Peru I

Now I’ve asked two different people why in Peru they don’t have the entire name, four letters, on the placa. No lo say, they say. But every country I’ve been in or state or province always includes the entire name, why not Peru, just Pe? No lo say, they say.

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The exit of Equador and the entry of Peru was really mellow, cordial and the way it should be, and also we had a really nice breakfast; shaved meat on curried spaghetti with potatoes and rice and of course fresh juice that I’ve never had before or can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s never the same way twice but it’s usually good.

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I was riding along and this car passed me and then about a kilometer away I suddenly saw dark black smoke, not the smoke I normally see which is unusual for North American life but really dark and really intense all at once. It was then I realized it was the car that passed me and when I passed the two chicos who had gotten out of the car I stopped because I’d never heard or seen such a thing. The car was revving at full max and no one was in the car and just after I took this picture, the damn pistons or something blew up and the two dudes ran away from the car at first freaked out but still laughing, some parts landing all around. Once I saw everyone was okay and there was nothing I could do for them, I rode away.

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Back to the ‘Put Puts’ again, (moto-cars) …. loads of them. The most really except it doesn’t show in the pictures cause I was very busy negotiating around. Reminded me of India except I haven’t been there.

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He is a beauty dog, first one to remind me of Inara.

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Jan and I stopped for lunch here, and then after that, nothing but road, sand and wind; no water, no gasoline, no places to stay, for 200 km’s. We didn’t know this was about to happen to us, and after a long while of seeing that things are a little out of the ordinary I stopped to wait for Jan in front of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

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When he arrrived I asked if he would be okay for gas, even though I myself wasn’t sure since I hadn’t fueled up since Equador and was at about 200km’s into the tank already. Even with Jan’s gerry can he didn’t think he would get even close so we went over to the restaurant with the smiling faces. I don’t know how these Condors or Buzzards or Vultures know when there might be an opportunity but this one checked us out before gliding away.

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And then we bought what they had, 4 litres, for double the price. Jan said to me, ‘I know you’re happy about this but as an economist this is driving me crazy’. ‘Nope, doesn’t bother me at all, rather have some gas riding at night in the desert than no gas at all’. And then I thought, of all people you should understand the power of supply and demand, but reckoned to myself I didn’t care cause I also bought my first Peruvian beer at regular price while adding to the tank.

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I left Jan here to turn up the throttle, spoon the bike to help with the wind and didn’t stop for a couple of hours …

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… until I got here at a ‘Peaje’, toll booth and truck check spot. It was dusk at the time and I thought I should definitely stop to wait for Jan and to make sure we were together before riding into the night yet again. Except he didn’t show up after the first smoke, or the second, or the third … and that’s when the locals, the police and all came over for a casual chat. After the preliminaries I explained in broken Spanish that I was waiting for my friend who should have been here by now and that’s when the Police started calling other friends, when I started asking cars and trucks if they’d seen a gringo on a Classico Harley Davidson and that’s when the Police translated between the others and me that yes they had seen him and that he was riding behind a truck to hide from the wind and to ride in the vortex. Sure enough after the fourth smoke he showed up just before dark. Everyone congratulated each other in a passive way and shot the shit for good ol’ times sake and then after a fifth smoke for me and the others, we headed off into the dark for a place to stay …..

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In the morning I met the dog I heard barking, growling, howling a little and the security for the casa. I also shared the night with a cricket in my room. Quite entertaining the story but I’ll save that one over a couple beers. Lucas is his name, the dog that is, and these three photos were taken within 30 seconds. I also went inside his large dog house with all the birds and I figured he was pretty young and needed some running cause he was passive but challenging, and what a character.

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Also in the morning Jan went to a nearby internet place to check on an email regarding his friend’s request to visit a sponser child of theirs somewhere in a village in Peru that was along our way. Jan thought it might be where we were about to be going but as it turned out we had already passed it yesterday some 200km’s back. Jan said ‘Bad news. What? We passed them already. Back there? Yes. (silence) I can’t not go for my friends. They want me to give them money for a bicycle for their youngest. They also want me to ask if the oldest would like to come for a visit in Holland. They want to know if the money they’ve been sending is getting to them. I can’t not go. 400 km’s is nothing after a year and some of 30,000km’s. Yep. I understand. For me I don’t want to go back. I don’t know if you’ll find them and I don’t know if you’ll really do any good. Besides, why don’t your friends do the work themselves, considering they want it so bad and all? Regardless, I don’t want to go. I want to move on. This has nothing to do with me. If like you said a week ago that we were going to pass them on our travels and we would stop in for a few hours I would have gladly come along for the rich experience, but right now it is not my way of thinking. And if I were to do this to stick together, well, I know that for every kilometer we travelled I would be thinking what the fuck? Why didn’t you know the location before we came through here? So this is why I must move on. Yes I undestand but I cannot say no. (silence) Well, such is life. I don’t think there is anything new to say so we might as well just head off in our directions. Besides I don’t like goodbye’s. I don’t either. Goodbye brother. Goodbye’. And off I went, first the wrong way cause I couldn’t cross the boulevard, then around and past to see Jan waving good bye in his black riding gear, proud and sentimental. He’s such a good man, and I hope his commitment tells a better story later. For now I was on the road again alone for the first time since Austin, Texas. The feeling was necessary, and so is every thing else we don’t know the moment we do. Also, I’m confident we will see each other again before leaving this continent.

For those of you who like ‘the pictures’ you’re going to love this ….

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I stopped here in Chimbote, Peru for the night. And during the day while riding I was thinking how appropriate it is that Jan went back on his own, for I think the kind of mission he is on should be carried out by only one person so as not to invade the family with two tall gringos on moto’s.

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And the next morning vamosa! I took so many photographs that one would think I was the first person ever to take pictures of the many photo’s below. And I suppose in a way I am, at least for me anyway. Besides, I dare any one of you to ride a motorcycle through this country with a camera to see if you can take any less than I. This land is so incredible, truly truly stunning. It’s also always windy which I believe accounts for the landscape, the wind from the Pacific ocean.

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Now look at the picture below. This is a big rig chasis that has been stripped of it’s metal exterior and driven like you see, with no cage. Two of them were riding together, I missed the first one saying outloud, No way, and then the next one was approaching and thankfully I got the picture.

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Look closely at the bus’s angle in the second picture compared with the first. The rear of the bus was always at an angle, sometimes more severe than other times.

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I stopped here when the DJ Ipod put on a song …. I listened to it and then turned it off to listen to the silence, and the big rigs who blew their horns and waved when passing by. Here is the song …. (by the way, make a new tab with FTG, and then return to this spot, then click on the song below, listen and look at the pictures from the other FTG tab, and it will be as if you are travelling with me) I know it seems corny and melodramatic, but when I was here at this point, well, it didn’t seem like anything except special.

WatchingTheWheelsJohnLennon

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And then again DJ Ipod gave me this to listen to ….

LumpSumBonIver

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Okay maybe it’s just me …. but don’t you think the photo below looks like both the top and the bottom of a woman?

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Then I pulled in here at Huacho for the night, from the advice of a Policia hombre who pulled me over to check the papers. He looked at my passport and then asked for my license. I handed him the International license and he didn’t even look inside so I asked him which small city did he prefer and he suggested Huacho and another one I can’t recall the name of. Doesn’t matter, I pulled in here and felt good about the vibe and found a great hostal near Centro on a residential street with a school, local little tienda’s and cafe’s inside the front of people’s homes.

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I really like how beer, pop and many such things are delivered by foot mostly. Unfortunately this delivery was late and judging by the conversation I overheard, well senor said no, it’s too late, so the guy repacked his pop and left.

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While taking a picture of a license plate, these girls wanted me to take their picture and I said Sure, but not without your dog.

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On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 6:31 PM, Jan Gerben Verzijl <jgverzijl@gmail.com> wrote:

Yo,

Yes, did find them, very, very rewarding experience, stayed for two nights at their place (could have been no night or 1 night but I liked living with them for a short while), dirtpoor but happy to receive a guest, visited schools, drank beer with father & friends, bought a bicycle, woke up`at 4 รณ clock for the daily church message, wow, working day at the field starts at 5, wow.

Now in same place we stayed, hope to be on the road next couple of days, so please let me know in a few days where you are.

Ciao,

jan gerben

2009/10/23 Markus W <sawyertwo@gmail.com>

 

Hey Jan,

Did you find them? I hope your efforts were rewarded by your own generosity. I am in Huacho, and staying another day to catch up with the photos. So so many photos. And you will too see.

Markus

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