Here’s a fun excerpt from the Blog of National Geographic correspondent Andrews Evans regarding his experiences traveling by bus from Mexico to Patagonia:
“Latin Americans are good at many things. They are not good at forming lines or waiting in lines. With this acquired knowledge, I found the bus company window–still shuttered with a “Cerrado” sign–and then hugged it like it belonged to me. I shot venomous glares at anyone who even looked like they were trying to cut in front of me. When the white shutter opened–even just six inches, I stuck my face in the crack and shouted, “Ushuaia”. The woman smiled and shrugged.
“All full. No puedes.” Yes we can, I thought, and still hugged the window away from the other passengers.
If there’s one Spanish phrase I’ve perfected, it’s “el más rapido possible”–the quickest possible way. Whenever I’m asking for a ticket, that’s the kind that I want. In response, the woman at the counter hummed and held her face in one hand, flipping through papers and clicking on her keyboard. She kept shaking her head, no puedes. I pleaded, told her I’d sit in the aisle–anything. Then suddenly, she found a spot on a bus two days later. If nothing went wrong (which never happens), it would get me to Ushuaia with one day to spare before my ship left for Antarctica. I bought the ticket–paid cash, then waited out my two-day sentence in Río Gallegos (which is another post, my friends).”
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