(Xela, Guatemala)

In trying to get from the border to the city of Xela in Guatemala, I ended up staying at Hue Hue, a town with pretty much nothing to do except for one Reggaeton disco (more on this later). I got on the Chicken Bus not knowing where it was headed except that someone told me to do so to get to Xela.

(Xela, Guatemala)

It was late and I could not make the connection to Xela, so the bus stopped at Hue Hue instead. I got out disoriented and unsure of what town I was in. Thankfully, I met a taxi driver who spoke English. “You are in Hue Hue,” he said. The driver used to work in Ohio State and I spent the night in this nondescript town.

Another time, I was heading to Antigua but ended up at Lake Attilan instead. I decided to stop halfway in my journey rather than making the final transfer as I changed my mind in the middle of the journey. Thankfully, the short-haul nature of most Chicken Bus trips made this possible.

(Xela, Guatemala)

What I like most about the Chicken Bus is the the constant flow of hawkers in and out of it trying to sell jaded passengers sweets, oranges, bananas, drinks, ice cream, pastries and even goodwill (i.e. begging). I am also glad to have an Ipod Touch (I finally succumbed to Apple) with me as I could share music and photos with random strangers who had the good luck or ill fate of sitting next to me.