CARISTAS

Doubt this  Girón bus was decorated with any particular holiday in mind, but today, it does make me think of a Christmas tree. Made-in-Cuba Girón, built under licence from Ikarus of Hungary.  Hino wings are a later addition.

    Last entry, I challenged readers to identify the real Hino or Hinos among a group of Cuban trucks all wearing the winged emblem of the Japanese manufacturer (to see the quiz, click here ).     The answers:     Truck C: Nope. The styling has a bit of a Japanese look, and the cabover design certainly is in keeping with modern Hinos. But this blue hauler is a product of Czech manufacturer Avia. Founded in 1919 as an aircraft and engine builder, Avia expanded to trucks after the Second World War. Smart-looking and practical, this is an Avia A31. The model was introduced in 1983 as an update to the Avia A30, itself a variant of the Renault-Saviem SG-4 Super Galion built under licence.Avia was taken over by Korea's now-defunct Daewoo in 1995 and today is a unit of India's Ashok Leyland.      Truck A: Nope again. I saw this compact school bus in Havana. I'm not certain of its make (though I know it's no Hino) but I suspect...

    In cities around the world, crowded buses are a regular sight at rush hour. In Cuba, crowded buses are a common sight at any time. These images were taken in Havana in the early afternoon.

Circa-1980 DAF bus, built in the Netherlands.       If this truly is a zero-sum universe, does that mean some old Cuban bus with a "HABANA DEL ESTE" destination board is just now leaving Eindhoven? See also The Busman's Paradise