Nikki Westcott

They were actually firing directly at the bus.

Holy fuck, this is hectic.

A saving grace is that a lot of buses and cars in Latin America are reinforced, even bulletproof.

Thankfully, this bus was one of them.

The driver didn't stop or slow down.

We'd heard stories from other backpackers of what happens if buses do stop, drivers who are in on it, groups pulled off in the middle of nowhere, hands tied behind their backs with their own shoelaces, forced face down into dirt or paddocks.

Everything is taken, your phones, laptops, passports, cash, and then the criminals disappear and the bus just continues on.

Yeah, it probably would be like that, like working together.

Yeah.

Many of these hijackings happened in Brazil and Guatemala right where we were.

The shots went on and on and time seemed to stand still as we scrambled to gather our valuables that we were comfortable parting with.

I'd hidden my phone and my passport on me, which in hindsight was actually dumb because we'd also heard of what happens if you're caught.

Honestly, the firing probably only lasted around 30 minutes.

Only 30 minutes.

That would have felt like a fucking eternity.

And just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

The vehicles peeled away, disappearing into the night.

When we arrived at our destination the next morning, there were bullet dents everywhere along the sides of the bus.

Physical proof that it hadn't actually been a nightmare.

We got very, very lucky.