De un lado al otro

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Before beginning this entry: I have a lot left to say, and very little time left in which to say it. I worked out that if I publish once a day until I leave Mexico (Dec. 20), I will be able to fit in all my last comments and observations. Please bear with me while I go on a bit of a spree.

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Getting around in Mexico is a great experience. I generally walk, but will sometimes take a taxi or a bus. As a I mentioned in an earlier entry, both modes of transportation are remarkably inexpensive - between $1.50 and $4.00 for a cab ride, and less than $0.30 for the bus.

The local buses vary in quality - some have individual, plush seats (think Greyhound) while others are converted school buses with hard plastic benches. Each bus has a list of destinations painted onto the front windshield - although one route has an electronic scrolling marquee. I have learned the basic routes for common destinations, but still don't quite understand how to decide which bus to take where.

Bus drivers have a good deal of freedom in terms of their workspace - buses are often decorated with religious icons, and some bus drivers play music which is audible to all passengers. This isn't always the typical crowd-pleasing muzzak - I have heard the occasional reggaeton album, which would likely offend any older, more conservative Mexican.

The inter-city bus system is remarkable, and is far better than anything I have seen in Canada. Trips are inexpensive ($20 for the 5-hour ride to Mexico City), comfortable, and punctual. The bus system is well developed out of necessity - many Mexicans cannot afford to take a domestic flight, and passenger trains are practically non-existent outside of a few tourist routes.

Mexico City boasts a huge metro system which rivals that of any major European city. It costs less than $0.20 to ride, and includes 175 stations. I have been on the metro several times, and was surprised at the number of people selling things from car to car on the train. The vendors' tactics are clever - they walk through the train handing out their wares, and then walk back down the train either collecting the unwanted product or collecting money for the purchase. Selling things on the train is illegal, and so vendors will carry their goods in a normal-looking bag in case an inspector appears. This includes those who are selling CDs - vendors hide stereos playing a sample of the album for sale inside backpacks with vents for speakers.


My experiences in taxis have been quite interesting. I have had one cab driver evangelize to me and another ask me to translate a Bon Jovi song. One driver told me of his three experiences crossing the Mexico-US border illegally: the first time it took him 20 days, the second, six hours, and the third, 20 minutes. In another taxi we drove by a crowd of people stopped alongside the road, clogging up traffic for a good few blocks. When I asked why everyone was stopped, someone on the sidewalk replied that they had seen a UFO (OVNI in Spanish). The taxi driver then pulled over and we spent a good five minutes debating whether the two visible stars in the sky were, in fact, UFOs.