I conquered the Bus before it conquered me.

I must start by saying that Cuenca has a wonderful bus system and it is affordable for all, especially for elders like me. $.12 cents per ride and only $.25 for everyone else and for the most part the buses are crowded. I applied for and was issued a pass that I just wave in front of this small box. It records my fare, deducts the amount and tells me have much money remains on my pass.  The buses go everywhere and they are very frequent. The problem is that there is NO map to explain which  bus goes where. From the corner near us. I have observed which bus numbers go past. Sharyl and I have taken each one as an exploratory ride to not only understand where it goes but to see the city and get a better understanding of what it looks like and perhaps discover places to revisit later. Our last trip, we were on the bus for 1 1/2 hours before we returned to where we started. What a wonderful adventure..

They also have a very civilized manner of making change. You must have the exact amount. If not, you make the over payment, and the next person to get on pays you their fare as a way of getting you your change.Try that in the USA.

Now the most interesting part of conquering the bus system, is the ride.
"Hold on" is the watch word. The drivers seem to have no interest in your comfort. They go fast. They take corners like they are driving a race car. They just barely stop to either let you off or on. I have to wait and make them come to a complete stop as my aging body is not as agile as some of the young folk here who seem to delight  in cheating death as they jump on or off the moving bus. If you have packages and you are forced to stand, holding on is very difficult to say the least. The other day as I waved my pass in front of the machine, the bus started so quickly, I was thrown off balance, dropped my card and was totally unable to retrieve it as I was simply holding on for dear life as the bus raced on to the next stop. A seated passenger had to pick it up and hand it to me.

Without a car, we are mostly dependent on their bus system. Since it is so convenient we do make use of the buses, however, we have learned to avoid those that are crowded. So, having now conquered their we are free to go any where anytime 

The buses travel so fast on these very narrow streets and sidewalks, it is a wonder no one is killed as we walk along