Public transportation has been quite interesting for me in and around Quito. Before arriving here, I had little knowledge on how to get around, but I quickly learned. When classes started I began taking the public buses to and from my university. For the first couple of days my host mom accompanied me to make sure I took the right bus and got off at the right stops. With so many different buses and stops it can be confusing if you aren’t sure of where you are going. I had never experienced public transportation before coming to Ecuador. I’ve never used any in Missouri or anywhere else. I was quite surprised at how cheap a 15-20 minute bus ride would be. To get to school and home each day only costs 35 cents per ride and to go into the central parts of Quito, a one hour ride, is only $1. I also did not expect the use of coins to be so popular here! In the U.S., I rarely see anyone using cash let alone counting out change but it is now in my daily routine to make sure I have the right change for my rides.

I also just experienced using the metro for the first time a couple days ago. Quito completed the installment of this only a couple of months ago. My host mom and I didn’t want to pay for a taxi to cross the long city or hop between buses, so we decided to check out the metro. She had never tried using it either! When we went down inside of it we were so amazed by how clean and huge it was. There was not a piece of trash or dirt anywhere in the train or the station and the entire thing felt ginormous unlike what I’ve heard or seen about other metros in the U.S. This form of transportation is for sure the most efficient way to get through Quito. We paid only $0.45 per person to ride for as long as we needed. What would’ve been a 45 minute taxi drive and an even longer bus ride turned into a smooth, less than 15 minute metro ride. Entering, purchasing a ticket and leaving were all really simple and they make it very clear where you are in the city at all times which was quite helpful. Overall, I think public transportation should be utilized more in the U.S. Not only does it cut back greatly on car emissions but it is also much safer for our elderly and those with disabilities.

---

Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: IES Abroad: Galapagos Islands (GAIAS)