the great momos chicken bus adventure

well i thot it was about time i checked out all the hooha on these chicken buses myself so i did.

thinking will do-
part 1 preparation/preview & getting to minerva station from downtown zone 1 xela
part 2 on the bus to momos
part 3 being there
part 4 getting back

so they will be brief & i won´t live at an internet cafe.

prep - take rain gear umbrella, coat/jacket/hoodie whatever, water, snacks, cushion for butt -as it will go numb after 20 minutes on bus - 30-40 if you´re jlo.
i used my polar fleece jacket.
make a bathroom stop before you go - it will take two times as much time as those bogus guide books report - the time there is straight thru car time no stops - not chicken bus time. also the prices are way out of date - always ask before you get on. price to momos from xela 5q -bargin of century.

i recommend walking to the minerva station - 2 or 3 km- i don´t know how much a km is but not much- maybe 20 or 30 minutes max. remember you will be sitting for a couple of hours. none to comfortably i might add remember these were school children buses- made for that size or the size of an adult maya -same. if you are over 5´8¨or have long legs try a short jaunt in a chicken bus 1 hour 2 hours before you try that long one. you may decide to go another way `(if there is one).

the minivan to minerva leaves zone one - in all the books, but it´s so slow there´s so much traffic & so many stops plus you are crammed in like sardines so it´s hardly worth it. take the walk there it´s nice. also note the minishuttle to minerva will not drop you off where the buses are but another street entirely so you will still have to schelp the 5 blocks to the front of the ¨station¨ really no station as far as i could tell just about a hundred buses so look for your town - or the abbreviation of on the front of the bus nearest the front.

ask up front how much - this is one place where you will pay the exact same prices as locals - i looked.

sit in a seat about 5-7 rows back not where the wheel well is. you don´t want to sit in the front cuz they pack them in three to a seat up there. any further back you are on a wheel well or you will get the big bumps over the speed bumps in every town. not to mention the roads, construction, - it´s not a smooth ride. the shocks on the buses wore out in 1958. the brake pads are probably replaced every week or month up in the mountains - have too- you´re ok the driver will not risk his life too remember. between the smell of the gas, brakes burning- etc.. don´t eat too much & stay bland. i don´t know if i was high from the fumes but i had a little headache. also the mountain roads are very curvy with hairpins so not for the squemish.

next the bus ride there...

Boy, I love those busses. You make them sound horrible. While sometimes it's not an incredibly comfortable experience there is something to be said about making friends and practicing spanish with your seat mate. If you're lucky, you'll sit next to a wonderful local who wants to learn about you and where you're from, tell you about the area.

Better luck next time!

i like chicken buses as well.... except for the fact that a friend of mine broke both ribs on an especially big bump in mexico. do they put huge ropes in the road to act as speed bumps in guatemala like they do in mexico? never really slowed down any bus i was on....

Usually prices are the same for locals and tourists...but not always. I had one ride in Xela...headed back to Atitlan where some tourists had gotten on before us and were charged double. Always ask a local passenger before paying...that way you can have change ready too.

the great momos chicken bus adventure (part 2)

also look for a bus with metal handles on top of the seats. this will be very helpful to hold on to when the bus makes those hairpin turns on the mountain roads.

the bus takes off after a 10 minute live infomercial of food vendors coming on - gum, ice cream, fruit, nuts you name it if you´re hungry when you get on don´t worry there´s constant opportunity to eat.

the traffic is bad it´s about 10am, the roads are bad - ruts and falling apart - good news construction - they are repaving and widening however this slows us down as well - maybe next time i come thru here if i do they will be done. every town has speed bumps. (someone asked about speed bumps - no they are a paved raised bump just like home). sometimes the axle clears it and sometimes not.

there´s too many stops to count probably 40 one way, every village, each street where someone wants to get off - everyone´s accommodated which is nice really.

more live infomercials - oh no i think some guy is selling pseudo viagra - he says on the bus and talks non stop for 20 minutes. didn´t know these chicken buses had live entertainment. me and some other ladies are cracking up and i don´t even understand most of it.

later a girl gets on and is selling some skin salve - shes talking non stop for 15 minutes too. i don´t think anyone on the bus even bot one. tough way to make a living and us poor saps captive audience!

the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.

finally we are in momos. or are we? where´´s the town? where´s the people? where´s the market?

they let you off on the outskirts - you´ll have to schlep about 10 blocks to get where the action is. you won´t even have to remember where the bus dropped you off since that´s not where you´ll be getting on to go back. but remember the general area cuz it´s a couple blocks away. just look for the buses.

lots of roads are one way (and narrow) - this applies to transports and tuck tucks not people. pedestrians do not have right of way here - be careful out there!

end of part 2 getting there -

coming part 3 momos market - being there.

Great story telling CAgal. I throughly enjoyed parts 1 & 2. Felt like I was there. Thanks for the reports, and awaiting the second two.

the great momos chicken bus adventure (part 3)

the bus let us off but since i didn't know where it left me off nor could i see the town or market i figured if i walked around i'd stumble into it. i decided to follow a few people who seemed to be going in the same direction, figuring the odds were good they'd be going to the market or the business part of town.

momos market is wednesday & saturday. i picked wednesday since during the busier market days there can be pickpocket issues sometimes involving kids which i wanted to avoid.

i ran into stalls set up in the streets after about 10 minutes. the town wasn't that big but it was spread out. momos supposedly has about 8,000 people but since this is agriculture country i guessed less than 1/2 live inside the "city" and most are scattered in the outlying farms.

the market was spread out too. all around town were stalls, in the middle of the streets, in the square in front of the church, but none in the park. i noticed 2 gringos guys in white shirts and black pants looking out of place, they had name tags on but i wasn't close enough to see what it was, they had short haircuts so i figured they were missionaries [or NCO's? i think that is what i heard some private social welfare programs called]. after i thought about it i realized there were no other gringos or gringas on the chicken bus the entire 2 hour ride here besides myself. then i thot that was kinda cool that i didn't even notice that until then. now my eyes were looking for other foreigners but i never saw a one - not even the missionaries guys again - they were the only other non-locals i saw the entire time and there were no other [gringa] women at all.

as i walked thru the streets no one bothered me. my dread of being endlessly pestered and harassed started to go away and i started seeing it and enjoying it. i walked around and around. only a couple vendors who i walked by even said anything to me. only a couple of wandering guys with blankets to sell even asked me if i wanted one. and they asked nicely and only once. after i said no gracias they moved on, no harassment, no aggression, whining or pestering.

i looked at the architecture and the town square buildings. they were having public programs that day. i don't know about what, something about the library i think. the library was nice actually, not huge but looked well organized [which in GT i found unusual]. the public buildings were nice, they had a computer lab with about 25 computers. i tried to use one but i don't think it was connected to the internet. only one guy was in there using them. i found the internet computers [about 5 of them] but didn't have a password to log on. being the semi-nosy person i am i snooped around some more and found a bathroom & used it - after 2 hours on a bouncing bus - what a relief! [i am naturally curious usually however am only nosy when traveling since i find it turns out to be more interesting that way].

around 1pm i tried to find a comedor mentioned in the guidebook but it was either out of business or closed for siesta [not that it makes any sense to have a lunch stand closed at lunch but hey this is GT] or the directions were terrible. after wandering about for quite a while & not seeing a suitable lunch choice [remember i had to ride a bouncing bus for 2 hours back in the winding mountain roads & not having a cast iron stomach] i decided i would chance it and go sit in the park & eat my snacks i always carry [jerky, crackers, cookies, nuts, dried fruit]. i sat and i sat and i sat and NO ONE bothered me EVER. i sat about an hour, what a pleasure! i have never sat in any park central in GT in any town for more than 5 minutes without someone trying to sell me something [really more like 2 minutes, yes really but i know that sounds like i'm exaggerating, i'm not].

after a while while sitting in the park i noticed a strange phenomena. little children usually under 10 usually holding mommies hand would walk thru the park see me then their eyes would get as big as saucers, their mouths would fall open, then they often would run into things. i later found out it was the first time these kids had ever seen blonde hair and blue eyes [many from outlying areas & just here for market day]. it was hilarious - wish i had a movie of it.

i just sat and sat and people watched. most interesting was the young mayan mom with a baby strapped on her back the usual papoose style with the traditional blouse and skirt however she had red leather high heel pumps on! totally incongruous and bizarre! we smiled at each other. [now there's no way in heck i would ever wear high heels in the cobblestone streets! podiatrists must make a killing here!] yeah, i'll admit i wanted to take a picture but didn't - too rude & i would have to ask her, just too strange.

then i heard the thunder and saw a few gray clouds blowing my way so decided to call it a day for momos. i wandered back to the bus area. i wasn't really sure where i was or where they were but finally found a couple of buses sitting on a street a few blocks over from where i was let off. i checked the sign on top to make sure it was going to xela and got on.

end of part 3 of 4 being there.

coming part 4 of 4 getting back.

I've enjoyed reading about your adventures....thanks for taking the time to post them.

part 4 of 4 getting back

i sit in the bus and in comes a cute little girl with her dad, they sit in a seat in front of me on the bus. she's filthy. she's standing up on the seat bopping me with her balloon. does her father care? no. dad's forget to bring the wet ones to clean up the little ones who can't stay clean for more than 3 consecutive minutes after their bath. i'm not talking to her but really kinda ignoring all kids which is against my nature [to ignore people regardless of size].

a little boy comes in with his mom and sits behind me. i see a trend, i move seats. the only ones not near kids are in the back of the bus. can't take an hour or two of balloon bopping or toddler talk. [with other seats available why did they sit by me? not to mention aren't i the big bad wolf/gringa these people are try to keep their kids away from? what's up with this? i decide i am very harmless looking - i am.]

hey i didn't see a chicken inside the bus coming or going. [saw just about everything outside the bus but not inside].
now i didn't search bags & packs but i'm pretty sure i woulda heard it or smelled a chicken.

dare i bring it up - the subject of smelling?
well people most of us have summer & winter wardrobes [most of us have to cuz of where we live], a few people may have clothes for every season - they need it. this brings up the subject of mayans particularly the mayan women. they wear the same thing day after day [i know they wash them. i've seen them at the public wash basins, even in the rain. yes, they hang the clothes out to dry even in the rain, guess it will stop & they'll get dry eventually].
their outfit is based on the town/region they live in [kinda like a homey in colors] & let me tell you those blouses look none to cool and those skirts! come on! it's a heat wave down there! which round about brings me to hygiene - now i don't expect the people of GT to wear deodorant.
hot clothes, summer heat, well there's a bad combo so there were a few with odor. surprizingly it was very few like maybe < 5%. really with those clothes i woulda been sweating like a pig. that they don't rip them off is beyond me, i couldn't have taken it.
but just be warned not everyone may be fresh as a daisy.

why they don't have summer & winter wardrobe is beyond me - come on a nice cottony blouse & light cotton skirt for summer instead of those heavy woven jobs - please! can you even imagine wearing the same ol' thing day after day? i can't. they really can look into their closet & say honey, i haven't a thing to wear.

a dude that sat next to me looked about 60 was probably about 40 in traditional clothes with a burlap bag [as a backpack] inside the bag was a ... cell phone!... seriously, he was checking reception bars! so never judge a book by it's cover.

tons of cell phones in GT. some places i suspect only cellular reception & no "regular". can't imagine all the thousands of miles of wires or to get wires up in the mountains or reception.

i was really looking at the people getting on and off and noticed they all look so different. i'm sure they all belonged to a different tribe. if i stayed longer i coulda figured it out. some even looked kind of asian. there's 1,000's of tribes in California, guess there's 1,000's there too. [it's like if you spend alot of time in asia you can differentiate between laotians, cambodians, vietnamese, etc...even from different regions and tribes].

sitting in the back going over a big bump i bounced off my seat straight up 8". kinda like a roller coaster ride. [no i didn't put my arms up!] but can see how the dude in mexico broke some ribs.

it didn't seem quite as long coming back than going - a bit less traffic, a few less stops made the difference.

i walked back the 2 or 3 km from the minerva station - took about 20 or 30 minutes max [much better than the minishuttle there].

would i take another chicken bus?
yeah, selectively. it felt ok [safe] in the western highlands. the people here seem a bit better off here, more mellow, less impacted by tourism. they're doing their own thing - it's the agricultural breadbasket & people are seemingly better off bigger/nicer houses, happier looking than some others in the country.

i did take the chicken bus the next day to zunil - only about 45 minutes away from xela. still the only white person on the bus coming and going. in zunil dudes will constantly ask you if you want a ride to georgina fuentes here since it's the tourist spot [i never took a ride w/ anyone here as i did not trust some & didn't get a realistic price from others. they wanted $5.00 to & $5.00 from zunil to the pools which is ridiculous since adrenlina tours will shuttle you from xela to the pools for $10.00 round trip plus the driver stays at the pools with you the entire time-that i did the following day].

check out the produce here - the radishes were as big as baseballs - i've never seen them that big.

i'm not giving up the shuttles/minivans anytime soon. still one of the best ways to go. i like the direct routes usually. if you have endless time & not much dough a chicken bus is fine. you really have to know where you can take them & when you shouldn't which can be tricky, keep asking around [& check this board] but bottom line go with your gut feeling and travel smart.

part 4 of 4 end of story [at least this one]