First thing I decide to do while in Honduras is to visit the beaches in Tela, which are situated along the Caribbean coast of Honduras.
Straight from the airport of San Pedro Sula, with backpack still on, I take a taxi to the nearest point where I can take a chicken bus from San Pedro Sula to Tela.
Chicken buses are always in a rush. Upon saying that I want to take the bus towards Tela, a man takes my backpack in a quick a swift move and swooshes towards the bus. They make you get in the bus in not time, and when at the destination, they make you get out even quicker. I’m not even sure if I’m in the correct bus, but I still get in and pay 75 lempiras. I have nothing planned, so I’m ok if I get lost and roam around for a while. Backpack between legs, and I’m ready for the journey.
Even when armed with my strong Spanish, I still stand out as the only foreigner in the bus.
Stickers of Jesus, Virgin Mary, and spiderman decorate the driver’s area. Add every pimping item, bright colors, and a name like Princesita or Carmelita to make it stan out. Sweet!…
Stop after stop, a parade of sellers advertise their products with strong determination. Everything from a deaf selling candy, a recovering addict selling flashlight pens, and others selling, food, vitamins, and even educational books.
“What I have here are three important books that every person should have”, says one seller. He catches my attention and I tune in to his selling speech (not that I’m buying anything). Anyways, the books are about animal stickers, plant stickers, and general culture. Yes, that important! One of them shows how to write letters and documents, including telegrams!!!! Do we still send those?
Along the way we pass through so many poor communities. Unfinished houses, tents, and stick built houses are some of the conditions that sprinkle the communities established along the route. There is still so much poverty. On the other hand, the views are full of plantations and beautiful landscapes too. They are beautiful, but I can’t say breathtaking, yet. Maybe I’m jaded?
Then happens what would have stressed me out in any other situation.
Mechanical problems…
Since I have no plans, no tour reservation, not even a place to stay for the night; I keep relaxed and don’t mind much. Though, sitting in the bus under the scorching Honduran sun makes me sweat like a pig.
“Se revento una Banda”, a motor belt broke, says an uneasy passengers who poked his nose into the situation. Most don’t seem to mind. Maybe they’re use to this type of situations.
I look out the window and see the driver take a few tools from what seems to be a kid’s lunch box and get busy fixing the engine. Twenty minutes after and with a fixed engine, we are ready to resume the trip.
The rest of the ride to Tela is uneventful, and once there I get off (or I should say, they get me off) as quick as I got in. In no time the bus disappears in the distance.
Now I have to make my way to the beach. I’m really looking forward for a great time at the beach after this crazy ride.
Love this! When we were there we bought a kids vocabulary book on a bus in Guatemala!
lol… it’s interesting the random things you can find and buy on any typical chicken bus ride. Well, there is no typical chicken bus ride; each one is different and weirdly interesting.
You have no experienced true Latin America without riding on a chicken bus!!!
You got that right Andi, and I couldn’t have said it bertter… You have not experience true Latin America without riding on a chicken bus!
Very interesting.
I’ve always wanted to take a chicken bus! In NYC, there’s a fake chicken bus with Colombian flags on it that you can rent for parties. I’ll have to try the real thing
You know, I think I’ve seen that bus roaming around the city! I’ve always wondered what’s up with that bus?! lol
Yes, you have to experience the real thing! It’s such an interesting experience.
Yay to chicken buses! They make any trip to Latin America (esp. Central America) complete!
Yayy!!! They surely do! They’re such a colorful part of the Central American culture. BTW, you know you are the chicken bus queen, right?
You know I’ve been hunting high and low for a good book on telegrams. Stop. Tsk, tsk. Stop. Maybe next time. Full stop.
Ha… See, I knew someone would give good use to that book.
lol
Sounds like fun!
I have yet to experience a chicken bus in life!
It was fun! I totally recommend experiencing them. It’s one of the flavors that make Central and South America what it is.
I can only imagine how nice the beach felt after that! :]
Oh, it felt like paradise! It was almost empty and the weather was nice. It was a pretty interesting day since I ended hopping between beaches, unintentionally.
And there was me thinking we only got the rushed backpack service on the chicken buses cos I had a child in tow. I love those as a way of getting around, really I do.
Hey Theodora! Ha! The rushed backpack service is complimentary to all clients.
It is so much fun traveling by chicken bus. I love it too!
Why are they called chicken buses? I’ve never traveled to South American so I feel kind of clueless here. :-/ But whatever the reason, they do sound adventurous!
Hey Christy! Well, I think the name comes because you can actually find chickens in those buses… People travel with anything from produce, household items, and everything in between. Most of the time these buses are old school buses “pimped” with designs, colors, lights, and even sound systems… and they are all christened with a name. No two buses are the same, so each ride is a completely different experience.
Once you go to South or Central America this should be part of your experience. They are an adventurous ride.
Great description–I feel like I’m on that chicken bus with you! Luckily you had the beach to look forward to!
Thanks Michael! Yes, the beaches were a great thing to look forward after this crazy ride.
We’ll be there in a couple weeks – your post is making me more excited! Can’t wait to experience it firsthand
Yay!! You’re going to have a great time there! Make sure to hop in one of those buses!
People always have such funny accounts after a ride in one of these…hope we get to try one (I think)
I guess they do live up to their reputation and do their best to keep it by giving travelers like us experiences like these. Sometimes they’re scary, but most of the time they are a lot of fun. You should experience them… It’s part of the Latin and South American travel experience.
You stood out like a foreigner? Why? Look like a local, speak like a local? Guess the back pack gave it away. What a trip!
I guess the backpack sold me… lol I’ll have to be more ingenious next time!
Swap the back pack for a chicken crate and really look like a local! Blend in Norbert!
haha! I should add a bag of rice to that chicken crate! Next time I’ll make sure to blend in better.
Cool, there’s always a few interesting events that take place on buses like this around the world. Hope you have a great time at the beach!
True, Chicken Buses are notorious for having interesting and even shady events happen in them all the time.
Apart from the chicken bus, the beach is sure to make up for it 10-fold. It’s always nice to know how travelers relate experiences in all situations.
The beaches definitely made up for it! But I found the chicken bus experience to be an interesting one and culturally rich since you see front row how people travel, interact, and express themselves.
Great story, it really captures the moment. Sounds like the beaches didn’t disappoint either?
Thanks Tom! oh, the beaches didn’t disappoint, at all! And my time at the beach was another adventure on itself…
Chicken buses always add to the excitement of any journey. They are usually crowded, usually a little dangerous, and, as you discovered, have a tendency to break down…
So true! All of the above apply to chicken buses… what an experience!
Norbert, very entertaining read. Come to the Philippines next time and experience a roof top jeepney ride =) I think you will love it!
Grace, you had me at roof top! I need to go to the Philippines and ride those… among doing a lot of other things!
Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Spiderman… one of these things is not like the other…!
Um, is it the Virgin? lol
Love this! Though not quite a chicken bus, I have fond memories of buses from my childhood in Ecuador! My parents tell stories about getting on packed buses where someone would grab my 5 year old self and pass me towards the back where I would settle on the lap of some total stranger who would care for me!
OMG! You we’re passed over like another bag… lol Try doing that here in the U.S. and you have a lawsuit! It’s so curious how things work completely different outside the U.S. and how amazing those experiences can be.
I think I would have had to buy those books – I would not have been able to pass up the incredible sales pitch!
hahaha!! That sales pitch was incredible! He was selling them as if they were the “must have” book. If you don’t have them, you’re nothing! lol
Ah..Chicken buses – how I miss them!
“how to write telegrams??” – are you kidding? Gotta love their determination.
Chicken buses have a charm that makes it hard not to miss the adventure of traveling in them. Telegrams… I know! so much determination to sells those books! Then again, in what year are we? lol
nice post, but I think that bus picture is from Guatemala, not Honduras!
Got me! Yes, I took that picture in Antigua; it came out better than the one I took in Honduras.
Hi Norbert!
…. really nice adventures you passed, unfortunatly with family is not too easy to travel anywhere i mean for us is remaining the tipical family traveling style with hotels + seaside
however i been working few years ago on a cruise ship sailing to planty destinations like Bahamas,Bermuda most of Carribean islands and the eastern coast of USA ended with Quebec city in Canada. this period of time was the best of all of my life, i think 
will never forget. Yeah !,….. is really nice think traveling all over the world. So, good luck to you buddy and take care of yourself 
Hey Andrew. It was an adventure, indeed. Hey, you can have all sorts of adventures with your family too.
It looks like you’ve your great share of travel too working on a cruise ship. So cool you’ve done that. Good luck to you too and wish you great adventures ahead! 
A traveler is only considered as such once a chicken bus ride has been done! it is the quintessential experience! Have you ever ridden a “goat bus “??
A goat bus?! Wow, I didn’t even know about those! Now I’m intrigued!