Bus Rides

Buses can be a great mode of transportation in Cuenca.  Local buses run frequently and cost about 25 cents.  Bus rides to other towns are cheap, but the price depends on the distance.  This weekend Lindsay and I took a bus to a town that was about 40 minutes away and it cost about $2.  You can either buy your ticket in the bus station or on the bus, but before you leave the inside of the terminal you must always pay 10 cents to get out to the buses.  The buses vary a lot in age and in cleanliness and sometimes you really don't have a choice.  A very interesting thing that happens on bus rides is that peddlers come on the bus and walk down the aisle giving everybody some type of product.  I have seen them peddle candy, potato chips, ice cream, drinks, plates of food, plastic bags, toys, batteries and tools.  You just take what they hand you and hold on to it.  When the person returns up the aisle, you either buy it or return it.  The picture above shows the candy that was given to us this weekend.   Lindsay wondered just how many times those candy bars had been passed back and forth. We chose not to buy!  Lindsay has also learned that the best thing to do on a bus is to listen to a downloaded podcast.  We each use one earphone and listen to great stories or programs and before we know it, we have reached our destination.