| I have been on buses from Nicaragua to the end of | | | | splatter of debris that came with the crash. With a |
| the Pan-American Highway in Chile. I have crossed the | | | | spider-webbed front windshield, their solution was to |
| Andean mountain range, the Atacama Desert, the | | | | drop us off at a Sheetz-style roadside rest stop to |
| entire length of Costa Rica and several bays by ferry | | | | wait 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 of | | | | comfortable interior. Even though I will never again ride |
| the voyage and the level of development of the | | | | one, the diablos rojos, or "red devils" as the lovely |
| country. For example, my friend traveled half the length | | | | people of Panama have termed their city buses, are |
| of Bolivia in a school bus. The only solution offered for | | | | my favorite. These buses are simple U.S. government |
| those who wished to relieve themselves, was a | | | | issued 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, where | | | | canvas of the iron monsters. The destinations can be |
| for overnight journeys, the bus assistant offers hot | | | | found above the windshield tagged in multi-colored |
| coffee and cookies to the passengers. These of | | | | neons for your gazing pleasure, along with whichever |
| course are equipped with onboard bathroom, reclining | | | | favorite quote or image the driver chooses to include. |
| chairs and television screens, and stop every meal | | | | The 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 overcome | | | | passengers were killed when a bus caught on fire and |
| the elements, however. On a 6-hour return bus ride to | | | | the emergency escapes failed to open. This bus was |
| the capital of Chile, our inattentive driver struck and | | | | survived by many a sibling, all of whom continue to |
| killed a horse that was dawdling along the side of the | | | | reach maximum capacity at rush house. My advice: |
| road. Not even my last-seat window was spared the | | | | choose wisely. |