combi

It never ceases to amaze me how Peruvians are quite possibly, one of the most relaxed group of people I have ever met.  

Everywhere they go, they walk slowly. 

They use the word "tranquilo" more than you can count. 

They are, to put it simply, very chilled out.  

The taxi drivers honk and swerve and pass other cars, all with this look of total relaxation and calm on their faces. On Mondays, we take a combi to and from Los Nogales, where our afternoon class is held.  A combi is the old-school type of VW van that is practically gutted and then furnished with about 5 skinny metal benches to fit maximum capacity.  Comfort is not a consideration, nor is safety.  In fact, it is not really designed for people over 5 feet 3 inches tall.  I know this because when I have to stand, I must bend over at the waist to avoid bashing my head through the roof.  This functions as their public transportation.  

A short boy or man is designated to open and close the sliding door, all the while repeating "sube, sube, sube" or "baja, baja, baja" faster than you can possibly imagine.  They are basically saying, "get in, get in, get in!" or "get out, get out, get out!," while slamming on the gas... it doesn't matter that your leg is still hanging out of the door.  While it seems they are in a big fat hurry, they all have that same look of complete composure.

People are crammed in to these vehicles to the point where you are sitting in laps, surrounded by people with ZERO concept of personal space.  

It is awesome.  

It is my favorite Monday activity.