Chicken Buses

Back in NYC the Fung Wah bus company, operating routes from chinatown to chinatown across the northeast has often been called a chicken bus. Compared to transport here in Guatemala, Fung Wah is rock star transport. I've been having a fabulous time here in Guatemala so far and have been travelling often, trying to see as much as I can before heading to El Salvador, two days from now. Though, I can say with much confidence I will not miss the buses one bit. Chicken bus takes on a new meaning here. A seat, on a yellow school bus (painted any number of different colors, none the usual yellow, the merry pranksters could fit in driving their famous bus around here), which would normally seat 2 adults, at most 3 small children, often seats upwards of 3 adults at once. On my ride this morning I shared a seat with a mother and her two children, and other man, me in the middle. I guess they never read that article about the woman who died from a blood clot while seated in economy class on an airplane. An economy class seat would seem like a first class, fully reclining bed compared to the seats here. We often travel by mini bus as well, which can be even worse. I spent two nights in a small resort nestled in a beautiful valley. To reach the resort I rode in the back of a pickup truck. To leave two days later I was on a minibus, somewhat. By the time I got there, the bus probably had 30 people with seats for 12 at most, and about 5 people hanging out the door, me inlcluded. When we reached the bottom of a large hill, about 15 of us got out and walked up the hill so the bus would be able continue.

I can say with confidence as well, though, that arriving at each new destination the journey was always worth it. And I'll often have wonderful conversations with Gautemalans as we ride. I've had my first political conversation in spanish.