By Bus in Lima

By Bus

Two types of buses -- regular-size micros and the van-size combis -- patrol the streets of Lima. You won't have to wait long for a bus; on major thoroughfares it is not uncommon to have half a dozen or more waving you aboard. You simply hop on at any intersection and pay the conductor as you leave. Fares are cheap, usually S/1.40, or about 45¢ for a ride of any distance. It is difficult to tell where buses are headed, as the signs on the windshields indicate only the end points of the route. The conductors hang out the door and announce the route with the speed of an auctioneer, all but impossible to understand. A better way to discern the route is by the signs along the sides. The names of the major streets traveled will be listed. If a bus travels on a section of Avenida Arequipa, the sign will say Arequipa. If it travels the entire distance, it will say Todo Arequipa. When you want to get off, simply tell the conductor la proxima esquina, meaning "the next corner." Give him plenty of notice, as it sometimes takes a while for the speeding buses to slow down.