Maker

HEIRLOOM TECHNOLOGY

city buses from Brazil, etc. In addition to regular, private taxis, they have “collectivo” (shared) taxis that keep picking up more passengers headed the same direction until they’re full, so it’s cheap for everyone.

For about the same price, you can take a horse-

PEOPLE MOVERS drawn taxi — a car that runs on grass! The wheels are shod with strips from truck tires. Parts of the

Used U.S. school buses are the main intercity trans- harness are made from strips cut from other parts port. Getting around the country is a breeze. You of the tire. The horse collar is made from pieces of just wave, and the bus stops and takes you in that rerod bent to shape and covered with leather. direction for some absurdly low price. They weld up fancy cargo racks on top with ladders and luggage slides. Want to move your furniture or farm produce by bus? No problem. Fancy welding is super abundant in Nicaragua. East bloc countries were generous with welding equipment and training during the U.S. embargo. I think the tall exhaust stack in the back is required. It improves the air quality and keeps the buses quiet. The similar buses in Guatemala often have no exhaust system at all and sound like machine guns when they go up a steep hill.

I wish the U.S. had such a good, entrepreneurial transportation system. Once you get to town, there is a whole cornucopia of vehicle types to carry you around: trucks with benches and awnings, vans, old