lima doesn't have a metro system as most cities with 8 million+ residents do. to get around people either take mini buses or taxis. one in seven cars in lima are taxis. jill and i mostly took taxis, and got pretty good at it. we read in lonely planet the protocol... catching a taxi was quite easy, drivers were constantly slowing down and calling to us (bus drivers do this too, which is extra strange, one would think if someone was interested in the bus they'd be at a bus stop instead of walking down the sidewalk minding their own business. plus they usually don't require coaxing). basically, whenever we needed a taxi i'd just nod to one of the cabbies who were heckling us, he'd stop and we'd get in. lonely planet (or "the l.p." as we sometimes refer to it) told us to lock the doors upon getting in, and to ask the driver how much ("cuento questa?") because they don't use fare meters so it's important to ask in advance so they don't rip you off. we got very good at this, our only trouble is we're not well versed with spanish numbers, and sometimes had to converse among ourselves to figure out what they'd said.
anyways, on our last night we caught a cab to the airport. it was a pretty a-typical taxi ride. sweet 90s tunes playing on the radio, driver in his own private cage, car swearving in and out of traffic with no regard for lanes, no seatbelts in the backseat. as we approached the airport we stopped somewhat abruptly. we weren't sure what was happening, but noticed a policia man slowly approaching the car. they talked back and forth in spanish, and we figured out that he was pulled over for honking at a garbage truck. the cop made us follow behind him for a few blocks before he finally gave back the driver's id and we were on our way again. he was quite apologetic, but we found the whole situation quite amusing.
when we got into the cab, and we asked "cuento questa?" he told us 50 soles. that was a bit steep, considering we were expecting 30, MAYBE 40 soles, but whatever. i dug around in my wallet and i had 147 soles. i needed that hundred to pay the airport tax in order to leave the country, but i figured the airport tax would be about 90 soles, so i figured i could give him my 100 sole bill and get 50 in return then have enough. when i gave him the 100 he was searching around for change, this did not surprise us because it seemed every store/business in peru quite regularly didn't have change when we made purchases. but eventually he did find a 50, he gave it to me and left. as we walked towards the airport entrance i said to jill "it feels fake, it's so smooth..." we'd read earlier that fake bills are in broad circulation in peru and had learned a few tips to identify phonies. but it was dark, and we were focused on leaving so i just figured it was probably just a crisp new bill.
so we get in, get situated, check our bags, make our way to the airport tax area and get in line. when it's my turn i pass over my 96 soles and the guy starts to laugh, and talk in spanish. i say to him "what? what is it?" and he explains to me in english "it's a fake". then points to a portion of text on the back, printed as clear as day, that says "billete de la suerte alasitas" and tells me "it means 'lucky bill'" ah! i'd been scamed by the taxi driver! when i looked closer it was such an obvious fake that i could just kick myself, i knew it as soon as i felt it! argh!
so i brought it home. i'm going to frame it or laminate it or something. it will be my lucky bill. thankfully, i find it really funny. it's just 50 soles, which is worth less than 17 dollars, if it was 50 bux canadian i'd be pretty livid. this way i got a great story to tell and a few good laughs. so funny. as irony would have it, when we were at the luggage claim in toronto i found 7 soles in my pocket, which meant i COULD have given him just 50 soles instead of handing over my 100. jill made fun of me because i'm notorious for having money in oodles of different places at once. oh well.
oh man, i still have so much to say. i could just write and write and write. but i need to go to bed. i have work in the morning. work went surprisingly ok today. i'm determined to find a better way of dealing with this massive thorn in my side, it will not devour me.
i forget myself,
i want you to remind me.
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