Chicks on bikes

Flores is too small for cars. Walking across the island takes 10 minutes. Walking all streets, less than an hour even stopping to look up each street at the church atop the hill. Before you know it you've mastered the layout and focus changes to seeking new angles for viewing the brightly painted buildings.

Without cars motos and motorized three-wheelers dominate. Men drive the three-wheelers. Almost every moto is driven by a woman. They cruise around sometimes solo, other times with passengers. A three person family just drove by, child straddling the gas tank, mother driving, father behind. And a young couple rides the outer ring road in the gloaming beside the lake arms wrapped around for more than just support.

Women driving motorcycles is atypical for all other places I've seen here. Guatemala City is dominated by men. The highways too are dominated by male drivers. And the driving is crazy. Returning from Chichicastenango my driver sideswiped a moto and the two of them exchanged angry words and glances until my driver reached down as if to grab a gun and the cyclist sped away.

The leisurely pace of Flores is far preferable.