Living
Edward Finney
Oct 2 2008

In the days of old, when air transportation was primitive and very expensive in an immense country populated by mostly poor, the only logical transportation for the masses was by bus. Roads were bad, cars almost non-existant outside of the large cities like Rio and in the days of the DC-3´s only the rich travelled by plane.

Now picture this:

A 40 year old school bus painted in about 10 different colors in a confusing repetetive pattern designed by an aging hippy. It is overloaded with peasants on a long trip from one insignificant village to another. On the roof are cardboard suitcases, sacks of fruits and vegetables to sell in the market place, chickens in crates and perhaps a trussed up pig or two.

The bus creeps along at 20 MPH groaning, wheezing, creaking and steaming as it attempts to climb another mountain pass. If it has been raining, perhaps the peasants are out pushing the bus stuck in a mudhole. Up to speed on the downhill side, dust billows behind and fills the bus with choking blinding sand while the driver fights to keep the wobbling wheels in the proper ruts in the dirt road. He drives at the maximum speed of 40 MPH, attempting to make up for the time lost repairing a broken radiator hose or a fan belt or a water pump. As usual, he is 2 days late.

Anyone in the US that has been forced to ride an intercity bus in America would cringe at the idea of riding one in South America. The ulitarian US bus, void of all frills, uncomfortable and crowded doesn´t approach the Central or South America bus described above but it is still a nightmare best avoided. However, anyone contemplating a trip to Brasil should remove from his mind the stereotype idea of Latin American or US bus travel. A Mexican bus IS NOT a Brasilian bus.

When one first sees a modern Brasilian bus one sees a marvel of design and technology- not a broken down school bus or a ulitarian Greyhound of the US. Because air travel is expensive, almost non-existance trains, costly gasoline and lousey roads, most travel is by bus and Brasil has adapted to provide comfortable travel for it´s majority of travelling public. The poor and middle class still travel by bus but their comfort rivels business class in their richer cousin´s air travel. A typical intercity long distance bus is business class on wheels. . .large comfortable seats, rich wood paneling, curtains, carpets, lots of glass, air conditioning, luggage space galor, high off the road, TV, sound and all with a smooth ride for a cheap price.

Within the last year or so, double decker buses have been introduced. IMMENSE!. . almost like a double decker train you find in the Western US. Unparalleled comfort. The lower compartment is first class with large seats begging you to go to sleep. The upper compartment is the equal of it´s single deck partners. . . but SO high you think that you are in an airplane with a view. They are able to make them so high because of a lack of low bridges; especially in the NE.

If you wish to go first class at about double the normal cheap fare, take a leito (bed in Portuguese) which are long distant night buses with unrivelled comfort. Usually 22 seats instead of the normal 44, there is space enough for 1st class airline seats made of leather or fine cloth and recline to an almost horizontal position. Service is provided aboard with snacks, drinks, pillows and blankets and the ride is one of like travelling on a cloud. . .best way ever to travel bar none.

So, if you go to Brasil and wish to travel about the country, forget the airplanes where you will see only tree tops and winding ribbons of roads. Take a bus. Enjoy the scenery in comfort and leave the driving to a good experienced driver who will get you to where you are going in comfort and on time. . . . . . .You won´t be disappointed.