Panamanian Chicken Bus

When I was in Guatemala, I rode everywhere on the Chicken Buses.  They were noisy, usually crowded, and the paint jobs were legendary.  It seemed that every bus was in unofficial competition to see who could have the most outrageous paint, the most chrome and the wildest theme.

Once I crossed into El Salvador and again through Nicaragua, these colorful behemoths of the Guatemalan highways and byways literally ceased to exist.  Only rather drab buses for the most part were to be found.

Then I left Panama City for Portobello to better my luck in booking a sailboat to Colombia.  When I saw what was to be our transportation for the day, I broke into laughter and a huge grin.

Our Transportation Awaits

For a moment I thought I was back in Guatemala.  The paint was remarkable.  One of the highlights was the Bengal Tiger against a tropical waterfall background.

We went inside to take a look around.  The interior was tricked out in hot pink tuck and roll with hot pink turkey feather boas for accent.

We had awhile until departure so I went out to inspect and appreciate more of the detail and airbrushing.

Back inside, the atmosphere was becoming quite festive as we prepared to embark.

Let's Roll!

To my friends in Guate, and you know who you are, fear not.  Panama has a long way to go before it supplants Guatemala as the Chicken Bus Capital of Central America.  Nonetheless, it was a great day and a fun ride.

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