Transportation

Transportation

Some have asked, “So, Rachel, when are you going to buy a car?” Never, is usually my response. It’s hard to explain to an American who is used to driving everywhere, but I really have absolutely no need for my own car. When I’m in the city, I can walk to the park, fruit market, grocery store, even the futbol stadium (if I would want to go there :-). Stuff that’s not walkable is so accessible by Ecuador’s public transportation system. In Quito, I am steps from the Ecovia, a trolley system that runs along a main street. At just 25 cents, it’s a real bargain. Or I can just stick out my arm and hop on a bus that can take me anywhere I could ever want to go. If I’m feeling extravagant (or just don’t feel like battling the crowds) I can hire a private taxi…which for me still feels like a real bargain (for example, I can go for an hour and pay about $7.00) although for the average Ecuadorian, a taxi is kind of expensive. When I traveled to Quilotoa a beautiful volcanic crater lake. It costs about one dollar per hour of travel. So for me, I was able to travel on bus for about 4 bucks. Quite a deal, huh? Traveling by public bus is actually kind of fun. You pass through small hamlets and villages, get to see the inside of farming life, family life, and just everyday Ecua stuff. Great people and nature watching. I am very content to rely on my legs and public transportation. No need for a car right now J. If I ever did decide to drive, I would need to practice a lot! There are so many unspoken rules of driving in Quito that I’d need to learn. Traffic is crazy! There are too many cars in the city and everyone driving seems to be too much in a rush.

Pedestrians have zero rights. This is going to take me some getting used to! Whereas in the US, if a pedestrian is crossing the street at a crosswalk, cars stop and let you pass. Not here, no way. You RUN across the street. And don’t trust that cars will stop at traffic lights either! I’ve seen cars blast straight through red lights. Kind of scary, huh!

Yet, there must be an angel watching over Ecuas because rarely does anyone get hurt. I was thinking about this the other day as I instinctually reached for my seatbelt in the taxi. Then I remembered, Duh, Rach, you’re in Ecuador. No working seatbelts. Then I think about all the unsafe things Ecuas do, yet they live so long! Riding without helmets on motos, babies without car seats, running across busy streets, even eating unwashed veggies and fruits (gasp!)…not saying that I don’t think precautions are important, but I think the carrying around hand sanitizer culture of the US is a bit extreme…

I was in Mindo the other week, talking to a couple about how I got there and how I was getting back to Quito. They had arranged a private car to get them from Quito to Mindo. I said I went to the bus terminal and paid 2 bucks and got on the bus. They asked how I was getting home. I said well, I’ll just go up to the road and wait till a bus comes, then stick out my arm and get on. It feels weird for me to explain this because it’s so natural, but I guess to an American where everything is so regulated, standing on the side of the road, waiting for a bus to come seems a little weird too.