Trust me, she’s not waving good-bye. There’s no way she would go wandering around the third world without me. She’s just posing.
Tag Archives: Antigua
Me and Buddies – Antigua, Guatemala
They followed me around for a while. There are lots of kids who approach tourists in Central America wanting a few coins. So I gave them some. Normally I’m not big on giving money to people in foreign countries who have their hands out. Not that I wouldn’t like to give them all some money. I would. It’s just there are so many and as soon as I give one some money here come five more who see me do it. After a while I have a crowd following me. Best not to get it started.
Inside Chicken Bus – Antigua, Guatemala
This is the inside of a chicken bus. The trick is to try and cram as many people in the bus as is humanly possible. The bus drives down the road and a guy leans out the door shouting and trying to get riders as they drive through the countryside. The riders get on and have to find a place to light. Chicken buses are not known for their reserved demeanor. The faster they get from point A to point B, the faster they can make the return trip. More trips = more money. So, the object is to see how fast you can make a loop. This doesn’t make for passenger comfort. The passengers are being tossed around as the bus driver drives like a maniac to get to potential passengers before another chicken bus. All-in-all it’s an interesting system, these chicken buses.
Chicken Bus – Antigua, Guatemala
Checken buses are bightly decorated school buses which function as public transportation in sections of Central America. I got to ride a few during my sojourn to the area. I always felt good about riding them. It was like I was supporting some sort of weird cultural institution. It was also akin to going to the state fair and getting on one of the thrill rides.
Hailing a Tuk-Tuk – Antigua, Guatemala
Tuk-Tuks are one of the greatest of the third world treats. Riding them on the cobbleston streets of Antiqua was especially painful, especially since we got to pay about twice what the locals paid.