Leave the Driving to Them

The buses (colectivos) in B.A. are pretty amazing. It boggles my mind that they can drive at such relatively high speeds and still manage to come screeching to a stop within millimeters of the taxi cab that has come to a complete stop to pick up a fare. The driver's job is just to drive. There is an automatic ticket machine right behind him. When you enter, you put coins in the machine and it spits out a ticket. The driver just tries to get everybody onto the front step of the bus so he can take off again. If you are slow at the ticket machine, you back up the line of people getting onto the bus and incur the ill will of the driver. I find it absolutely amazing that half a dozen people in front of me can throw coins into the machine and it spits out a ticket. When I put in my change, it hangs up; the driver has to push extra buttons to spit back out the coins and I have to try it all over again while the driver and other passengers are expressing displeasure. What I find amazing is how the heck does that doggone machine know I'm a foreigner!??

I had this flashback today of Guatemala where I experienced that if you go looking for something specific to buy you can't find it. But sit in a cafe, and the vendor will come to you. Earlier today I lost my last functioning pen. It was a nice Pilot, made in Japan. I looked in several stationery stores and nobody carried Pilot. I got on the bus to go to the "Cultural Center Museum" and a blind man got on selling pens. I am now the proud owner of this piece of junk pen that, incredibly enough, after 3 paragraphs, is still writing.

I just visited the Cultural Center Museum. There was one exhibit that was particularly fun. It tried to describe an Argentine, saying there are 3 ingredients: 1. BBQ beef 2. soccer and 3. knowledge of the B.A. bus system. I particularly enjoyed the photos, videos, history, etc., of the bus system. It truly is amazing how so many portenos know which bus lines run where, since the routes are such an amazing can of worms. In the soccer section, they have a very irreverent shrine showing fans praying to the Virgin Mary who is holding a soccer ball. Like the other visitors, I found myself laughing out loud while walking through the exhibit. So....if you're ever in B.A., I recommend this museum. Okay, time to get back on the bus!