¡Me da monedas! Los Colectivos y Los Kioscos

Buenos Aires' buses (colectivos) are fast, numerous, efficient, and cheap, a great way to get around town. Unfortunately, one must have coins (monedas) and only coins to pay the fare of A$1.10 or A$1.20 (about 30¢ US).

As soon as you get on the bus, you start dropping coins into the machine behind the driver. You don't need exact change, but you must be quick about it, as there's usually a line of people behind you waiting to pay their fares, hanging on for dear life because the bus is already roaring through traffic to the next stop.

Since everyone here rides the bus, everyone needs coins. Where do you get coins?

Every block has one or more kioscos, or kiosks, small shops that sell cigarettes, soft drinks, batteries, phone cards, and about 100 kinds of candy. So, you buy a candy bar with a bill. Or you can stop at a Freddo or Volta to buy a couple of cucuruchos (ice cream cones). Or you can pay cash when you buy some empanadas or pasta or pastries at the small shop around the corner. When you pay, you have to ask, "¿Puede ser monedas?" Is it possible to get coins in change?

They'll hesitate and try to give you bills instead but usually, eventually, will hand over some monedas. After all, they, too, need coins to ride the bus.

Yesterday, we didn't have enough coins to ride the bus home from our Spanish lesson in Palermo. We stopped at a kiosco to buy a chocolate, but the guy wouldn't give us monedas. So we didn't buy the chocolate and walked home. Forty-five minutes later, back in Recoleta, we went shopping and once again felt the happy jangle of loose metal in our pockets.