Getting Around in Guatemala

Back when I was about 13, I had a fascination with Central America. The main reason was the descriptions in a missions brochure that I had, not of the country but of the transportation. I thought it sounded very interesting, riding on a chicken bus . . . though I may have been somewhat influenced by the movie, Romancing the Stone with Michael Douglas . . .

Still, I finally made it down to Guatemala and presto! I`ve had a chance to enjoy most of the fun methods of transport that were described in that old brochure!

Chicken Buses
These are a lot of fun. They are just old buses from the U.S., you know, the ones that have gone past the maximum 10 years of service? Here they paint them up in bright colors, give them the owner`s nickname, like "El Gatito" or "Chinita" and add a gazillion gaudy bangles to the inside, so that you have to wonder if the "chofer" can actually see anything. Add in a bony "ayudante" or kid who collects money and wedges people into non-existent spaces, plus about 120 people in bus designed for 50 (I`ve counted!), three to a seat with the rest stuffed into the middle aisle which is only 6" wide after the longer seats have been put in, and you`ve got yourself a real, live chicken bus.

Photo by jsbarrie

I once took one of these up a switchback mountain road. They stopped to do a ten point turn at every switch, with the cliff behind us dropping straight down to rocks and lake, not a barrier in sight. It was so close to the edge that you could see nothing but air if you looked out your window. That was one of those rides where you just shut your eyes and hope that whatever happens happens fast! But, in retrospect, these are the things that make great stories!

Tuk Tuks
These cute little motorbike trailer thingies are all over the world, but they arrived in Antigua, Guatemala about six years ago. At first, there were just one or two and people rode them because they were cheaper and a novelty. Then the taxi drivers got involved and things go ugly. Now, only a select few tuk tuk drivers can work in Antigua and their prices are the same as the taxis! Not really worth it.

Photo by flattop341

Lanchas
If you follow the usual tourist route, you`re bound to end up at Lake Atitlan, usually in Panajachel, where things are . . . well, dull. It`s one street of crafts and then beach, basically. So, most people decide to take a trip to the other side of the lake and the way you do that is by lancha! These little boats really don`t seem too seaworthy, but they make it over to the towns that are almost exclusively entered by boat.

Photo byjsbarrie

Motos
If you`re one of the lucky families that owns a motorbike (we are!) then you can travel at whim! When the buses stop running at 7 pm, it`s not a problem, you can still zip into town and pick up a beer. Now, coming from a western country where there are little things like safety and road rules, you might think that a motorbike would have some limitations if you have a family. But, if you`re Guatemalan, you know that up to 6 people can fit quite nicely onto a motorbike, thankyouverymuch!

Of course, there are all the usual boring forms of transport like tourist buses and cars, but those aren`t very interesting, so I`ve left them out of this post.