The corner of 7a calle oriente and 3a avenida sur has to be one of my favorite corners to photograph the colorful buses used as public transit in Guatemala as they cross the city of Antigua Guatemala from west, poniente, to east, oriente. In fact, I often take photography enthusiasts and photographers here during the … Read more
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Camioneta for a public transit bus. Here’s a quick look inside a public transportation bus connecting downtown Antigua Guatemala with the villages. Here we see passengers bound for lunch around noon. If you ever want to experience a ride inside a public transportation bus in Antigua … Read more
La Antigua Guatemala is a very small town, less than one squared mile, about 10 blocks in the longest dimension. You could walk from one edge to the other edge in less than one hour. So, where do you find this curved street? Follow the white rabbit to » many more rainy season vistas from … Read more
Okay everyone, let start 2014 with new goals for AntiguaDailyPhoto, more series, more people, more #RealGuatemala [let’s create a hashtag and category for it], more raw images, more in depth and researched entries. Nevertherless, I will try to do less landscapes, less signs, less food unless it is real authentic Guatemalan cuisine; I honestly will … Read more
The never mind the lack of seat belts, comfortable seats, handicap access ramps, clean fuel burning engines or thread-less tires so long as you can watch the latest reggaetón videos out of New York City. These are the priorities for the rural public transit buses in Guatemala. C’est la vie!
Here’s an unusual and interesting bird’s eye view of the typical public transit bus which is used in most of Guatemala. In this picture the bus shown is the Orellana bus line that connects Antigua Guatemala with Guatemala City. Have you ever ridden on a chicken bus? How was your ride?
I am truly convinced that Guatemalans can not do anything in a mild, neutral, gray manner. Guatemala is a country of extremes and there’s no middle ground here. So it comes as no surprise that everything has to have rich, saturated colors with wild patterns that under normal circumstances could not go well together, but … Read more
These colorful public transit buses are just another way Guatemalans recycle the junk from the U.S. and Canada. Of course, we live in a colorful culture where women wear the Spring on the blouses and rich saturated colors are the norm, so it comes as no surprise that take the boring yellow school buses and … Read more
In Guatemala, nothing can be plain and simple, not the public transit system buses nor the school buses. Here’s a very good example of how a plan vanilla yellow school bus is transformed when it’s given its second life as a school bus in Guatemala. What do you think about these colorful Guatemalan school buses?
Ayudante is title for the guy in the orange shirt. El ayudante, the helper or assistant has in reality many jobs and a meager salary. For starters he’s primary job is to help the chicken bus pilot; that’s where he takes his title. But he is also the fare collector, the usher, the carrier, the … Read more
Sometimes things are so obvious that one doesn’t mull over them; that’s the way things are and you accept it. While taking the shot of this basket with the day’s groceries bought at the market, a simple fact became crystal clear. I thought well this basket looks kind of heavy, I am glad to know … Read more
The world infamous chicken bus reinvents itself again. The chicken bus that was born out of a retired school bus from our neighbors from up north; a second life or recycling ( whatever you want to call it); transformed itself into a mass public transit bus for the rural areas of Guatemala. Well, the chicken … Read more
Guate, Guate, Guate… vamos vaciooossss!
That is what you hear the chicken bus driver’s helper yell out as the omnibus makes its way back into Guatemala City. But there are all kinds of yellings: Antigua, Antigua, Chimal, Chimal, Chichi, Chichi, Xela, Xela and so on.
Guate, Guate, Guate… vamos vaciooossss! Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala, we are empty is what the driver’s ayudante (helper) would yell out if they are full, like this.
These buses are known are chicken buses on most travel guides. They make a great postcard and if you ride them, they will give you enough material for an exotic travel chronicle. They, however, do not make a good or safe transportation system. The saddest thing is that about 80% (maybe more) of Guatemala’s public … Read more