Riding Tuk-tuks is like...

The family squeezed into a tuk-tuk. 

Riding in a tuk-tuk is one of the most fun and adventurous things to do in Panajachel,  or anywhere. Family of three is Q15, about two dollars, five quetzals each. Lydia is free so far. [Antigua was Q10 each -- or perhaps Q10 for the entire tuk-tuk or Q?? depending upon the passengers and what the driver wanted to charge at the time -- we heard different stories but were charged the Q10 each.]

A tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled enclosed motorcycle taxi, more or less a motorized rickshaw. These in Guatemala,  and perhaps worldwide,  are manufactured in India by Bajaj. They are generally red, occasionally yellow, and especially rare, green. [We had spotted a green one last February,  but now the only green one is a traffic police vehicle.] Color varieties may vary by city and country [I seem to recall seeing blue ones in India motorcycle videos].

Most tuks are tricked out by the owners, much as the chicken buses are; some fancier than others. The most pleasant to ride in have thicker upholstery and padded roof supports. The more basic tuks have thinly padded seats and uncovered skinny metal roof supports. A ride in one of these can be punishing.

Lately because of independence day [week?] and religious celebrations, the streets to the Kingdom Hall have been partially closed and the tuks have detoured to the unpaved river road. This route is rocky, muddy, bumpy, hilly, and overall rough.  After one of these rides you almost feel as if you've been beaten with a stick by your step mom [no offense meant to most step moms, only to those of the Disney Cinderella type]. I'm beginning to dread these particular rides and eagerly anticipate the reopening of the regular streets.

Getting in and out of a tuk-tuk is a test of your flexibility, especially as a larger sized american. These are minimally sized, and when you are carrying backpacks,  groceries, umbrellas, a two-year old, and whatever else you've picked up on your trip, it can be a Chinese puzzle trying to figure out what goes where at what angle and in what sequence. And getting out doesn't necessarily promise to be any easier. You just hope the tuk driver is patient and you haven't looked to stupid manuevering through the process. 

Tuk drivers are a breed unto themselves.  They really set the pace for traffic here in Lago Atitlan. They are determined to drive as fast as possible given the conditions they contend with, and take the quickest if not shortest route to their current destination. Safety is measured in inches, and at times fractions. Narrow misses between vehicles is a constant. Keep a car length distance is unheard of here, and would be scoffed at.

One of our favorite rides is off of Calle Santander through a narrow alley -- callejon -- that the tuks barely fit into. "Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times" one of us shouts right before the driver dives into the passage. How they miss the parked bicycles and pedestrians is just amazing. Why there isn't red paint along the sidewalls is a feat of magic. Luke Skywalker has nothing on these guys.

A typical red tuk-tuk. 

A more rare yellow tuk-tuk. 

First time we ever saw a white tuk-tuk. This is a company vehicle in corporate colors. Dont recall the name. It drove past as we were going home after moto shopping this afternoon. The green police tuk-tuk has been parking up the street to the right, where they are directing traffic during the fair/carnival/festival/ celebration. I'll try to post a picture of that one later.