Collectivo

Voy Tranquilo :]

So, as ridiculous as it may be in a town where there are only two roads out of town - one to San Jose and one to Manuel Antonio (the beach).... I just took the wrong bus.  Yep, I got on the bus thinking I was going to Manuel Antonio and realized, as it passed the elementary school that I work at, that I had done the impossible.  I laughed at myself and stood on the side of the road, waiting for a collectivo to pass by.

What is a collectivo, you might ask?  A collectivo is any random car that is driving down the road that feels like being a makeshift taxi.  They simply beep at you, flash their lights, and wait for your signal.  All you do is hold up a finger to signify that you would like the ride.  They pull over, you get in, and they drive into town.  When you get out, you give them 500 colones (1 dollar) for the ride.  They pick up as many people along the way as they can.

This is a very efficient form of transportation and I am very glad to now know about it.  Before, I just thought that everyone was beeping at me for no particular reason... maybe they wanted me to get out of the way or they were just declaring how beautiful I was.... :]  haha.  Anyway, I know I have to be careful because they are not official and some foreigners seem wary of them, but that is really how the locals get around so quickly.  It definitely beats waiting an hour for the bus in those rural areas outside of town!

This is just one more example of how intricate the systems are - and how one only begins to understand them after being around for an extended period of time.