arts

Yes, it is true that according to Transito regulations every city bus has a number. But according to Panamanian custom buses, like buildings, are better known by their names than their numbers. And isn't "Armando" a much cooler moniker than number such-and-such?

The Moscoso administration, apparently oblivious to popular cultural traditions, went a long way toward destroying the bus art genre when it issued regulations requiring city buses to be painted with a color code according to route. A lot of buses that used to be decorated all over are now plain on their sides, but still have artwork on their fenders and bumpers.

You find a lot of strange mixtures in themes and designs in Panama's urban bus art.

Popular entertainers --- even American wrestling villains --- are frequently featured on the rear emergency doors of many urban buses.

So why would there be a Hindu motif on a city bus in this very Catholic country? Understand two things: first, Panama has a long established and prosperous little Hindu community; and second, we are The Crossroads of the World and this is reflected in our popular culture.

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