For A Few Dollars More

BY Elizabeth Rothwell

For a few dollars more than it would cost us to fly to Mexico, we could take the bus! With an open-ended ticket we could get off and visit friends along the way. Besides, we wanted to go now! What an experience. Mexican buses are so cool! And it's not just the AC in first class. Just getting to the station is a trip .This particular bus adventure began when we decided to go and visit friends at the beach. Of course, you had to go to the new bus station in Guadalajara to catch that bus, and the Chapala local only went to the old bus station. That's clear on the other side of the second largest city in all of Mexico. Like five million people! It looked like this was going to be another "adventure in traveling."

Henry, who was owner of our hotel told us to take a Guadalajara bus, to get off at "Alamo" and catch a cab there. "And," he said, "watch out for the taxi drivers. They'll try to charge you too much". At the local bus station, when I asked the Ticket lady how to recognize the "Alamo" stop, she told us that if we got off at "Reffacionaria  Revolucion" we could get a cab for an even shorter ride.

The bus driver let us know where to exit and pointed out the taxi stand across the street. We hopped down and joined the rest of the folks on the sidewalk, making our way down to the corner where a crowd was now forming. Being with as many folks as possible seems to be the preferred method of crossing the street...sort of like a big school of small fish swimming madly in hopes of confusing the predators.

After we all made it to the other side, Bob and I headed for the taxi stand, which considering it's location on the outskirts of town in what appeared to be a modest neighborhood, had transportation pretty well sewn up. The taxi driver, Aurelio, wanted fifty pesos to the station, which seemed a bit steep considering the short trip. I suggested we use the meter in his taxi to set the price. He grinned, spread his hands and came back with, "Ah, pero no sirve".. Ah, but it doesn't work.

I looked at him hopefully, "What a shame it is broken, I said," Then you could use the business, no? How about a better price?" He grinned and offered to let us ride for 45. "But Senor, look at us," I shook my head, " we are poor hippies!"

"OK," replied Aurelio, with another huge grin, "forty pesos!" and the deal was done. The ride to the bus station was, exciting. To say the least. It seems to be a common trait of  Mexican cabbies to get you wherever you are going as though their lives depended on it.

The new station was a wonder to behold; lots of glass, roomy, bright and air-conditioned, cushy seats in the two lobbies, lots of snack bars, a pharmacy and a gift shop. This time we decided that "executive class" was well worth the extra cost. The lady at the ticket desk allowed us choose our seats and answered many questions graciously. The busses left and arrived like clockwork, and everyone was very laid back and friendly, including the very visible security. As we were boarding our tickets were checked by a young lady in a short skirt and high heels who asked what we wanted to drink, a soda or bottled water, and handed us a box lunch, sandwich, cookies, and a drink from her cart. The trip comes with lunch, yet! There was a huge amount of leg room, reclining seats and AC; not to mention shaded screens and curtains. There was actually a curtained glass door between us and the driver. The restroom was fine, with soap, sink, towels etc. And a flush toilet. The movies we hadn't seen...one dubbed and one subtitled in Spanish. Those last are very good for improving your Spanish. The trip was seven hours on a winding mountain road...we saw some awesome terrain through the Sierra Madre Occidental and tucked into a high mountain valley, a beautiful little city surrounded by fields of maguey and maize. Eventually, we pulled into the station in Melaque just as it was getting dark and headed off to see whether we could score our favorite bungalow. A week later we were heading to Chapala, figuring we'd take the same luxuriously appointed bus back through the mountains. Roberto, overhearing our conversation, suggested we take the ETN bus back to Guad via the Autopista. Much faster. One had to catch the bus in Barra, but ETN, he said was the best. That sounded good, so Roberto called the office for us, made reservations, and took us to the station for a small fee. Little tiny station, but with big screen TV in the waiting room. The lady behind the counter asked our preference for drinks and handed us our lunch just before we boarded. Roberto did not exagerate. There were only 24 seats, three across, singles on the driver's side and doubles on the other. Talk about leg room! Wide aisle down the middle: Movies, with headphones: Two restrooms in the back: A station in between with hot and cold water, cups, chamomile tea and sugar: Pillows and fresh headrests. And the seats recline way back! Each one has a footrest and a legrest so you are supported from head to heel. It's all carpeted too, with curtains that pull across the windows and velcro to keep the glare out. This was traveling in style! If you have the chance and can swing a few extra pesos we recommend it.

More bus companies in Mexico: ETN, Futura, Tap, Primera Plus, Estrellas de Pacifico, ABC, TAP, Elite, Norte de Sonora, Tres Estrellas, Omnibus de Mexico