Josh and I finally know what it’s like to travel first class.
Not first class on a plane, flying still isn’t an option, and I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to afford it. But, first class on a bus, at least once, we experienced. And it was wonderful.
They call them “cama” buses. Most long-distance bus companies, of which there are many, have either “cama” (bed) or “semi-cama” (semi-bed) buses. As Josh and I prepared for yet another over-nighter on a bus, we discovered on this particular leg, using Flechabus, the price difference was $3 per person. We’d salivated over the “cama” buses in the past, and decided the 13 hours between Salta and Cordoba, Argentina, would be the trip.
We paid, and spent the next two days talking about what it would be like. As it turns out, it was everything we imagined and more.
The seats resembled narrow Lazi-boys, and reclined to 140 degrees. That might not sound that exciting, but after spending eight hours on a crowded elementary school bus, plush faux-leather recliners are a godsend.
We ate dinner, chicken-fried-chicken with vegetables, bread, pretzel bar and cookies. We even had an option of what kind of soda we wanted to drink.
We fell asleep at 11 p.m. and didn’t wake until well 7:30 a.m. It’s the first time either of us have slept completely through an overnight bus.
The differences between a “cama” and a “semi-cama” bus may seem small – the semi usually doesn’t serve food and has smaller seats – but in the world of countless night buses, a full tummy and complete night’s sleep can’t be underrated.
Unfortunately, last night’s traveling wonder may be our last “cama” experience.
The price difference is often greater than $3, making it tougher to justify on our quickly dwindling budget.
In retrospect, both of us question if it was a wise move to take the nice bus so early in our Argentinean journey. It’s a long country, and we still have half a dozen 12-plus hour trips. Now the trick will be talking ourselves out of ultimate comfort in the interest of affording food by the end.
