After 2.5 months in Ecuador, I now feel it appropriate to re-visit one of my first blog posts analyzing the driving in Ecuador. Although it is still terrifying when you think about it, I have somehow managed to enjoy most of the bus rides on my second half of the trip. Part of it may be that I realize I have no control whether I live or die. A bigger part may be the fact that I have not bussed longer than 7 hours in this second half.
A few days ago I was lucky enough to sit in the ´girlfriend´s seat´. This seat is in the front of the bus next to the bus driver and often times you will see his girlfriend or wife sitting up there with him. This gave me a completely different insight to Ecuador driving.
This particular bus driver (and I am assuming he is an average bus driver, not an exception) did not seem comfortable driving and doing nothing else. He was constantly on the phone, fumbling with the music, digging through his pockets or cleaning the windshield while driving. The road we were driving was a curvy, mountainous pass with plunges on either side and often three vehicles trying to squeeze side-by-side in the two lanes. The road was being worked and it was not uncommon to have an eroded wall being dug out on one side and a precipitous cliff on the other. Amid these hazards there were the various construction vehicles and people which made for a swervy yet adventurous ride. For a few miles we were stuck behind a slow truck. The fog made the visibility no greater than 10 ft and although I could sense the driver itching to pass I was impressed by his self control. We did not pass until visibility increased to at least 20 ft.
My new revelations into Ecuadorian driving:
° Cones and stop signs are completely meaningless. I have yet to see a vehicle even slow down at an oncoming stop sign. Stop lights, on the other hand, are obeyed.
° Honking occurs when going around blind corners, when passing another vehicle, when other buses pass, when people are in the street or on the shoulder, and also when someone pisses you off. These account for nearly 10% of the horn honks. The other 90% I am still trying to figure out.
° Buses and taxis all have some trinkets on their dash or hanging from their rearview mirror. I am not sure whether it is good if they have many trinkets. On the one hand this may mean they have survived many rides, on the other it may mean they are relying on some sort of higher power.
Overall I am impressed by Ecuadorian drivers. I have witnessed few accidents and been involved in none. I am able to sleep in the back of buses and cars but this may be because sleeping in the back is much nicer than trying to keep track of the driving.