I Get Around

I've been here for just about four months now, and it occurred to me yesterday, while sitting on the bus in the station buying a plastic baggie of cacao fresco (an awesome drink in a bag – that I've finally figured out how to drink through the little hole you have to bite in the corner) that back home in the States, it is not a normal occurrence to purchase such a treat from a lady who walked onto the bus with her basin of homemade drinks on her head. Entonces (therefore), I decided I should probably share some stories about what it's like to travel city-to-city and campo-to-campo here in Nicaragua.

Taxis: We'll start off small by discussing the taxis that are available in pretty much any town that's big enough to have at least a few paved streets. Basically, picture the broke down hoopty you drove in high school...got the picture in your head?...now, add to that at least one window that doesn't open, one that doesn't close, a door that's tied shut with twine, an empty gas tank, and a door that you can only open from the outside. Oh, and a cracked windshield if you're feeling particularly rickety today.  And if your car in high school happened to be one of those huge old boats, then you'll have to adjust your thinking to something more along the lines of Civic or Corola sizes. Now, throw in a few rosary beads and bumper stickers about Jesus being your guide, and you've got the typical Nicaraguan taxi!  Of course the picture is not complete until you factor in how many stops you'll make on the side of the road to pack in just a few more people. You've got to arrive at your destination with at least two people in the front passanger seat - which is tricky when the driver is driving stick - and at least four in the back. The upside? The driver will usually play whatever kind of music you want, and you'll rarely be charged more than a US dollar to get where you need to be (unless of course you're in Managua where they charge you an arm and a leg). It's also a really great way to meet people and laugh about the complete lack of personal space between the two of you!

Expreso Buses: There are two types of buses here in Nicaragua. Expressos are the ones that supposedly don't make stops between city destinations (although they are nice enough to drop people off at different parts of the main road – which is perfect for me considering my town´s location.) Generally, these expressos are “astro-vans” or mini-buses, the ones that have a sliding side door with 3 or 4 rows of bench seating on the driver's side and a single seat in each row on the passenger side. You know, the church vans. We'll say the ones with four rows are meant to accommodate 18 people plus the driver. Here though, you can expect at least 25-30 including the person that collects the money and hangs out the window calling out the bus's destination for those who are walking and might be looking to squeeze into an already packed bus. Again, these little buses are great for meeting people, and since I've been lucky enough to not have to stand hunched over in the isle thus far, I consider them cozy. It's also such a team-building activity when it breaks down and everyone has to get out and push! (Haha that only happened to me once, but I've seen it multiple times. Don't worry, the guys here are super chivalrous and never let us ladies get our hands dirty haha.)

Rutiero Buses: These are converted school buses that make stops all along the way between cities, which makes for a long yet interesting trip. The buses are all super decorated and newly equipped with bars along the ceiling to hold onto, because of course there will always be people standing in the isles for the duration of the trip. I have had the pleasure of standing for more than two hours on the way back from Managua, but I happened to be standing between two extremely beautiful guys the whole way, so I sucked it up haha. Most rutieros have baggage racks put in above the seats, and when they don't the people in the seats always kindly offer to hold the bags of whoever happens to be stuck standing in the isles. Oh my and how could I forget?! The roof racks! While fixing up the buses, they always add a giant roof rack that can be accessed by the ladders built onto the sides of the bus. Now the best part of that is that when it's time for you “bajar,” or to get off at your stop, the guy that rides on top with the stuff gets your bag down for you while the bus is still rolling! (Somehow he remembers who's getting off where and which bags they will need.) He then helps you off because the bus never comes to a complete stop, and after wishing you a good day, he runs alongside the still moving bus and climbs back up to the roof.

Ahh yes, the rutiero. Here we are, back where I started, sitting on a converted school bus in the station in Rivas, ready to head out to the beach with one of my school directors. We decided to take the rutiero because it´s cheaper and wayyy more fun! In the station, which is located right in the middle of the mercado, all the people selling things are free to walk onto the parked buses and sell to the people waiting for the bus to leave. This is PERFECT if one is heading out to the beach for the day and needs some “comida” to stuff in her backpack for the day! I for example, bought that awesome fresco, as well as homemade cookie/pastry things, and two oranges. What could I have bought though? Earrings, flashlights, batteries, watches, razors, medicine/vitamins, fried plantains with salad and chicken (tajadas - in a baggie of course), candy, bananas, apples, water, chips, tortillas...the list goes on and on! I couldn't believe how many options there were! And we were only parked for about 20 minutes before leaving! That's the bonus of leaving from a bus station in the city as opposed to a bus stop or entrance to a town. 

I hope that none of this sounded sarcastic or cynical because I have to say that the bus rides are half the fun of traveling here, and I actually don't mind them at all! And don't worry, if you come to visit me, I'll accompany you on any bus ride you might have to take.

PS The last rutiero I was on had more than 108 people on it, based on my calculations of at least 5 people sitting in each of the 12 rows, and 4 people standing in the isle between each pair of seats. There's a very good chance this is an underestimate.