Bus Journeys in the Lower Americas September 27, 2009

After completing an 80 hour bus extravaganza over 5 days, I thought it appropriate to dedicate an entry to the Central and South American bus system.  From Peru to Honduras, you can take a bus absolutely anywhere you want to go.  It´s also the most common mode of transport for locals and foreigners alike.

Overland touring comes in all shapes and sizes, colors, and often malfunctions.  It makes traveling all the more edgy.  Central America sports the yellow school bus, or ¨chicken bus¨ as most refer to it.  Luckily, most Central American journeys are 6 hours or less.  South America lends itself to much longer trips.  However, most buses are pretty impressive and have seats with adequate leg room, good reclining properties, and en suite toilets.  Some even meals and full beds!  Despite these commodities, a long bus ride is exactly that…long.

One major discrepancy from buses I´ve riden at home is the entertainment.  While an early evening movie (even if it´s in spanish, which is still challenging to follow) is appropriate, a 3am movie or latino music video marathon at an unreasonable volume, are not.

¨Latin American Time¨

98% of buses pull away from the gates at the exact departure time.  Brilliant!  However, arrivals vary anywhere from 2 hours early to 5 hours late.

Early Arrivals

Early arrivals are usually due to unruly operators, typically driving buses at hazardous speeds, often on winding mountain roads, while passing on blind turns.  My last 24 hour bus from Lima to Cusco was clipped by another bus coming around a corner, shattering all the windows on the left side of the bus!  Aside from scaring the sh*t out of half the passengers (mainly the sound of the breaking glass) and the haphazard plywood repair on the road side which made the remainder of the ride VERY chilly, the incident was minor and of little consequence.

Late Arrivals

One of several things can happen and these are typically not traffic related.  The ´direct bus´is notorious for making 15 to 20 stops – picking up passengers on the road side, police stops which sometimes include everyone getting off the bus, maybe searched and maybe not, drug sniffing dogs, and men with large semi-automatic weapons.  They have designated stops where vendors push all kinds of fried snack, sweet, or new herbal remedy, or 30 minute middle of the night stops at isolated rest stops where you can enjoy a menu al día and toilet (if the en suite toilet is absent).

The ¨en suite toilet¨

These are reserved for urinating only (and typically only for the damas).  Take your additional business elsewhere.  What confuses me are the on-board vomiters.  For children, vomiting is usually unexpected.  Ok.  But the motion-sick adult?  My Cali, Colombia to Quito, Ecuador trip was foul.  The vomiters were directly in front AND behind me, and the vomiting lasted for 5 hours throughout the night.  The next leg to Peru proved worse as my seat mate vomited on herself, the floor, in my shoe, on my backpack, and promptly went back to sleep.  Take it to the en suite toilet!  (or at least use a bag…)

The Night Bus

It´s truly the best option.  It saves a night´s accommodation and you can sleep through the majority of it (aside from the aforementioned annoyances…frequent stops, local entertainment, vomiters, etc.)  Some warn of the additional nighttime dangers including theft, bus raids, and sleepy drivers, but as long as you keep your backpack close and your wit sharp, your typically okay.  The rest is out of our hands.

The bus experience is not to be missed (and hard to avoid).  It adds a special dynamic to travel and makes for some great storytelling.  With that said, glad the marathon trip has come to pass, happy to be stationary for the time being, and am now enjoying the mountain view from the comfort of a hammock.  Signing off…

-And for all of you others who´ve had similar stories or find bits that I´ve neglected…please share!

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