Time and Transit

¨The richness of the human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome¨.
Can´t remember who said that or where I saw it, but I like it all the same. It was probably on my Starbucks cup...lol. No they don´t have Starbucks here, but they have their own version called Espresso Americana and it´s pretty much the same.

It´s been so interesting learning how to live in a new culture. It´s been really aggravating at times and really fun and fantastic at others. For example, time means not a hell of a lot here. If you are told to be somewhere at 9, chances are the person you are meeting won´t be there till 930 or later, and it won´t matter. I went to a wedding that was supposed to start at 7 and didnt start till 8:25. The people at work come when they want to (some time around 8) and leave when there aren´t any more patients, or when they just don´t want to take any more on... really bizarre that one! The relaxed ideals of time I really enjoy although it is totally frustrating coming from such a time obsessed culture. If you want to catch the bus at 9 you should be there at 845 in case the 815 bus is late, or else you will have to wait till 915 or later for the 9 o´clock bus. However, there is a chance that it will be on time, in which case you will miss it and have to wait for the 10 o´clock bus which may or may not come at all...depends on how they feel that day. I would love to be able to live that lifestyle back home, but it will never happen.

Speaking of the transit system, it´s really interesting here. Their city buses are the same as their coach buses (ie-greyhound) which are all used schoolbuses from the US. Once the US decide they don´t want them anymore they get sold here to individuals (there is no set transit system, it´s all individually owned, but licenses are issued and general rules followed). So whether you are just going to the mall or heading for a 12 hour trip through the country, you will be in a used school bus. They have their routes/ destinations printed on the front of each bus and because they are individually owned and operated, they are decked out to the owners preference. They all have stereo systems in them and have music blaring- and I mean blaring. Some have paint jobs inside, some have curtains, it´s really interesting... some have really really terrible seats with springs sticking out and holes everywhere. Its a craps shoot when you choose to catch a bus. The price depends on where you are going and even then you can barter. For me to catch the bus from my village to the capital city 55kms away would cost me 30Lps (Lempira) which is roughly $ 1.87 The trip takes about 2 hours since the roads are so bad, most vehicles can´t go more than 40kms/hr. It´s really really bad here. The roads aren´t really paved and you could lose small children in the potholes. The drivers are insane but that might be an entire post in itself.
There aren´t really any assigned bus stops. They drive the same routes and if you want to get on, you wave to them and they just stop. Mostly you figure out where most people congregate to catch the bus and go there. Once you get to where you want to be dropped off, you either make your way to the front and tell the driver, or you can bang on the window to signal him to stop. So weird.
The one thing I do like about the buses here, other than they are so cheap, is that people come onto the buses and sell stuff. Anything!! Mostly food and homemade baked goods, but some people bring on souvenirs, some junk, medicines... you name it. Some come on just to pass out flyers and business cards. I think this is kind of ingenious myself. You can get lunch on the bus if the right people come on. They ride the bus for free for a few kms then get off and get on the next bus. Some come on with coolers filled with homemade food, most come on with baskets of baked goods (sooo good). It´s cheap and a really neat idea. I doubt the idea would fly in Canada only because I don´t think people would trust the food as it is all homemade and not individually wrapped... just made up and packaged and you get it fresh. I haven´t had a problem yet. It´s nice on a 5 hour ride to have someone bring you water and a cookie.