how much money they make in a day’s work.

A street performer doing her act -- quick before the light changes!

The times I spring for the $2.00 cab fare, I realize how much faster a taxi can get me places and I wonder why I take the trouble of riding the bus in order to save $1.75.  But I do feel that my daily rides give me a view into city life I would never see from the comfort of a taxi.