The main mode of transportation in Central America is the bus. If you plan on spending a good bit of time traveling in that region, you’ll probably find yourself on quite a few buses. So how do you keep your luggage safe?
Will My Baggage be Stolen on A Central American Bus?
First of all, if you’re imagining a Central American bus to be some bastion of constant peril, don’t. While some of the busses are certainly run down, others are more luxurious than anything you can find in the US or Europe. And the Central American people themselves are usually quite warm and welcoming. You and your luggage will probably be fine.
Having said that, any place with a high level of poverty can foster resentment and thievery. A typical traveler’s backpack (empty) costs more than many people make in a month. So theft is a possibility, and you do need to be careful.
Keep Your Valuables With You
Because there are so many different bus companies and buses in Central America, you won’t know ahead of time what type of bus you’ll be riding and where your luggage will go. In Guatemala, you may find your travel pack lashed to the roof of the bus. In Costa Rica, you may find your suitcase thrown into a luggage hold under the bus. In El Salvador, all baggage may be piled up behind the driver’s seat or in a corner of the back of the bus, accessible to anyone sitting nearby.
For peace of mind, separate out your valuables ahead of time. Keep with you in a daypack or other small bag your iPod, cameras, medications, journal, and anything else of high monetary or sentemental value. Your passport, credit or debit cards, cash and traveler’s checks should always be with you as well, either in your daypack or if you prefer, in a secret money pouch on your body. (Incidentally – if you choose to wear a secret money pouch, please keep it secret. If you wear it outside your clothes, you’ve defeated the purpose.)
If all your valuables are with you, losing your large travel pack containing nothing but clothes and miscellanea will be a minor inconvenience at worst. You may even find it liberating. At best, it’s an excuse to shop, which is always an interesting experience in a foreign country.
Baggage Safety on the Bus
Now what to do with that daypack full of valuables? You’ve kept it out of your main pack to keep it safe – don’t relax your vigilance now that it’s on the bus with you. This bag should be kept on your lap at all times. Do not put it on the floor at your feet, or in the overhead rack. If your daypack is too big or heavy to fit comfortably on your lap, you’ve either brought too many valuables on your trip or designated too many ordinary items as valuable.
What If I Really Don’t Want to Hold My Daypack?
If you’d really rather put your daypack in the overhead rack (note that there will not always be an overhead rack!) your best bet is to put it in the rack across the aisle from you. That way you’ll be able to see it if someone sticks a hand in it. If you place your daypack on the rack above your head and someone’s rummaging around up there, don’t be too polite to stand up and have a look at what they’re doing. If the person is innocent, you can always smile and pretend you had a sudden need for your lip balm or that pack of cookies.
And if you insist on keeping your daypack at your feet, be sure to hook a strap around your ankle or hold it between your feet, with the zipper in your view. This way you’ll feel it if a child or extraordinarily flexible adult wiggles under the seat behind you to gently slide your bag away.
Again, you’ll probably be fine. But if you follow these luggage safety tips on the bus in Central America (or anywhere in the world, really) you’ll greatly reduce your chances of being that one unlucky backpacker.
Megan Lyles - Megan Lyles is a native New Yorker who has traveled extensively in the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, South and Southest Asia ...
