Aren't you proud of me?

I am now relatively confident using public transportation to get to and from school. Anywhere else and I need help, but to and from la Católica, I've got it down.

So for those of you who aren't familiar with the public transportation in Lima, I'll fill you in.

There are two people working on the micro/combi, the driver and the cobrador (the guy/sometimes a lady) who stands in the doorway to let people on and off the bus. The cobrador is the one who is actually in charge. He tells the driver when to stop and pull over or when to go. He does this with hand signals out the window and by banging on the side of the bus. The cobrador is also the one who comes and collects money for the ride and gives you a small paper ticket. Whenever the micro/combi comes to a stop, no matter where, even at a stoplight, the cobrador yells out the names of the streets that his vehicle is going to pass through. So as long as you know what main street you are near, you can find one going there and tell the cobrador when you want to get off. To do that you have to say "bajo en la esquina" (I'm getting off at the corner) or "al paradero" (at the bus stop) or in the morning when I'm going to school "bajo en la católica". I'm pretty sure that I stick out like a sore thumb on the micro. But oh well. Thats just how it goes. My ride to school can take anywhere from 45 minutes when there is minimal traffic up to an hour and a half in the evening during rush hour. My ride costs 1.50 S./ (about 50 cents), although my peruvian mom says that it is 1.40 S./. I've argued with the cobrador once when he wanted to charge me 1.60 by telling him that I always pay 1.40 and he seemed upset with me. But I didn't have to give him any more money.

Now, being from Boston, I thought I was used to crazy drivers. But oh no. I think we spend the majority of the time in between lanes. They can cross three or four lanes of traffic in a matter of seconds and come within inches of other vehicles. Also, sometimes when there isn't a traffic light at an intersection, there is a person directing traffic with a whistle.