27+1

Those are what you see as you climb onto an Indian mini-bus (not a full size bus). What this means is 27 passengers plus 1 driver. To get to our work assignment, we walk for about ten minutes to the bus stop, take bus 166 and ride the bus for 20 minutes, then walk another 5 minutes to Shanti Dan. The funny thing about 27+1 is that there are about 40-50 people actually on the bus. There are more railing and places to hold on to than you can imagine, people sit on the engine compartment, and many buses have a tool box behind the driver that can usually has room for one on top. When finally arrive at your destination after about 20 minutes, you are soaked with sweat. I fell like I am sticky all day long. Riding the bus is not for the faint of heart to say the least, you try not to think of your a/c car back home :) Rule #1: Hold on even when the bus is not moving, they suddenly take off. Rule #2: Know when you are getting off because you have to squeeze through all the people to get to the door (kinda like a game to get someone to stand when you were and so forth) Rule #3: Watch the road or you will start feeling ill  from the stop and go motion of the bus. Rule #4: NEVER let even your fingers/any other body part hang out of the window (buses pass within inches of each other, good chance you may loose them) Rule #5: Bus guys will not make change for big bills (try to have very small notes or exact change.) Today I managed to get my pants hung on a screw or a piece of metal and now have a hole in the side of them, but I avoided the skin and the hole could have been huge. I survived another day on the bus!