Ecuadorian Transit: Busses and “taxis,” but not really legs

One of the things I enjoyed about living in Slovakia was getting used to being at the mercy of the bus system. You had to find out where the local bus or even train stops were, discover the schedule, and usually like clockwork be picked up and deposited at the next location or one of many stops on your circuitous journey towards your final destination.

The buses in Ecuador are not that way. There are no official stops or station (well, there are a few,) but rather commonly stopped at corners or intersections or just any spot on the side of the road a person flags down the rig he or she needs to get on. You just throw up one of your arms when the right bus is in sight and hop on when it stops right in front of you.

 Getting off is no different—unless you exit at a main depot any time you need to get off you just stand up, make your way to the front of the bus, and sort of just tell the driver you need to get off—even if it is, like, 20 feet after the last person just got on.

That’s that part that really got me— the buses are constantly accelerating and decelerating, hurrying up to wait, and incrementally making their way along the routes in constant spurts of motion like inch worms. I was literally laughing at some points because of the ridiculous “distance” between stops, and I am amazed I did not get more carsick. Riding the bus costs a whopping 25 Cents. 

On the Bus in Ecuador

 Another interesting little bus phenomena are the guys that jump on at various stops to sell some kind of candy. The livin’ is cheap and folks are pretty industrious in the Ecuadorian towns we were in, and from what I gathered the Commerce Rules of Engagement are pretty much there are no rules.

So, in a creative effort and with little overhead and the opportunity to constantly get in front of captive audiences (I mean, we’re all stuck on this bus together—the people have to hear you, and where else are they going to go?), these bus peddlers start out by announcing a loud shpeal to all the passengers (my Spanish wasn’t good enough to understand, so my friend translated) but the gist was, “ladies and gentlemen, I’m trying to make a living here, please consider what I’m offering you, at least have the decency to show me enough respect to consider it, I’m supporting a family,  etc., etc., etc.” These guys would then make their way down the aisle depositing candy into the outstretched hands of passengers (yes, I did participate as well, it is offensive not to). By the time he made his way back up to the front he would announce the cost- 25 cents, 50 cents, whatever he was charging. He’d then take another lap either re-collecting the candy passengers didn’t want—no hard feelings, or money if they fancied the candy or just the guy’s speech enough. At the next stop these guys would hop off, and on to the next one. 

Construction workers on Bikes

In the event we didn’t have time for the whole bus ordeal or needed to go somewhere off the main routs we would hail a cab. In much the same way that busses are constantly flying down the streets and whipping around corners taxis are also making laps and moving people. Sometimes the taxis are marked, sometimes they just look like guys in their own cars, but if they see you standing on the side of the road and think you want a ride they start honking at you as they get closer and might slow up just a tad to see if you respond with a nod or outstretched arm. Taxis cost 75 cents. 

We didn't ride any motorcycles, but I LOVE this guy's posture

 As I said above traffic moves so erratically- speeding up, slowing down, switching lanes wherever and whenever and making crazy turns for buses and cars alike. But the entire week I was there I did not see a single car accident or collision.  

Maybe I Should go to Ecuador

 The Average Tourist wants to go places where there are no tourists - Sam Ewing

One evening this past March I enjoyed dinner with a friend who has lived and worked in Ecuador off and on for the last 5 years and hopes to have a non-profit providing therapy (in various forms) to the locals operational within the year. She was heading down for most of April to check in with her people, scope for her clinic, and just re-connect with her Ecuadorian Self. 

While she explained this to me over naan bread and chai tea I tried to build boxes for her world there in my brain. I liked that she had become so close with a family and had a very "grass roots" experience of the country, but still couldn't get my arms around what it was exactly she was trying to accomplish there. Then I got this crazy idea (which didn’t seem so crazy) that maybe I should go see about Ecuador myself. Clearly an impulsive motivation it didn’t feel like the destructive impulsive decisions that you regret later on or that really do seem insane.  Actually it all seemed very logical. I still had a week of vacation to use before July, and had been saving up for a trip I was going to go on with another friend, but it had fallen through. The solution seemed obvious.

Within the week I was booking airfare into Guyaquil, a city I had never even heard of, and even after the purchase asking my friend where it was we were going to be again? Had I been setting out on my own I clearly would have been woefully unprepared, but between my friend’s extensive experience in the country and a readiness to be available for anything and everything, in true vacation style I willingly relinquished the control I wield so intensely in workplace mode and let my spontaneous streak out for a little. 

So yeah, it’s hard to say if the trip was what I expected or not because I really had no expectations-- other than getting in the ocean at least once and getting kind of tan. I’ll relay what I saw in little snippets, but here’s a video that pretty much sums up the entire week in a little less than 15 minutes. There’s a story behind every shot, and while I probably won’t get to all of them I’ll try to pick out the highlights. 

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