The chiva ride

Bumpy ride on a pimped-out chiva to Tairona National Park in Northern Colombia.

Chivas are a Colombian mode of transport, using the base of a bus or truck with a modified body made out of either metal or wood. Seats are wooden benches, and they have doors instead of windows.

Our chiva driver could not have had more lucky charms in the front of his chiva. Horseshoe, check. Requisite photo of a patron saint, check. Three crosses, check. Spanner so he could get out and tighten the front tyre every 20 minutes..um..check.

We had about five people in our little chiva and it was struggling with 20km an hour. We had to stop a few times so the driver could tighten the aforementioned front tyre. But that didn't stop this guy trying to overtake everything around him.

Nicola