Chicken Bus

Chicken Bus [noun] - a local bus to get you from a to b in the fastest time humanly possible.

Now I know that we would be travelling by chicken bus in central America and that they would be an experience. All in all so far they have been fun.

In El Salvador the chicken buses have mainly been old USA school buses; you know the yellow ones. They are painted random colours, pimped with stereos and plastered with stickers. It is quite amazing that they are still running, as they must have had a good life in their first use, but driven at a much slower pace.

So the typical bus journey here will cost you about 50 cents to $1, now that could be a few hour journey.

If you're catching the bus at the side of the road, it will screech up, you jump on and then it will be speeding off, just as your foot leaves the pavement. However if you catch the bus at a bus terminal, then it is mad scramble to get on. The key we have found is to get on at the back, stash our massive rucsacs and then sit close to them. What I wasn't prepared for, is that when sitting at the terminal waiting to depart, you have the cast of Oliver vs Only Fools and Horses coming through, from front to back, trying to sell you things. You could by a whole array of food, drink, snacks, socks, newspapers, marker pens, prescription drugs. You name it, I'm sure of you sat there long enough you could get it. It is a little annoying though when the 13 year old kid comes through for the 4th time.

Now the name the "chicken bus", there are a few theories. Some would say it is because that the person who may sit next to you literally has a few chickens on her lap (feet tied together) ready to take home for dinner. More likely though because they squeeze you in like chickens.

It has been a good way to travel and you do see some funny sights, although I don't think it will catch on in down town Frimley Green.