Two days of Chicken Busing it from Pacific to Caribbean

From Guatemala to El Salvador and then onto Honduras we spent a number of days winging it from tuktuk to taxi to chicken bus to more chicken bus and then even more and then to shockingly AC bus and colectivos. Today for example we just got on 9 different modes of transport. And of course it all worked out. Every bus is there ready and waiting for you. You get off one and someone else calls you over knowing exactly where you want to go. The chicken bus concept in central America is pretty much old American school buses that are now passenger buses down here and you can take absolutely anything on them. And as many people as you want. Half of them are still way more comfortable than most Asian buses and even most Greyhounds I've done in America! And safer!

El Salvador was a bit of a dissapointment. The surf was awful, the weather rainy and we realised after one day it wasn't going to get any better. Couldnt believe how commercial this country was either. McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Baskin Robbins everywhere. All the fast food joints your used to all over the world and even all the ones that are usually only in America, but they are everywhere, even moreso than the states. Huge billboards advirtising all sorts of meal deals also. The same goes for mobile phone companies all over Central. You could be in jungle villages and there was phones for sale. El Salvador also has a crazy number of people carrying sub machine guns and big rifles all over the place. Its a security thing, but really do you need that much security for a kids ice cream shop.

So leaving El Sal we started our journey across the country at 8am. We were originally going to start at 5 but it was raining and decided on a sleep in. These buses are decorated in all sorts of colours on the outside. Throughout the journey people hop on and off while the bus is still moving selling all sorts of things. Felt like those women who used to sell the fruits in Dublin in the middle of Henry street shouting out what they had on offer. But they sold everything from fruits, to clothes, to sandwiches, cold drinks and even onto pharmaceutical products. At one stage about 20 or 30 people hopped on selling down the aisle of the bus. Such an atmosphere. Then they'l all jump off before the bus even stops and before they have to pay for the ride. Besides these there are always really interesting passengers also. A number of times farmers come on with these big mad machetes tucked into their belt, denim jeans and a cowboy hat and a proper central America style mustache.

We decided to just wing it getting across the countries that day. Think it ended up been four or five chicken buses and a number of taxis all for about two days that added up to about $10 USD or so. Walked across the border to Honduras and this was one time not much had changed. Usually I love the differences at border towns. Although the sun was out, was hot and the scenery was incredible. Huge green mountains, long windy roads where every corner is another Kodak moment. In one way a lot of places we've been look like Ireland. A lot of Honduras has reminded us of it. One thing I noticed about Honduras is its probably got the most good looking and well dressed people in North America! Everyone in San Pedro Sula was so stylish. Very modern clothes shops around as well.We decided to break up the journey that evening and stay in a nice hotel, AC and treat ourselves in San Pedro Sula Honduras. The following day after even more buses and random little boats we found ourselves on the island of Utila in the Caribbean.