We'll get there...somehow...

Our first attempts at public transportation were in Punta Arenas, on our way to the Museo Nao Victoria. We did not have a bus route map, a map of the part of the city where the museum is located, or a strong command of the Spanish language. But we figured it out with help from people along the way.

No need for exact change to ride
these city buses

We hopped on the first bus we found where the driver recognized the name of the museum. I´m almost certain that the museum was not one of his regular stops, because he pulled over on the shoulder of the high way (there wasn't a parada, a bus stop, in sight), and told us to walk straight ahead along the river until we saw the museum. 

The woman at the museum gave us directions to get back to town. I think she was telling us where to catch a colectivo, but we found a parada instead. There was one bus stop on one side of the road, and we needed to go in the opposite direction. A man on his daily walk stopped to talk with us (turns out, he had been to Minnesota for his work in venetian blinds making) and confirmed that the bus coming in the opposite direction would stop for us. And it did. The driver let us cross in front of it as though we were getting on a school bus - and let us on.

As we approached where we needed to get off, I noticed that there were no cords, buttons, or anything to signal that we were going to get off the bus. Everyone else seemed to simply stand up when they needed to get off, so that's what we did. We stood up. The driver pulled over. We got off the bus.

I want to remember these first rides. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't a most significant story or a grand adventure. But they made me think about simple systems that are so obvious to people who use them every day, but not always obvious to newcomers.

• It's easy to not ask the basic questions when there is a language barrier. Actually, it's usually pretty easy to ask the question - it's being ready to understand the answer that can make asking the question difficult.  
• Figuring out how a system works with a language barrier in play means that actions are taken based on understanding anywhere from 20-50% of the information given, and filling in the gaps by interpreting hand gestures and doing some guesswork. I had fun with it that day, but it can be really, really tiring. And easy to avoid.
• The system (in this case, public transportation) was not that complicated in the end, but it wasn't always obvious. For example, it's not obvious that "standing up" is the signal one uses to get off the bus. It's a one-time and easy thing to learn, but it's not obvious. 

Generally, people want to help. And it's a great thing when they are able to go out of their way to do so.