Flickr/deanhochman
Say hello to the chicken bus!
Flickr/davidden
It’s a train! It’s a plane! No, it’s a… chicken bus?!
Chicken buses are usually old refurbished school buses from America and Canada that, instead of going to bus heaven, have found renewed life in countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru.
Having ditched the school bus yellow for bright and exciting rainbow-like patterns, the buses are also adorned with religious motifs meant to protect the drivers and their passengers during the usually bumpy rides.
Besides being a genuine means of transportation, chicken buses are a popular bucket list item for many travelers looking to discover the hidden treasures of the Americas.
Chicken Bus Facts
The coop
Paradise City
Flickr/leandrociuffo
Nobody said it would be easy
Flickr/jsalita
Perhaps to muffle the loud gasps and heartbeats of inexperienced passengers, drivers also have loud music blowing from surprisingly hi-tech sound systems. (The music, in turn, muffles the loud sound of the horn everytime the drivers are about to turn a blind bend at high speeds).
Still, if you want to experience the real local culture, chicken buses are a great way to get there. You’ll surely learn to deal with personal space issues and get to understand the culture in ways not possible on trains or planes. You’ll see religious preachers, vendors selling miracle cures and get to experience each country the way the locals do.
It might not be the most comfortable bus ride but it offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience and might even provide some valuable life lessons.
More than a thousand words
Flickr/sambeddoes
Flickr/28705377@N04