Public Transportation?

Lima has very unique public transportation... or lack thereof. There isn't a Boston T or DC Metro equivalent, however there is the newly introduced Metroplitano, which has the potential to overtake Lima's unofficial public transportation: combis, micros, busses, and taxis. This is an excellent video of an inside view of a combi: here. The cost of transportation is relative, but to the American, it is extremely inexpensive. Taxi rides cost between 6-15 nuevos soles to almost all parts of Lima... which can be up to a 30 minute ride. (The current exchange rate is 1 USD: 2.88 nuevos soles.) Combis and busses range from 1 sol to 2 soles, depending on the distance... so basically 2 hours of city transportation can cost you less than 1 USD. However - and this is a major however - combis and busses may be unreliable, especially to a foreigner. There are no offical routes or maps. In order to get the route, one must look on the side to see the names of calles or districtos, or listen to the bolletero shouting out paraderos. Fellow DR SCS students Nina Yancy and Kathleen Pierre both have some combi stories to tell... I have been "lucky" in that I've only missed stops and had to walk 1/2 hour to my class. I'm sure I'll have some great combi and taxi stories to tell despues esta programa.