it is called the ciudadana, which means citizen in Spanish. On this card, you can put money in order to pay 15 pesos per ride, which is about 40 cents in U.S. dollars. In order to charge my ciudadana, I have to visit special purple kiosks called Mc Kio. There, I can easily put money on my card. This is the principal, or main, form of transportation within Tucumán.
One of my first adventures in Tucumán involved trying to understand the transportation system. Every day I walked out of my apartment and I saw a bus pass by me every five minutes. However, I also saw horse-drawn carts rolling around the streets. The clash of old and new was very confusing. Since I could not take a horse to my university across the city, I had to figure out the bus system, or walk more than 30 minutes two times a week across the city.
I felt very confused the first few times I attempted to take a bus. I rode the bus twice for two hours because I missed my stop. However, I got to see more of the city, and I met some very nice people as I rolled around the city. Now, I feel more confident taking buses and asking the conductors where the buses go. I am now not surprised when I take the wrong bus. I use it as an opportunity for adventure!
The culture here feels laid back, chaotic and passionate to me. There is an expression, manana, that means "tomorrow" or "very slowly." This is also a part of the culture here. The transporation system is an exact reflection of all of these characteristics. The buses run on their own times.
