Driving in Peru

June 2013

Not long after arriving in Peru I decided I needed some form of transport – there is ample, regular cheap public transport here in the form of buses and taxis, but for my fishing trips I wanted to go a way out of the town to find empty beaches to fish from. Nothing to do with being anti-social but swimmers, surfers and fishing are not a good mix!

Mountain bike

I bought a mountain bike and used it a few times to go up to about 3 miles out of town along a little-used dirt road, and found that to be OK. However a neighbour of mine, an American, offered to sell me a motorbike when he left! I did not need asking twice! There was one snag – he had not completed the paperwork fully when he bought the bike, but thought it would just be a formality for me with the previous owner. We agreed a price and he said that I didn't need to pay him till the paperwork was in order, but as he was leaving I offered a deposit, which could be counted as rent if anything went wrong with the transfer.

Ronco Pantera 150

As with anything official here in South America transferring ownership is nowhere near as straightforward as in the UK, and it turned out that all three of us would be needed in person to effect the transfer. As he was now in Sweden this was not going to be possible, so I have the use of the bike till I leave then will have to find somewhere to store it for him (he is hoping to return at some stage).

The bike is not brilliant, only 150cc, and does need a bit of work doing (which I am rather unwilling to do if I am just “borrowing” it), but it is certainly better than having to rely on the public transport system! At first I was a little apprehensive about driving in Trujillo, the large city of almost a million people just a few miles away, but decided I had to give it a try. In fact the actual road surfaces (potholes, raised manhole covers, and speed bumps everywhere!) are more hazardous than the other drivers – and that is saying something in South America, where driving standards are appalling! At a rough guess I would say that 60% of the vehicles on the road are taxis and buses, so driven by “professionals”, but as they are always looking for fares they do tend to stop suddenly, and without warning, anywhere they see a likely patron – and this includes in the middle of junctions, and even in the centre lane! But despite all that I am enjoying being able to drive around at will, though finding somewhere to park is a mystery still to me, as you are not allowed to park in most streets (though everyone appears to ignore this, and all other traffic rules!), but there are plenty of “Cocheras” (parking garages) where they charge 1 sol, or 25p, an hour!

I must admit that my bicycle has not been used as much as it should have – I need the exercise – but I do intend to use that more around Huanchaco from now on till I leave (I can get further afield faster on the motorbike for fishing). Just have the small problem of finding somewhere to store it, and some other belongings, for 6 months when I leave, until I return early in 2014.