It was our first time in the Caribbean, and naturally our minds were full of all those ads you see on the television: white sandy beaches, colorful costumes, exotic foods, etc. So as we made our way to our accommodations, in the hotel-provided shuttle bus, we really couldn't wait to begin out vacation.
And we really had it made, a small cottage right on the beach, with all tropical decorations, it was a dream come true. Naturally, we not only wanted to experience all the great amenities the resort had to offer, but also how the people that lived on this island actually lived. With that in mind, we got rid of all the touristy looking trappings, and dressed as simply as possible, hiding the camera in this colorful handbag, we decided to get out of the resort, and experience the local culture.
So there we were, going to the local bus stop, and waiting with everyone else for the bus to arrive that would take us from the beach area--to the center of town. The line was a very colorful mix of people: we noticed that here--people used the bus to transport everything and I mean everything they needed.
When the bus finally arrived, it was this rickety looking old school bus , that looked like it had been put together using parts from ten different colored buses. It had no windshield, the floor (and I'm not making this up) was made of wooden boards, with big gaps through which you could see the road, and the door was a regular house door that opened outwards, and closed with a regular bolt on the inside.
As we waited to board -- first a lady with a small goat got on, then this man with a bunch of chickens tied by the legs, so that it looked like he had a bouquet of chickens, another woman had this large can of cooking oil, someone else was traveling with three small children and a huge sack of rice. Since the bus wasn't that spacious me and my friend wound up sitting on this very uncomfortable bump by the front, near the driver.
As we made our way to town, the noise level on the bus was different to say the least, what with the chickens, the goat and the dog, all competing with the chatter of the people. We really were enjoying all of this--that and the fact, the driver was driving like a maniac and the only ones that seemed to be concerned about this were us. When I mentioned to a lady next to us, that well--this guy is going awfully fast---she just laughed and said it was obvious we had not taken this bus before---this was his normal speed. As we saw the road zoom by at our feet through the cracks on the wooden floor.
