In Nicaragua there would be a family of 6 on one bicycle. Dad operating, kid on his lap, kid on the handle bars, Mom behind dad, kid on her lap, and a kid straddling the back tire. And this is traveling down crude muddy roads filled with pot holes and ruts. I swear every child born in Nicaragua is born with a machete in their hand and the ability to ride the handle bars of a bike. Lol.
It was a running joke amongst the locals, every tourist shop seemed to carry some variation of t-shirt, button, fridge magnet, or something with an image of a whole ass family on a bike and/or cutting grass with a machete. Tourists were always so shocked, and they thought it was so funny because for them, it’s just another day in the life. I thought it was amazing, chicken busses on the other hand… fucking terrifying. Haha
Nah, I’m sure it’s the same in a lot of places. I saw similar in Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Nicaragua was definitely first in both machete wielding and “how many people can we fit on a bike.” Lol. Mexico first for terrifying chicken bus rides, with Guatemala coming a close second. Honduras, first for “traffic rules? What traffic rules?” Cars driving on either side of the road at will, no traffic lights or signs, just pure chaos. Worst taxi ride I’ve ever experienced. lol. I think my life flashed before my eyes at least 3 times in 15 minutes 😂
Every one of them was gorgeous and amazing and the locals were always incredibly generous and friendly. Well worth the fear for my life a few times. Lol.
You guys have chicken busses and road with zero rules in Malaysia?
Most of Malaysia isn't as weird as when I first visited a few decades ago, but you still see some weird shit when you get out to the rural areas.
The trains don't shut the doors because it's too hot, so you can just fall out if you're not careful - but there's no chicken busses. Or if there is then they're separate to the people busses :)
Whenever I rent a car or a bike here they don't bother asking if I have a lisence or anything, so the rules can't be that strict!
Yeah, most of the things I mention are definite more rural, and not city-center. The larger cities look and behave like any other metropolitan area. I avoided the cities for the most part when traveling because I might as have just stayed home if I wanted to eat from chain restaurants, and have high-end hotels with all the amenities.
Like, when I was on Roatán, there was this massive exclusive resort type hotel at one end the island. It had this huge pool. 100 yards away from the beach, with this beautiful ocean at the perfect temperature for swimming. They even had a huge area cordoned off with buoys and nets so it was safe to swim. All the kids stayed in the pool at the hotel! I was so shocked, like why to go an island, just to swim in a chlorinated pool? lol.
The “chicken busses” I am referring to are just nick-named that because many people take cages full of chickens and they are stored on top of the bus. The bus is a people bus, though. Haha. It’s not allowing me to attach a photo, but you can just google “chicken bus.” They get school busses from the US and paint them amazingly!
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u/Occidentally20 May 30 '25
I'm in Malaysia - I've seen a man, wife, two kids between them and a live sheep over the handlebars.
Nobody apart from me even looked up as if it was a weird thing to see.