Don't rely on the Micro

    The bus system here is loco. It's called the micro, and there are also trolleys which run on power lines above the streets. So far I've been on the micro about 5 times, and I've been wavering between thinking I can do it successfully, and then realizing I've completely failed.
    The whole system is so confusing. There are three distinguishing parts on each bus, two that are important, and one that doesn't matter at all but exists to confuse you. Each bus as a group number, which is indicated by a huge number at the top of the bus. Within each group there are different routes, which are normally displayed in the front window on a digital screen, or sometimes just on a sign in the front window. Then there is a random number painted on the bus near the wheel that means absolutely nothing.

See what I mean? That 26 doesn't mean anything!

    When waiting at the bus stations, there is a sign that says what groups and what routes are available at the bus station. Even if the sign says that a certain bus stops at that station, this does not mean that you will ever see that bus. So when I was waiting for bus 31 in group 3 thirty minutes before my meeting at school, and the bus didn't come for at least 20 minutes, I had to take a quick taxi to make sure I wasn't late. I was still late though.

These are the signs. I mainly take group 3 or 5

Almost made it home... not

    One very important lesson that I've learned is that I need to get on and get off the bus at Plaza de Independencia, and then walk the extra couple blocks to wherever I need to be. This is a very central location for the buses, and will almost take you anywhere you need to go. But if you don't get on the bus or off the bus at this location, you will end up going on an extra loop that is completely unnecessary. Or in some cases, it will just keep going and going, and eventually, you'll end up where all the buses park at the end of their routes.
     We have passes for the bus called RedBus cards that we can reload at kiosks all around town. It costs 2.5 pesos each time and each ticket lasts for 90 minutes. There is an automatic reader in the buses that we scan and take a receipt for. Thats the easiest part about the bus system.
    Standing in the bus is like a roller coaster, I've been getting an upper body work out holding on the the railing from the ceiling.
    The buses are always late, there isn't really a schedule they follow, and the won't stop for you unless you flag them down, since there are so many different routes. They also wont stop at certain stops if nobody is waiting to get on, so I have to pay attention when my stop is approaching and if nobody is there, there is a button to press to make the bus stop.
    Today me and a couple friends got lost on the bus for about an hour because we didn't get off at our stop, and eventually realized we were heading the wrong direction. We made it all the way to the bus storage location, turned around, and then when almost near our stop, the bus tire popped, and we were forced to walk!
    Whenever I take the micro in the future, I'm going to allot an extra hour for time to get lost.

This is when I thought I had it all figured out...I was so wrong