Getting Around Potrero and the Local Area

My original plan was to take the bus when we wanted out of Potrero. We can walk to the grocery, fruit stand and the beach. We have a pool. I was thinking when we wanted more entertainment or something different - take the bus - it's cheap. But I've learned that's about all it has going for it. There are several bus companies and each has their own schedule and pricing. Bus stops are not marked either. Also, it's not posted anywhere! How are you supposed to just magically know when and were to wait to get on a bus? You're supposed to talk to locals to find out times and where it's going. When you get on, you tell the driver where you're going and he'll tell you the price and you then pay. I'm not sure how you're supposed to figure out how to get home. I have yet to meet a person in Potrero (who speaks English) who takes the bus or even knows its schedule.

So, after a LOT of research and thinking, we've decided to rent a car. It's a major expense we didn't plan on, but it expands what we can do by a lot.

Car rentals here are complicated. There is the rental price which doesn't sound so bad initially but then you have to add insurance. Our auto policy won't cover us here like it would in the states. So it's required by law (and really seeing how everyone drives, I wouldn't want it any other way) to have Liability and Collision. Liability you just have to buy (and it's about the price of the rental so you're already double). For collision, after much research, we learned our visa card will provide it but there are some hoops to jump through for it to work. And then to top it all off, for an extra $10 a day you can make your deductible be $0 instead of $1,000. It all adds up fast!

So, here is our beauty, a Hyundai Tucson 4x4 for 6 weeks.