On the bus again.

Six months ago we left our cars behind to embark on numerous journeys to explore many things. One of the things I was curious about was transportation. How does one get from place to place when one doesn't have a car? How does it work for an individual going grocery shopping? How does it work for a family of five?

When one lives in a town like Turrialba, where all of the shopping and services are located in the central downtown area, one can simply apply shoe leather (or rubber or vinyl or whatever petroleum based abomination shoes are made from these days) to the transportation problem. Walking around town has its own benefits one of which is the sense of community one gets from seeing friends and neighbors on the street and taking the opportunity to stop and chat. Another benefit is the raw upper body workout one gets from lugging a week's worth of groceries (yes all the mangoes can get heavy) around town. The drawback has been that 80% of the family has destroyed at least one pair of shoes since we've been here due to all the walking we do.

On the other hand, the good thing about living outside of town is you get to add a bus ride to the experience. Now just for reference we are talking about regular, ordinary buses that you might find in the states. I know some of you were hoping for the classic Central American overhauled school bus with goats and chickens and people riding on top. Sorry, no. Just a bus, lots of people inside but no chickens.

I can take the CATIE bus for free or for $0.40 I can hop on the La Suiza bus and go the 3k to the center of town. So for the price of a gallon of gas ($4.00) I can make ten trips to town and back. When you consider that I am traveling with about 40 other people, there is definitely a large savings in terms of greenhouse gas emissions relative those same people driving their own cars. But what else?

When one is in the car, you are isolated from your surroundings. Now I agree that when it is hot and humid, a little isolation from your surroundings can be a good thing. But now consider the banter among friends at the bus stop, the chivalry displayed as seats are yielded to the elderly and mothers with babies, and Maggie getting swept into the arms of a grandmother type who simply refuses to see our little angel standing in the crowded aisle. I guess I prefer the benefits gained from the daily interactions with the people in my community. Yes, there is waiting in the rain and the occasional inconvenience when one misses a bus, but I have to say that riding the bus has been one of my favorite parts of living here.