Transport

One of the few downsides to my living situation here in Valdivia is that I live relatively far from the center. I basically live in a Chilean vision of suburbia. My neighborhood is called the “Villa Europa” (European Village) and all the streets are named after cities and countries in Europe. There's block after block of similar looking single-family homes, and most people use some sort of motorized vehicle to get around. So what do I do about transport? Well I’ve walked a few times. It’s only a half an hour to get to the city center, 40 minutes to the university. Thankfully there are also a few other options.

Micros (buses)

Micros are common throughout Valdivia. There are 20 different routes which cover the whole city. Routes 4 and 5 go near my house. I have to walk two blocks to a bus stop. Wait for the bus. Hop on and wait till it takes me to the center. There are two slight problems with this mode of transportation, though. One is time. Micros take the most erratic routes to get to where you need to go. They constantly turn onto side streets and stop to pick up more passengers, so it’s almost faster to walk. Secondly, I always seem to get the most aggressive micro drivers who weave in and out of traffic, narrowly avoid ramming into other vehicles, and never give me enough time to get off the bus before they zoom off down the road. This option has clear downsides.

Colectivos

These are basically taxis that have predetermined routes, squeezing as many people as can fit into the vehicle. I like this option for the quickest way into the center. But they don’t go to the university. They’re also really cramped. And the cost adds up if I take them several times a day.

Bike

I bought a bike this week. I’m really happy with it. It’s really cheap and crappy but gets the job done- it gets me places. The one problem is that Valdivia hates bike riders. It rains almost every day this time of year, so anytime I hop on a bike I'm just asking to get drenched with mud. The roads and sidewalks aren’t built for bike riding, and cars and micros love to hog the road.

I’m still trying to figure out the best solution…