Transportation

These are just 4 of the approximate 20 busses that stop at the bus stop by our apartment.

Since we do not have a car here in Peru we utilize the public transportation system. Even though the gas prices are about equal to the US the cars here are very expensive because of import costs. Therefore a large portion of the population rides the busses and taxis to get around Lima and the country for that matter. The bus system is a little difficult to get the hang of because there are so many different bus lines and they go every which way but I have learned how to get to two areas where I work. I have yet to get lost and that is mostly due to my good teacher Johanna. The taxi system is a little easier if you know where you are going. We do not take taxis very often because the bus is much cheaper, ($0.33). But when you go grocery shopping it is a lot easier to take a taxi rather than a bus as you can imagine. There is not a regulated pricing system for taxis so when you flag one down you ask how much they will charge you for your specific destination. If you like the price then you get in, if not there are many more to choose from. As you can imagine I do not blend in so well so they can see me coming and they generally try to charge me a little extra but I think they get surprised when I refuse of start haggling down to a fair price. It also helps sometimes for me to hide around the corner while Johanna makes the deal and then I get in after the price has been negotiated. Whatever it takes to get a good deal.