the Minibus

I'm finally becoming a minibus rider. My four transportation options around UB are as follows: by foot, by bus, by taxi, by minibus. Each of these has its pros and cons and each is more or less practical depending on the destination and how much time I have to get there. Minibuses are cheap and go directly to places all over the city.
However, their routes, mysterious place names marked sometimes on their windowpanes, or more commonly, simply shouted in a well-practiced vendor's call, are often extremely difficult to discern.
The minibuses are all vans, dark green, with maybe eleven seats in the back for passengers, (and the conductor). So, the bus stops, the conductor leans out, hoarsely shouting their mantra of mysterious syllables, and slowly, people pile in. 9, 11, 15 (plus the conductor) and finally we're off. Weaving, veering and slamming through traffic... bouncing over the unpaved shortcut on the way to the 15th district, a single, crammed mass of riders. Then, climbing out as gracefully in the little, low van, over all the legs and laps and bags to squeeze out the door and back into fresh air and SPACE!
These vans really begin to show their versatility and hardiness outside of UB. This summer, there were times when we were driving in countryside-equipped vehicles on terribly bumpy countryside roads (tracks) and were overtaken by a humble, low-riding minibus, zooming along, with it's passengers hanging on stoically inside. Amazing.
My friend Shino was in a minibus here in UB when it was hit by another vehicle. I don't like to think about that, packed against the metal frame, swerving around in traffic... but it is exhilirating to have mastered another transportation option. What you can learn in a year...