One of the highlights of living in Peru is the exciting variety of transportation options that exist. The most commonly utilized form of public transit is the “combi,” which can best be described as a hybrid of Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine and a defunct bus from the United States, circa 1976. These magical emissaries of mass velocity are often impressive in their décor. The most common decorative themes are Ode to Cannabis, I Love Jesus, and Straight-Up Machismo. The combi drivers definitely take ownership in their vehicle and capitalize on this opportunity to let their personality shine through. For example, the combi I rode on this afternoon featured a giant window decal that said “MASTER.” This individual probably reads a lot of Foucault and Nietzsche in his spare time, when not blasting Reggaeton at obnoxious levels.
Yeah, let's take a moment to talk about combi music, the soundtrack of my Peace Corps life. Each and every driver here gets to explore his deferred DJ dreams on a daily basis. Aside from salsa/reggaton, the 80's also seem to be widely embraced and celebrated in Peru. When was the last time you heard Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Toto on American public transportation??? Exactly.
Part of the beauty of riding the combi is that one never knows what to expect. Much like the Dow Jones, the bus fare and transportation routes are subject to change on a daily basis. I usually respond to sudden demands for a higher price by pretending that I can't speak Spanish. The cobrador (fare collector) eventually moves on and will resume his job of yelling at people to get on and off the combi as quickly as possible. In fact, most of the time I descend from a vehicle still in motion, but that's OK. It makes me feel like an action hero instead of an underweight public servant.
After reading this blog entry I'm sure most of you are ready to book a flight to Peru. Go ahead! I'll save you a seat on the next combi. :)
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