Chicken Bus Accident - We're Okay!

If you've been following the news over the weekend then you may have heard about the terrible chicken bus accident that happened on Friday. This bus was traveling on the highway to El Salvador when the bus overturned when the driver, making his way down the road in darkness, failed to make a sharp turn and sent the bus into a 50-meter (150-foot) deep ravine. The reports quoted witnesses as saying speeding and malfunctioning brakes were the probable causes of the accident. Reading in the Guatemalan paper we also learned that the bus had no insurance (not really that surprising) and the driver didn't even have a commercial driver's license. The death toll is now up to 54 people.

We haven't been in contact with family and friends over the weekend, so we wanted to let everyone know that we are OKAY. We frequently ride these chicken buses around Guatemala on weekends when we visit other towns or need to get to Guatemala City. They are always excessively packed with at least 3 adults to each bench and many more standing. This is the main form of transportation for all people in Guatemala, not just workers moving from farm to farm. Many Quichelenses travel to work in Guatemala City during the week, and then come home on weekends to be with their families. In some parts of the country there are Pullman buses (like Greyhound), but those do not run to and from Quiché. We say a prayer each time we must travel through the hairpin turns and 3 giant caverns on the route away and back home. Some of you have experienced these yourselves and realize the gravity and scariness that can come with these trips.

Please keep the families of the deceased in your thoughts and prayers. And, keep those coming for us! We need that safety and security as we continue to live like the locals here in Guatemala.