Mastering The Latin American Bus System

I have been on buses from Nicaragua to the end ofsplatter of debris that came with the crash. With a
the Pan-American Highway in Chile. I have crossed thespider-webbed front windshield, their solution was to
Andean mountain range, the Atacama Desert, thedrop us off at a Sheetz-style roadside rest stop to
entire length of Costa Rica and several bays by ferrywait for the next two hourly buses to pack us in.
on buses.But sometimes quality is not measured by solely by a
The quality of bus can be predicted by the length ofcomfortable interior. Even though I will never again ride
the voyage and the level of development of theone, the diablos rojos, or "red devils" as the lovely
country. For example, my friend traveled half the lengthpeople of Panama have termed their city buses, are
of Bolivia in a school bus. The only solution offered formy favorite. These buses are simple U.S. government
those who wished to relieve themselves, was aissued school buses - with a twist. Each driver has
muddy hillside directly next to the bus.carefully created a graffiti work of art out of the plain
My favorite bus system would be that in Chile, wherecanvas of the iron monsters. The destinations can be
for overnight journeys, the bus assistant offers hotfound above the windshield tagged in multi-colored
coffee and cookies to the passengers. These ofneons for your gazing pleasure, along with whichever
course are equipped with onboard bathroom, recliningfavorite quote or image the driver chooses to include.
chairs and television screens, and stop every mealThe downside: they have a bad reputation of
time at a rest stop along the highway.exploding. In a traumatic incident last year, about 39
The quality of the bus line cannot always overcomepassengers were killed when a bus caught on fire and
the elements, however. On a 6-hour return bus ride tothe emergency escapes failed to open. This bus was
the capital of Chile, our inattentive driver struck andsurvived by many a sibling, all of whom continue to
killed a horse that was dawdling along the side of thereach maximum capacity at rush house. My advice:
road. Not even my last-seat window was spared thechoose wisely.