First, there is the Metro, a sprawling subway system comprising eleven lines plus a light rail line. The cars, interestingly, do not run on train tracks but on solid rubber tires, which makes the ride very smooth and silent if a tad slower than systems elsewhere. Pickpockets are common, however, and cars are packed to uncomfortable capacity during much of the day. At 20 cents US per ride, it's definitely the fastest, cheapest, and most dangerous way to get around.
Closest to me is the Metrobus, a bus that runs up and down Insurgentes, a major street that cuts north-south through the entire city. The Metrobus gets its own lane, so even if the Metrobus itself doesn't generate revenue it's probably in the city's best interest to have the system in place for emergency vehicles. Cost: 35 cents per ride.
Finally, there are the paseros, which Ben seems to enjoy a little too much. These small buses are bought and owned by private citizens, who make up their own route and drive it around themselves. Most of the routes are predictable, so it's not too difficult to figure out where to go, but it's a little intimidating at first since there's no map. Often one will have to jump on or off these minibuses while the vehicle is in motion, but that's almost enough reason in itself to try them out. Price varies by distance, but it's comparable to the aforementioned.
There are also many, many taxis circulating through th city, but with the amount of corruption here you never know whether the person behind the wheel is the actual driver, or a carjacker who uses the taxi to kidnap tourists for extortion. Yep, this city is pretty sweet.
Mexico DF pictures, which don't seem to fit anywhere else:
The Zocalo
The Basilica of Guadalupe. The picture is not slanted; the cathedral has sunk.
The tallest building in Latin America, and in my opinion, the ugliest.
The ruins of Teotihuacan. This is the Sun Pyramid.
1 comment:
oh MAN the paseros scared the hell out of me. :X
viva el mexico! :D
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