Facts and stats of transportation in Honduras....

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.....or, "They Aren't Called 'Chicken Buses' for No Reason"

Central America: where American school buses go to live out their geriatric years
Number of school children large school buses are authorized to carry in North America: 64
Number of Hondurans and squished foreigners that can be stuffed into the same buses here: 100+
Percentage of the same buses with serious transmission issues: 90%!<(MISSING)br>
Honduran bus trip math problem:
How does a bus travelling at an average speed of 75kms per hour only cover about 45kms during each hour of travel? By stopping at least 30 times per hour, to let dozens of people on and off.

Other species we've travelled with on buses (so far): 2 puppies, 3 boxes of chickens and 1 pet pigeon

Number of times while travelling on school buses that small children have nearly vomitted on Berm: Once, but that was enough

Most annoying technical innovation: Car alarms modified to be horns, especially when used by every taxi in town to get your attention

Number of coffins seen on the road in the back of pickup trucks: 2, on two different trips
Empty or occupied, you ask?: Occupied, as we later saw them arriving at the funerals

Most shocking accident witnessed: "Tela Express" bus backing into the bus station building, twice; the second time breaking out the back windshield
How we felt when this was not our bus driver: VERY pleased

Rules for passing another car: Maximize your speed, get as close as possible to the car in front (1 foot is the optimal distance), pull out without worrying about cars coming in the other direction as they can always drive on the shoulder to avoid you, and cut back in front of the car you have passed, again following rules for optimal distance (1 foot). The whole procedure is best done while going uphill, and on a blind corner.

Finally, swerve to miss all potholes, even if this takes you into the path of oncoming traffic....

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Photos

This was the 6:10 bus...
...and we caught the 6:20. Just kidding, Moms.

Comments

[Kai]

Too funny ;)
Your description made me laugh out loud! It sounds really wild on those roads. all manner of things going on ... I guess you are happy you are not driving. After reading your descriptiion ..Priceless...for everything else there's Mastercard. . .

[Neil Pandit]

Amazing photos
Hi again, That is a pretty amazing photo. We never saw any coffins except for a proper funeral procession in Granada so you are very lucky there :) Sounds like you´re having a great time and surviving the bus journeys well. You should be nice and relaxed by the time you get back to work. Neil

[sienna]

did u send this to ma?
hope not. just kidding, it is very funny, BE CAREFUL bum the wum! i don't want you to get baby vomit on you!!! love Sie ps i miss U

[Becca Gutierrez]

I lived in Honduras for 10 months!
You guys cracked me up. I was a misisonary to Honduras for 10 months! Your stories brought back a lot of memories. I used to live in Tela.