On the Street in Santiago Chile
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Update
- Santiago now has a modern public transportation system called Transantiago which has replaced most of what I experienced and describe below.
La Gran Avenida, with the Micro in its native habitat.
The numbers and letters on all pictures on this page refer to documentation
next to them.
- The "micro" (pronounced 'me crow') is the main source of public transportation in the city. It is cheap, and as you can see, there are a lot of them. They are not owned by the city, but are privately owned by different companies.
- This is a taxi. In Santiago, they are black with yellow roofs. Just like any where else, they are the most expensive mode of public transportation.
- This sign indicates the "paradero", or stop. They are roughly every 5-10 blocks, and on the major roads (like the one above), they are the only places the buses will stop. The paradero numbers decrease the closer you get to the center of town. On smaller roads, the driver will stop wherever you want. You just press the "timbre" (a buzzer) that lets the driver know you want to get off.
Are you going to Chile?
You can have fun with the nuances of public transportation in Chile too but you need to be ready. Avoid culture shock by reading the Gringo's Culture Guide to Chile.
