We cobbled together four transportation legs to get from Nicaragua, through Honduras, and into El Salvador. How hard could it be? 😅
Our day started at 5:30 AM in Tegucigalpa with a comfortable, security-conscious coach bus to San Pedro Sula. So far, so good!
Then came the $5, five-hour microbus ride to Copán Ruinas. 🚍
What followed? A packed bus with no A/C, roughly 40 passengers, vendors hopping on and off, zero bathroom breaks, luggage piled on the roof, and a whole lot of uncertainty.
And just when we thought we were finally getting somewhere…
🔥 “The bus is on fire.”
Okay, technically, it was overheating. But a few minutes later, we were stranded on the side of a winding mountain road, in the dark, about an hour from our destination. No Plan B. No ride from our hotel. And absolutely no idea how long we’d be waiting.
Enter Bernice, our Honduran angel. ❤️
She showed up to pick up her friends, asked if we needed a ride, and rescued two complete strangers without hesitation. We threw our bags into the back of her pickup, held on for dear life, and finally made it to Copán Ruinas after 15 HOURS of travel!
And honestly? Despite the frustration, this experience reminded us that travel isn’t always about comfortable buses and perfectly executed itineraries.
Casasola Express provides an important, affordable transportation link for locals who depend on it. We can’t speak to all the challenges behind the service, but we know that things don’t always go according to plan when traveling locally.
What we’ll remember most isn’t the broken bus. It’s the people who looked out for us along the way: the attendant who found us seats, the police officer who checked on our safety, the young woman who warned us, and Bernice, who got us through the final stretch.
Sometimes, the best part of an adventure is the kindness you never expected. ❤️
And at least it didn’t rain on us! 😂
