explanation

So everyone has been asking me, ¨Shawn, I don´t understand the title of your blog. Can you please explain?¨

Ok, no one has actually asked, but I know everyone has been wondering. So I will expand on this.

First of all, I´m tall, 6´5.¨ Whenever I get on a bus back in the states I can´t stand up but have to kind of hunch over. I get in people´s line of sight at concerts all the time. And riding in the back of a 2-door car is the absolute worst.

So I knew coming to Peru would be even more of a challenge considering the average Peruvian male height is 5´4¨compared to almost 5´10¨in the States. When I landed I figured I would probably be the tallest person in the country. And so far, I´m right. Rightfully so, most things are built according to the height of the average Peruvian. I knew I might have to duck through a few doorways or hang my feet off a bed for 6 months, but I was prepared for that. I was not ready for the combi.

Combis are basically miniature buses. In a combi that has 10 seats, they manage to squish 25 people in. When I get in, or try to get in, I´m sure it looks hilarious to the bystander. Especially if there are no available seats, I´m forced to get my accordian on, this means knees bent, back pressed against the roof, face somewhere it shouldn´t be. Is this uncomfortable? Of course. Do I detest riding in combis? Absolutely not. There´s not much else that reminds me more that I´m in a different world. I think I´m going to soak that in while I can. Plus, combis get you from A to B very cheaply. Once you start learning the routes, it´s even more fun to use them. And how about culture immersion? Riding a combi in rush hour certainly goes a long way toward that case. I´m not even going to begin to talk about how these guys drive, and yet you rarely see an accident.

So that´s it. I´m too big for a combi and I wouldn´t have it any other way.