Guatemalan Firsts (1 of 3): Pollo Loco!

I’m spending my last day in Guatemala in Antigua. Tomorrow I fly to Miami to meet Clark!

During my four weeks in Guatemala for about four weeks and had lots of “firsts”. In this next series of posts, I’ll be taking a look back at these experiences. I didn’t cover a lot of ground, but I do feel that I got a pretty authentic experience and learned a lot about Guatemalan culture and a little more Español than I knew before.

This first post is about something very near and dear to my heart…Chicken (both the fried and bus varieties).

First Pollo Campero

This is the KFC of Guatemala and EVERYONE loves it (including me). The menu is pretty much the same as you’re average Church’s or KFC. But, the chicken is higher quality, incredibly juicy, and MUCH less greasy. (Sorry, Harold’s, I’ve found a new favorite!)

Pollo Camepero is the largest fast food chain in Latin America and can also be found in the U.S. in some Wal-Marts and even Disneyland! I probably ate there more times than I should have during my stay. They offer a pretty cheap sandwich combo-only 25 Quetzales (about $3) will get you a crispy chicken sandwich, fries (that are kind of soggy) and a drink. Not bad! I definitely recommend giving Pollo Campero a try!

If you want to avoid a fast food chain, there are also LOTS of local fried chicken options. I wasn’t aware of how popular this “dish” was in Guatemala. There is a little old lady frying chicken in the street on every other corner or a brightly colored Pollo Campero rip off on every block. Yum!

First Chicken Bus

I’d heard so much about Chicken buses that I was very excited to jump on my first one as soon as I got into the country. Luckily, I didn’t have to go it alone, as that might be a little dangerous. I joined up with a Peruvian girl at Quetzalroo Hostel and we made the hour journey from the city to Antigua together.

The bus was a lot more comfortable than I expected. The drivers actually take pride in keeping their buses clean and freshly painted. Most of the people riding with us were families or workers heading out to “the burbs” after a hard day in the city. I didn’t feel unsafe. I did, however, keep my bag with me by my feet. I’m not quite ready to chuck it up on top of a bus yet.

My second chicken bus ride was a little more eventful. Some of my fellow Spanish school chicas and I decided to spend the weekend at Lake Atitlan. (Yes, I returned to Hippielandia.)

We jumped on a chicken bus and thankfully survived the gut-wrenching two and a half hour ride. The incredibly winding through the mountains were tough to handle. Our bus driver could teach a thing or two to any Indian driver. I was amazed that our tires were staying on the ground as we took winding curves at 65 or 70 miles per hour.

Only one of us almost threw up…

We also had a great “cultural” experience. Sitting directly behind me was a man who was chewing tobacco and spitting it out of the window. His tobacco infused spit then blew directly into the open windows behind him and onto the women sitting there. They complained, yelled at him, and even got a little physical.

He retaliated by calling them a variety of derogatory words and spitting as often as he could manage for the remainder of the ride. He also insisted on leaning over the poor little old lady next to him to talk to another guy across the isle. At one point a fight nearly broke out as one woman began slapping him in the face repeatedly and yelling at him. She moved as soon as she could.

I didn’t quite understand everything that was being said, but it was obvious that this guy was not popular with the entire back of the bus. While the shouting match and slapping was going on everyone turned around to stare. No one jumped in to defend the girls or old lady though. He was kind of a big guy.

At one point, we also heard the word “Americanas” and he presumably was speaking about us. Luckily, none of us had enough Spanish to understand what horrible things he was saying.

When he got off the bus about an hour and a half later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at each other. We even high-fived the poor girls who kept getting spit on on their way out. It was bonding experience.

I highly recommend taking a chicken bus in Guatemala at least once. Especially if you only need to go an hour or two away. It’s totally worth the cheap price and lively experience.

However, the Chicken bus is not always safe. While I had no bad experiences, I have heard first hand accounts of robberies and even shootings on Chicken buses, even in some touristy areas. I suggest sticking to the quick, easy routes that you know are trafficked by many tourists. For instance, Guatemala City to Antigua is short and easy. If you keep your eyes open and are aware of your surroundings you’ll probably be just fine!