A worrisome travel day for us.
-2 hours on Bus: Comayagua - Tegucigalpa
-Taxi(?) to TICA Bus
-6 hours on TICA Bus: Tegucigalpa - border - Managua
-Taxi(?) to microbus station
-1 hour on microbus: Managua - Granada
With travel times and transfers added up, we are to depart at 7am and arrive at Granada by 6:30pm.
Dad is quite scared since his books tell him that the two capitals we will be making transfers at, have dangerous areas with increased theft and violence.
We remind ourselves that nothing can be accomplished if we keep worrying, and prepare ourselves for worst-case scenarios. Yet, the goal to be in Granada by nightfall is quite an ambition with too many uncertainties.
Here I shall list the day's transportation tasks along with its corresponding uncertainties.
1. Can we depart Comayagua on time?
We're told by the not so thoughtful bus company dude that the buses for Tegus (Tetugucigalpa) departs at 5, 6, 6:30, and 7am, while the hotel owner says every hour starting at 6am...
2. Will it actually take only 2 hours to get to Tegus, since collective buses never arrive on time?
3. In Tegus, we'll be dropped off at a "shabby part of the city," with no address to be found.
Will we be safe? Tegus is said to have crimes around bus stops
4. From there, will we be able to make it to the TICA Bus terminal?
We have no clue where we're being dropped off, again not on the maps.
5. Will TICA Bus have tickets left for Managua?
6. Is border crossing going to be hassle-free?
7. Managua's TICA Bus terminal is notorious for being the center of crime and drug deals.
Will we get out of there without being harmed?
8. Will we arrive in Managua and somehow get to the microbus terminal in time for its last departure to Granada at 8pm?
9. Will we arrive at Granada in time to find good/cheap hotel options?
Conclusion: at 9pm, 2.5 hours after our hopeful calculations, we check-in at a cute hotel operated by an old, lovely couple.
Two lucky things happened.
The TICA Bus was packed with students taking a field trip, and we purchase 2 out of the last 3 tickets left.
Secondly, we meet Alvaro on the TICA Bus. He is a boss at a company that deals with security guards, and knowing the dangers at Managua, offers us a ride to the microbus station. His lovely wife picks us all up, he takes the wheel and drives us directly to the station.
Dad wants noodles, again, so we treat ourselves to the only Chinese food in the area.
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