Mexico Trucker Online

Hello, I have returned from my great bus adventure in Mexico.

Attached are photos of some of most interesting buses. The first is of a new Mercedes Bus in Mexico owned by ADO, one of the best bus companies anywhere, winning many awards for safety and innovation. All of their buses have the co-pilot system that monitors the speed limit and adjust the speed of the bus ( see attached photo of the volvo dash, it says “copiloto”). Their buses have the air pressure monitoring on all of the wheels and all have seat belts in every position. They play a movie before every trip on drop down led screens reminding you to wear your seat belt. The two axle ]Mercedes seems to ride better than the 3 axle Volvo to me.

The bus stations have won design awards and their drivers look and drive very professional and are respected all over Mexico. I had prepaid on the internet for a national bus pass from them for most of my bus adventures around the southern end of Mexico. I flew to Villahermosa, Tabasco to start my trip to the southernmost jungles & mountains on my way to Guatemala. I came back through Veracruz and Puebla to Mexico City and flew home 15 days later.

I rode buses like this one and a few that were larger with 3 axles (Volvo). The speed limit in Mexico for all buses is 100 kph, 62 miles an hour. The speed of the bus, the time and the temperature are on display for all the passengers to see over the driver’s head. All the buses that I saw in Mexico are standard shift, even a wooden trolley used for a local tour bus in Chiapas was a stick.

The Irizar Bus (blue Volare) had electric baggage doors and was covered with lights. I was at the plaza the night before I took these pictures when this bus arrived and before the driver left the driver seat, the baggage doors started opening ever so slowly then the lights came on throughout the baggage bays, it was incredible. The rear window is a nice feature also. Irizars are popular as charters as seen at the Palenque (Mayan Ruins )Pyramid parking lot - painted yellow and red.

The Green “Mann” bus was parked so far from civilization, I couldn’t believe it. I have no idea where is was from or where it was going.

I also rode the “Combi” Nissan van for 3 & a half hours into the jungle and back to visit my most remote friends that are Mayan descendants that live a couple miles of the Guatemalan border You share seating with 19 people and baby chicks in incubation boxes.
I actually told a Mexican turkey that was pecking my carry-on bag behind the rear seat not to eat my bag, as if a Mexican Turkey could understand English.

In the steep mountains of Veracruz, I rode the school bus looking Bandarilla Buses which are clean and pretty new but was a kind of a white knuckle experience…….. I have a movie of that - I will send that out later…….

The old MASA bus was parked in Guatemala at the border, it is has that classic Mexican bus look.

I had lots of fun and saw many things, can’t wait to go again….

Hasta la vista….