Twilight of Panama City's Diablos Rojos

It won't be long before the infamous Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) will start disappearing from the congested streets of Panama City. These brightly -- some would say garishly -- painted recycled American school buses have been Panama City's main form of public transportation for several decades.

To foreign travelers, the Diablos Rojos are a novelty. With their exteriors plastered in figures from Panama's history, religious and folkloric scenes, and even cartoon characters, the buses provide splashes of color and imagination in an otherwise drab urban landscape. But for people who have to commute in them every day, the Diablo Rojos are a curse. They tend to be rolling sardine cans, hellishly hot, and unreliable. These environmentally unfriendly beasts also belch countless tons of noxious fumes into the humid tropical air.



However, the days of the Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) are apparently numbered. Panama City is planning to replace its freelance bus system with a fleet of air-conditioned, state-of-the-art coaches. The new Metro Bus system will be similar to ones found in Mexico City and several other Latin American metropolises. There is also talk of building a metro railway line that will probably be even more effective in reducing Panama City's legendary traffic chaos. For the time being, though, visitors to Panama City will still be able to fork over $0.25 and ride the Diablos Rojos to just about anywhere in town. 

Mexico City's Volkswagen Taxis: Adiós a los Vochos

They are homely, cramped, polluting, and -- with their two doors -- a kidnapper's dream come true. But Mexico City's Volkswagen Bug taxis have been one of the city's best known icons for almost half a century. Love them or loathe them, these once-ubiquitous, green and white vochos (as the locals call them) will soon be a thing of the past.

In 2002, Mexio City's environmentally-friendly mayor declared the VW Beetle taxis nuisances and gave their drivers ten years to either turn in their Bugs to the government for a cash payment or keep them for personal use. He also decreed that all Mexico City's taxis had to be less than ten years old and have four doors. Adding insult to injury, the last Mexican VW Beetle rolled off the assembly line a year later in the city of Puebla, where they had been made since 1967.

VW Bug taxis are a bit more difficult to spot these days because Mexico City's entire fleet of cabs was repainted gold and maroon in 2009 to mark Mexico's Bicentennial. There are still plenty of vochos prowling the city's congested streets. But if you haven't had the pleasure of riding in a vocho yet, you had better flag one down soon. They will all have beetled off into the sunset by 2012.

SAFETY NOTE: Kidnappings and theft by phony taxi drivers in Mexico City are now rare. Nevertheless, I always make sure that the driver has an official-looking identification card with his photo on it before I get into a cab. Guidebooks usually recommend telephoning for a taxi rather than stopping one on the street. This is probably good advice, and it is definitely the right thing to do at night.

Mexico for Train Buffs: Puebla's National Railway Museum

The mention of Puebla usually conjures up images of colorful Talavera tiles, elegant Spanish colonial architecture, and the chocolatey mole sauce that was invented there. So it might come as something of a surprise to learn that this historical Mexican city and UNESCO World Heritage site also has something to offer train buffs.

Puebla was once a major rail hub, and it is now home to one of the most important railway museums in Mexico. The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles (MFNM) or National Railway Museum is located on the site of Puebla’s 19th-century railroad station. The neoclassical style main building (closed for renovations when I visited in July 2010) houses an extensive collection of railway memorabilia as well as a research center. However, the museum's principle draw is its sprawling rail yard, which is crammed with rolling stock of all kinds.



Parked in neat rows are diesel, electric and steam locomotives along with passenger and freight cars, plus assorted machinery from all over Mexico. Some of the carriages have been refurbished and left open for inspection. There are sleeper and club cars, cabooses, and even a fully equipped mail carriage that was used up until the 1990’s. One car has been turned into a gallery that displays historical black and white photos.

The government-owned railway system Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (FNM) was privatized during the 1990’s, and passenger service ground to a halt roughly a decade ago. The only intercity passenger trains still running are a privately owned tourist lines such as the Chihuahua al Pacifio that winds through the Copper Canyon in the state of Chihuahua, and the Tequila Express in Jalisco. With train travel all but a thing of the past in Mexico, the tranquil National Railway Museum, often overshadowed by Puebla’s more famous attractions, is an ideal spot to indulge in some nostalgia and experience the romance of a bygone era.

GETTING THERE: The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos is located at Calle 11 Norte 1005, a short taxi ride northwest of Puebla’s main square. Admission is about US$1.00 (11 Mexican pesos}. Opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 10 am to 6 pm.

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National Railway Museum, Puebla, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico City's New Metrobus System

Mexico City is an endlessly fascinating place to explore, but getting around one of the world’s largest metropolises can be exhausting and frustrating to say the least. I usually take the speedy Metro (subway) whenever I can. If it gets overcrowded, as it often does, I can always surface for air and hail a taxi. However, on a recent trip to La Capital, I also rode the Metrobus, a new rapid transit system running north-south along the entire length of Avenida Insurgentes, which is said to be the longest urban avenue in the world.

The bright red, serpent-like, articulated Metrobuses have their own dedicated lanes, and they stop at 45 modern stations on Avenida Insurgentes. I found the buses to be quite comfortable. Most of the time, I was able to find a seat right away or after standing for a stop two, not bad in a city with millions of potential passengers. The fare is paid electronically with a rechargeable “smartcard,” and at five pesos (less than 50 cents) per ride, it’s a real bargain.

The Metrobus system also qualifies as sustainable, relatively green public transportation. It has replaced hundreds of conventional buses and reportedly has reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 35,000 tons. Another environmentally friendly feature is that cyclists are allowed to bring their bikes on board during non-peak hours.

In early 2009, a newly completed second Metrobus line with 36 stations started operating east-west along Eje 4 Sur. I haven’t traveled this route yet, but I’m looking forward to using it to explore more of "El Monstro" (The Monster), as the locals sometimes call their hometown.

For more information and route maps, visit the Metrobus (in Spanish) website.

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Mexico City Landmarks - Images by John Mitchell