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Published: April 29th 2012
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Yes. I am writing this blog as an ode to the
micros. Haha! Trust me, it's worth it. I have never ridden anything like it and if you've only done public transportation in the U.S., I'm sure you haven't either. From the outside, they look like your average unsuspecting bus. Nothing fancy, nothing worthy of inspiring fear. That's until you get on... Let me just say that they WHIP IT!! They whip up the mountain, down the mountain, around curves, around each other and they do it at astounding speeds. Every day when I get on I feel like I'm on an actual rollercoaster! You get on and you hold on for dear life. It's quite exciting! I've never had my life flash before my eyes on a bus before. Haha!
Where we favor straight lines in the U.S., Chileans favor curves and
los conductores (the drivers) do NOT slow down for the curves. And staying in your lane is optional! We wind up and down the c
erros (hills) on streets so steep that sometimes I feel like the vehicle is actually going to flip over! It's amazing to see these vehicles zooming up these super inclined streets. I don't
Inside a micro.
This is not my picture but oh well! even walk home from the bottom of Cerro Esperanza, where I live, because the streets are too inclined and it's like the Stairmaster from Hades! Recently I was walking around with Issac in sandals that don't have much traction and I almost fell down this one street! Who falls down a street?! Almost wiped out ugly style. Fortunately he grabbed my arm. Haha!
Another thing is, when the micros stop, you better hop off real quick or they'll zoom off again while you're still on it! They get epically crowed and sometimes the driver can't see that you're still on. I use epically not as an exaggeration by any means. There's 24 seats available. But when those are full no one gives a flying flip. People cram on and I've seen as many as 20 people smushed into the aisle. Elbows jamming into people's sides, bags smashing into other people's backs, some dude's junk practically on my shoulder as I'm sitting down and he's hovering over me from the aisle. People (and children) even hang out the door! Yes. It's so crowded that the door won't close! Ironically they have a maximum capacity posted but it must be a
joke. I've been one of those people smushed in the aisle...many times. One time I was riding home with Cassandra and we were crammed in the aisle. Imagine that with the micros' rollercoaster way of driving. I was trying to grip the bar above my head but there were too many people which left no more room for my hands. We were at the very back and there were people sitting on on the back row. I was *this* close to sitting in some dude's lap!! I didn't want to but there was nothing to hang on to as the micro swayed violently. I clung to Cassandra (she's pencil thin so it was a challenge) and ended up hovering a couple of inches above his lap but at least I didn't fall in it!
A couple of days ago I wasn't so lucky. I fell on the micro. It was hilarious and I even had to laugh at myself. I was standing up to let someone else through when the bus turned suddenly and I fell onto another seat on my back and my feet were in the air! Haha!
They also play music. I jam! But one day I got on and they were playing "Candy Shop" by Fifty Cent. I thought, "Really??" That was a bit random. Tonight on my way back home from my acting class, I oddly had to ask myself if I was on a micro or a night club on wheels. The conductor turned on these odd blue lights which illuminated everything in blue and the music was bumpin'. Then it was like a disco and the aisle was clear. Wow... Valparaiso micros: always an adventure!
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