A chiva is a bus body built by hand in Andes, Antioquia — hardwood slats and sheet metal bolted onto a Ford or Chevrolet chassis, then painted for roughly two months before it ever runs a route.

The paint is enamel over a sun-faded flag-red ground: ruled borders around every panel, arabesques in the corners, murals of coffee plants, macaws and mountains, and the owner's chosen nickname lettered across the front. Nothing is left empty, and every mark carries a black keyline.