Adventure and Fortitude

"MUERTE DEL MUNDO! The end of the world!" he screamed into the loudspeaker; his other hand waved the Spanish bible animatedly over the heads of his seated congregation.
I had not intended to go to church today. And in fact, I hadn't.
This was actually part of the line-up of entertainment throughout a 5 hour bus journey from Honduras to San Salvador. During our intermissions, the bus paused briefly in the middle of traffic or at rare designated stops to let passengers on and off; a parade of snacks were brought before me by their intrepid sellers - sweets, small packets of local crisps, still-warm ‘pupusas’ with a generous helping of salsa.
They’re called 'chicken buses'. And I've crossed swathes of Central America in them for less than the cost of a McDonald's meal. They are mainly refurbished US school buses, a strong testament to the spirit of Central American ingenuity and their propensity for "Macgyvering".
No two are alike - in colour, form or character. I've seen the whole gamut of them; with their Transformers style trimmings, Christmas lights and plastic ornaments. And that’s just the outside.
Brightly coloured decals of football teams and Jesus Christ - two great Central American passions – plaster the interior. Mariachi music and Spanish pop songs form the soundtrack of your journey. Your driver is decorator, DJ and master in his own bus.
Why chicken? I've been given many reasons. One of them refers to how we're packed into the buses, pressed together shoulder to ankle. You will often find yourself on a two person bench with three other people. And you'd be one of the lucky ones.
I found another reason in a swarthy-skinned man with a toothy grin who boarded just outside of Santa Rosa de Copan. He gave me a tobacco-blackened smile as he sat down with a cloth sack between his knees.
He hummed to himself. We bumped knees awkwardly. The sack moved. I looked over.
Sensing my curiosity, he hoisted the sack into his lap. With a grin and a flourish, he opened the sack to reveal three rather confused looking hens. They clucked in protest.
To ride a chicken bus yourself, this is what you will need:
1. $2.00 or less
2. Some understanding of Spanish - the ability to say and read the name of your destination
3. Small luggage which you can keep close to you throughout the journey
4. The fortitude to cram four deep in a seat built for middle school children in a bus with zero ventilation
5. A sense of adventure and a healthy respect for the local culture