Chiva Buses, the REAL Party Buses

Everybody's who's ever set foot in Latin America knows that they really know how to party over there. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you might find it impossible to find transport. Taxi's are too busy, trains don't run, bus drivers are on strike, you've got a flat tire, anything can happen. Not so much of a problem when you need to get to work, but what if it happens in the week-end and you're ready to party down all that stress?

Colombians came up with the perfect solution. If Moses can't get to the mountain, the mountain has to get to Moses. And so the Chiva bus was born. Originally touring around in Cartagena, they now also found their way to Panama City and are more than likely to become a colorful part of an already rather colorful party scene all over Latin America.

The concept is simple. Take the chassis of a regular bus but instead of turning it into your regular run-of-the-mill go from a to b transport, convert it into a driving disco. From the outside they look a lot like chicken buses, but once you get on board, you realize that instead of old ladies carrying their pet animals, there's only scarcely dressed girls and lots of alcohol. Who said drinking and driving is a terrible combination? Works fine for me, as long as it's not the driver who does the drinking.

A regular Chiva evening looks something like this. The bus starts touring around the town, you either hop on to a public one that cruises the city and picks people up at certain landmarks, or you hire one for your own posse. When you're traveling and you've met some people on the road, the latter is one of the best ways to get to know them a bit better and have a lot, a whole lot of fun. You pay a fixed amount for the whole evening (that would be 4 to 6 hours) and up to 32 people can join.

What do you get for your hard earned cash? First of all, the bus takes you to all the touristy places. If you're smart, you might be able to get a tax reduction and call it a field trip. I obviously would never do that, but some people love some creative accountancy. On board, there's a bar with free cuba libre and beer (or whatever the local potion is), an MC and disco bar with DJ. Sometimes there's even live music, like a salsa or mariachi band. Once you're on the way, it's basically 'anything goes'. The MC tries to get the party going by encouraging the party peeps to shout at everything and everyone you drive by. For some strange reason this becomes easier after a few drinks.

Once the party is at full force, the MC's work is done and the DJ takes over. From then on, the bus becomes a real disco, only slightly less crowded. Not less sweaty though. The combination of music, alcohol and swirling roads is a pretty tough challenge on the balance and feels more like a workout than a night on the town. Once the trip is over, there's a free entrance included to get into one of the clubs for those who still haven't got enough. The others try to find their way back home.

Chiva rides are a great alternative to the local club or dance scene. But what a price to pay to write one small article.....