El camión

Given that, up till now, I have spent at least 18 hours a week on buses, "el camión de Guadalajara" is a topic near and dear to my heart.

Aaaand sometimes less than dear.

I like to think of riding the bus here as being like riding a roller coaster. Not recommended for pregnant women or those with neck, back, or heart problems. And the adrenaline rush it provides is sometimes even greater than a roller coaster in light of the knowledge that very serious personal injury is not altogether unlikely at any given moment.

I recently saw a sign on one bus that said something about "maximum capacity." Ha. Naturally, it had been graffitied over. Here the rule is: there's always room for one more. I get to work by way of one of the city's major streets, so during morning and evening rush hour, my bus is PACKED. Like, as in the only space not occupied by body parts and backpacks is the 12 inches above our heads. On the plus side, turns out my spine is much more flexible than I ever knew.

Last week I made close friends with the bus driver by straddling the gear shift and leaning backwards over his seat for an hour, praying I wouldn't go flying through the windshield every time a car cut in front of us. Still managed to finish 3 chapters of an Isabel Allende novel though. Boo-yah. And on Wednesday, I ended up sharing the stair well with 5 others (only two stairs - I'll let you do the math).  Fortunately, the well endowed señora facing me provided excellent cushioning at every stop.

What adds to the fun is that the drivers here seem oblivious to the basic laws of physics - that if you slam on either the breaks or the accelerator, the hundred people behind you who are doing interesting gymnastics to stay upright as it is will inevitably go flying. Even when seated, I've been bounced literally off my seat multiple times.

Roundabouts are also a fun test of balance, and GDL is full of them. The trick is to pull your best Beyonce move by bending your knees a lot, and then leaning all your weight into your right leg as you turn left.

Oh, did I also mention that, for the most part, there are no designated street lanes here? ;)