Narrowly Avoiding Death

As you read this, you can assume one very important fact: I am still alive. I've been living in Nicaragua now for nearly a month and having traveled around Managua and a little bit elsewhere, I have observed how people go about traveling from Point A to B, be it in a car or bus, or just walking. The philosophy here is simple; try to get a close as you can to death without actually dying. I finally got to experience this first hand the other day. 

I was finished with class for the week and was getting tired of starting at my computer screen all afternoon, so I decided to go explore. I had read about this really awesome coffee place that wasn't that far from my house, so I stared at the map and bus routes beforehand for a little while (it's best not to be seen reading a map in public) and headed off. I ended up finding La Casa del Cafe next to the Mexican Embassy after about 45 minutes of walking, since the bus I ended up taking placed me nowhere near where I thought it would. The coffee shop was on the second floor balcony of a building that overlooked a small park and was surrounded by trees. I had a frozen coffee drink (which was delicious), read, and talked a little to the waitress. She told me which bus route was the correct one to get there and that the stop was very close. I left the cafe at around 6:30, which is peak hours for commuters. This meant that the buses would be jam packed. Bus 119 was no exception. 

The bus pulled up already plenty full, but the 30 something of us waiting were GOING to fit. Nicas can pack into buses in a manner that would make Japanese commuters jealous. The front of the bus was too full, so I ran over to the bus driver's window, paid for the ride, then sprinted over to the other door in the rear of the bus. The bus had already started moving so I jumped in and held onto the door for dear life. I could not sustain this position for long as the door had started to close on me. I pushed back on it, thinking I could hold it open, but nay, this bus was new and its doors were well primed to crush stupid gringos like me. I finally had made enough room between me the doorway, causing the door to spin me around and violently snap shut. I was now crushed between the door and the other passengers in front of me, but I was safe...for now. Seconds after the door had closed, we were arriving the next stop. At about 30mph, the door blew open in the same manner in which it had closed. You know that feeling you get sitting in a chair when you lean back just a little too much and fall, like you're positive that you are going to die?  This was no different. I fell backwards out of the bus and reached for the handrail in desperation. I grabbed it with one hand and my momentum caused my body swing out towards the traffic. The passengers who were getting off at the bus had already taken my previous spot on the steps, so I had to hold on outside and wait for the bus to slow down. When we slowed to about 10mph, I jumped off the bus and ran next to it while the some passengers exited and others got back on. I then had to repeat the whole process over again by jumping back onto the bus and holding onto the door, however this time I was more prepared. The door tried to smash me again once the bus had sped back up, but instead I grabbed it with one hand and shoved it behind me with the other in a furious rage. Now were even. This drew a few laughs from some of the other passengers. I had to do this for a few more stops until the bus had cleared up enough room for me to sit.

I returned home and told my host mom what had happened. She was more surprised that I had found my way around the city alone than having almost been dead on the side of some road in Managua. She just laughed at me. Either way, I now feel like i'm more part of the community here. I have successfully contributed to the complete disorder and chaos that is getting around Managua. Woot.