El micro

The bus ride into Valparaiso runs along the ocean to the west, but I always stare out the windows facing east in order to watch the buildings built into the side of the hill.

The buses are a supreme adventure. They don't run on regular schedules and don't necessarily have regular stops. You have to know what route you're looking for in the bus window and flag them down before they pass you. Sometimes you have to run to catch them, and other times they expect you to exit before the bus comes to a complete stop. Once, a bus driver encouraged me to step into moving traffic and cross in front of another bus to get on, so he wouldn't have to pull over and lose momentum. Although it's hectic, it also works in a way. No one slows down and everyone keeps moving. In the words of Diego, "no pares, nunca pares."