Transportation

Chicken buses:

Have you ever wondered what happened to the school bus you used to ride to school as a child? Good chance you are shaking your head no but now that I mentioned it you’re thinking, well, whatever did happen to the wheels on that bus that used to go round and round?

The “chicken buses” I ride to school or to various locations throughout the country are American school buses. After years of putting up with children screaming and crying, you’ll be happy to know that your bus retired and is now happily bumping around on dirt roads while jamming out to salsa and reggaeton. To the older crowd, this also includes your buses. I have been on a bus that was in its prime in the 70s. Needless to say the bus broke down within five minutes of our ride but was back up and running within a few minutes.

Instead of two children to a seat, in Nicaragua there are often three adults to a seat. There is no such thing as a “full bus” in Nicaragua. The other weekend I found myself standing in the aisle, packed like a sardine, on an hour and half ride home to Granada. All in all, the trip was fun and I learned a lot about the neighbors I was slammed up against.

Bicycles:

Bicycles are by far the most common means of transportation in Nicaragua. Bikes are to families in Nicaragua what cars are to families in the United States. It’s normal to see two people on a bike and at times, three. You may be asking yourself, “how is that possible?” Usually you’ll see a small child sitting on the bar between the seat and the handlebars, someone on the seat peddling and a third standing behind them. It’s an interesting sight to say the least, especially when they are on a slight incline.