AN UNUSUAL MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

The men do help the potters in one way—they supply wood for the kilns, which they transport in funny little vehicles, not unlike the toy wagons used by city kids. The carts are about one meter wide by two meters long—a four-wheeled rectangle. The wheels are rounds of cypress and pine covered with the rubber from old tires held in place with wire. The carts are steered by a cord, the ends of which are tied to both ends of the front axle. The driver merely pulls in the direction he wants to go. The brakes require a bit more engineering. A small board is attached to a wire running the length of the cart. To slow down, the driver steps on the wire, which causes the boards to bear down on the back wheels.

    One can see men pulling carts up highway Federal 190, on their way to a plateau in the mountains a few kilometers above Amatenango. They collect from 30 to 100 kilos of wood and sticks per trip. Once they've secured the load they hop aboard and head back down to town, taking advantage of the downward inclination to coast the entire way home.

    Seeing the men tooling down the highway in these makeshift vehicles—sharing the road with slick automobiles and fourteen-wheel trucks—is an awkward sight. Although the people of Amatenango consider themselves careful drivers, accidents still happen on occasion. The brake wires tend to pop, sending cart and passenger flying off the road. By all accounts, victims get away with nothing more than cuts and bruises.