The dreaded Bucket List

"25 Places to see before you die!"

"50 things to do before you die!"

"100 ideas for your bucket list!"

These are common headlines around the internet and in magazines, and no doubt spur some people to rush out and write their own list. I have never felt the need to do this, possibly because I have been fortunate to have had some pretty amazing experiences, and visited some incredible places during my "normal" lifetime, and, though there are places I would still like to see, and things I would still like to do, I feel that if I made a list - apart from deciding what to leave off - then if I didn't manage to complete it I would feel as though I have failed. Unless you have unlimited funds, and unlimited time, it is more than likely that you will "fail" to do everything (and if you actually manage to complete your list, what next - another list?), and the last thing I want is to sit and regret never having visited the Taj Mahal, or reached Everest Base Camp, or Bungee jumped off a bridge, but rather to remember all the wonderful places I have seen, and the incredible experiences I have had.

So this is my "Things I have done list" - all were, to me, pretty amazing, and I wish I had photographic evidence of them! So as not to put them in any order of importance I will try and list them chronologically (though will probably fail miserably as I think of new ones to add!).

1. Make a long sea voyage on a liner (3 actually!) - twice out to Africa and once back
2. Visit Africa
3. Swim in the Atlantic Ocean
4. Go on safari
5. Fly in a plane
6. See the Zambezi river
7. Visit Victoria Falls
8. Visit the Zimbabwe ruins (I am not talking about the country as it is now, but the ancient stone ruins)
9. Travel on a paddle steamer
10. Swim in the Indian Ocean
11. Learn to play golf
12. Ride a motorbike
13. Drive a car (actually a Landcruiser jeep!)
14. Visit South Africa
15. Visit Denmark where I have family
16. Visit Kenya
17. Snorkel on the coral reef
18. See the Rift Valley
19. Learn to bake bread - commercially!
20. Do a motorbike road trip from UK to Denmark - through Belgium, Holland and Germany!
21. Buy a 650cc motorbike
22. Ride a bike at 120mph (scared myself and never did it again!)
23. Buy a house
24. Get married
25. Become a father
26. Visit Swaziland
27. Visit Kruger National Park
28. Learn Archery
29. Learn Abseiling (artificial wall)
30. Learn climbing (artificial wall)
31. Become qualified activity instructor
32. Get divorced
33. Buy a VW Camper Van
34. Visit Spain
35. Visit Tunisia
36. Visit Brazil
37. Visit Morro do Sao Paulo
38. Visit the Chapada Diamantina National Park
39. Live in Brazil
40. Do charity work
41. Visit Iguacu
42. Visit the Pantanal
43. Spend Carnaval in Salvador
44. Visit Peru
45. Visit Islas Ballestas
46. Visit Huanchaco
47. Swim in the Pacific Ocean
48. Live in Peru
49. Visit Chachapoyas
50. Visit Quelap
51. Visit Gocta waterfall (16th tallest in the world)
52. Visit Scotland
53. Tour by motorbike in Peru
54. Drive through the Maranon Canyon by motorbike (deeper than the Grand Canyon)
55. Visit Huaraz
56. Drive along Duck Canyon (considered to be one of the world's most dangerous roads)
57. Visit the USA
58. Drive (most of!) Route 66
59. See the Grand Canyon
60. See Hoover Dam
61. Take a boat trip on Lake Mead
62. Drive a convertible Ford Mustang (in California)
63. Visit Utah
64. Celebrate Thanksgiving
65. Get a tattoo

That will do for now (I have no doubt missed some out and will revisit it - after all I have not kicked that bucket yet!) - and if I had to pick the highlight it would have to be #25 - I was there at the birth of my daughter and it was the most magical experience!

Rules of the road in Peru - apparently!

The apparent driving rules of Peru

Having driven in Peru now for almost 12000 kms (7500 miles) I feel that I am an expert on the rules of the road, so am prepared to share them with everyone. I have not seen a written version of these, nor am aware of the existence of such a thing, so these are drawn up from my experiences, and observation of other motorists!

    1.      Speed limits.

There do not seem to be any speed limits in Peru, illustrated by the absence of signage. Occasionally you may see a sign stating “35” but there is never any sign showing an end to this restriction, so I can only assume it is NOT a speed limit, but some other indication. On the open road I have seen a sign saying “speed limit” 90kph, but 200 metres further along there was another large sign showing “maximum speed 80kph, minimum speed 55kph”, so these must be purely decorative.

I generally travel by motorbike around the 90-100kph (I do know that 100kph is nominally the maximum speed, but not sure exactly where this applies as have seen no indications) mark, and am passed by every private car on the road, usually travelling at speeds approaching 160kph, and have also been overtaken by buses and trucks who must also be travelling well in excess of the assumed 100kph.

In rural areas – usually indicated by a sign saying “urban zone” but no speed limit signs – the way to make vehicles reduce speed is by the strategic placement of …

   2.       Speed bumps.

These are everywhere, and may appear in groups of two. They vary in size and shape, from gentle curves that no-one needs to slow for, to short, sharp bumps that can rip out the undercarriage of low vehicles, or smash the suspension of heavily laden ones (hence their local names of “spring breaker”, not to be confused with the time of debauchery at US colleges). Most, admittedly, do have warning signs letting motorists know about their presence, and some are even zebra-striped for further warning, but many appear suddenly for the unwary, resulting in heavy braking, or other evasive tactics. Some vehicles approach these in a crab-like fashion, preferring the one-wheel-at-a-time way of getting over, but my motorcycle approach is much simpler – stand on the footpegs and ride straight over without slowing (though fully laden with my carriers attached this often leads to sheared bolts!).

Some speed bumps appear to be made for motorcyclists as they do not stretch on to the hard shoulder, meaning you can ride round them with no slowing down, too. Occasionally the “bump” will also only be on one side of the carriageway, meaning that vehicles can avoid them by driving towards oncoming traffic, which can be very disconcerting for the unwary motorist who suddenly finds himself sharing the road with an approaching juggernaut!

  3.       Lane etiquette.

Unlike most countries where slower traffic uses the outer (closest to the kerb) lane – this is the left lane in UK and right-hand drive countries, and the right lane everywhere else – in Peru slow moving vehicles (heavy trucks, three-wheelers, and so on) tend to hog the “fast” lane, meaning that you have to “undertake” to get past. Even where there is no traffic in the “slow” lane the outer lane tends to be the preferred lane for most traffic, and most overtaking is, in fact, undertaking. Approaching one of these monsters on his “blind side” (as the driver is seated on the left) can be rather scary on a motorcycle, but the hard shoulder is always available as an escape route.

On single carriageways the hard shoulder is used almost exclusively by three-wheeled moto-taxis. They have a top speed on around 50kph so tend to stick on the shoulder leaving the lane clear. This, however, causes problems for faster single light (two-wheeled) vehicles, like motorbikes, as oncoming traffic expects you to get out of their way onto said hard shoulder, and will flash their lights, while overtaking towards you, to inform you of this. At 90-100kph, however, I am often reluctant to move off the roadway, onto a shoulder full of loose dirt, pot-holes, roadkill, and goodness knows what else (sometimes there is also a 5cm – 2 inch! – drop onto the shoulder too) – and usually indicate this by flashing my lights back at them and waggling my middle finger vigorously as well.

 4.       Animals on the roads.

I am talking domesticated animals here, not the wild indigenous game, and whereas in many countries (particularly Brazil where I spend half the year) most roadside animals (placed there to forage on the roadside vegetation) appear to be tethered this is not the case in Peru. Occasionally there will be a sign warning of animals ahead, but mostly it is down to driver’s vigilance. I have come across untended horses, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and even turkeys – and on many occasions there is no evidence of any habitation close by.

In the foothills of the Andes, where pathways are few and far between, and the main road is often the only way of getting from A to B, you often come across attended animals. Usually the attendant is at the rear of the herd, so you first come across animals all over the road, and then notice the herder behind. Sometimes the animals will have a rope attached, but these are generally tailing across the road behind them, so are an additional hazard. 

 5.       Town driving.

Most towns in Peru follow a grid pattern, and streets alternate one-way in each direction. This is sometimes, but not always, indicated by a direction arrow painted on a wall at a road junction, or even incorporated into the street name sign – it is the ones that have no indication that are problematic for strangers to the town! I have several times found myself driving innocently towards oncoming traffic.

Lane discipline is again a major grey area – taxis and buses generally have to stop on the right to collect or discharge passengers, but at traffic lights are permitted (apparently) to pick up in any lane, and even hold up traffic once the light has changed. Collecting on the right is sensible, but this usually takes place at a junction (there are very few “official” bus stops), and often then entails a swift crossing of all the lanes to make a left turn if needed, accompanied by the driver’s arm waving frantically from his window indicating his intention. This right lane to left - and left lane to right - turning is common at traffic lights – approaching drivers will take the shortest queue, no matter which way they wish to turn, and then simply turn across everyone!

Where there are dual carriageways (with traffic islands separating traffic with openings for turning and joining traffic) I generally drive on the left as close as possible to the island – I used to drive on the right, but buses and taxis cutting me off to drop off, or pick up, fares made me realise that staying as close to the centre island was the safest place to travel – other vehicles still cut you off (the rule appears to be that if your nose is in front you have right of way and can change lane with impunity), but you only have to keep a look out on one side, not also for pedestrians stepping out, cars pulling out, and car doors opening. I was once almost taken out by a taxi who was stopped at a traffic light in the centre of three lanes – I wanted to turn right so took the empty right-hand lane, only for his passenger to open the rear door, as the light changed to green, to disembark – a quick swerve by me avoided more than a tap by the taxi door.

 6.       Roundabouts

These appear to be a mystery to everyone! Unlike the UK, where traffic already on the roundabout has priority, here oncoming traffic has right of way – at least most of the time! It would appear that there are occasions when traffic on the major road has priority – so if you are travelling along the main road and enter a roundabout (your priority) you maintain that priority throughout the roundabout, and oncoming traffic has to give way to you. However there doesn’t appear to be any indication where this occurs, so you have to close your eyes and take your chance.

 7.       Traffic lights

Traffic lights have three phases:

a)      Red – stop if it is already red when you get there (unless you think you can get away with it), but if it changed to red just before you arrive accelerate and you should be OK. If you arrive at a changing light and are slowing down to stop have a quick check in your rear-view mirror as the following motorist may be expecting you to jump the light, and may not be planning to stop himself!

b)      Amber – Just another shade of green, ignore it, or speed up

c)       Green – a second before it turns green start moving, or if you are not the lead vehicle lean on your hooter (in some towns the traffic lights have a countdown to change so it is easy to see when to start hooting – 3 seconds before zero, or when to start driving – also 3 seconds before zero, while the light is still red). Do be aware that there is more than likely a car coming across the lights (jumping the red) so cross with caution, especially if you are ready to drive off, and not one of those drivers who still has to put the car in gear and disengage the handbrake (or even start the engine you have stopped to save fuel at the lights!) before pulling away. There is no “grace” period when all lights are red – as one turns red the cross traffic light instantly turns green.

I have already mentioned the right to left/left to right turning issues before, and nowhere is this more evident that at traffic lights. If you are in the “wrong” lane at a traffic light the solution is simple – start driving before the light changes to green and turn where you want to go!

 8.       Traffic policemen

Many busy junctions in towns have at least one traffic policeman – with a whistle that they blow incessantly. I have not yet worked out what the whistle sounds mean, so they may just be blowing it to let you know they are there, though they do get a bit frantic at time when they see something strange (like a bus stopping in the middle of turning to drop passengers because there are other buses blocking where they need to stop) and will blow till they are red in the face while also gesticulating wildly.

On the open highway there are also many police checkpoints, and they will stop random drivers for a document check. Generally if you remove your crash helmet, and reveal that you are a Gringo, rather than ask for “prata” (silver, ie. cash), as many people warned me about, they get quite excited, as though you are the highlight of their day, and wave you along without checking any paperwork. I have had them shake hands with me, and ask my opinion of Peru, but never had any request for a “donation”! A few days ago I was waved over by one seated in the middle of a dual carriageway on a sharp bend (this was in town so on a slow corner) – I pulled over to the edge of the road and he followed. After several attempts to stand his bike up in the soft sand in front of me he drove off! However he did stop a few yards further down and walked back. A cursory glance at my documents after I revealed my Gringo-ness, and he nodded and strolled back to his bike. Another biker, without a crash helmet (they are obligatory, but appear to be “optional”!) rode past so he whistled at him, repeatedly as the rider ignored him, but as by the time he got back to his bike the other bike was well down the road he simply shrugged and left it!

 9.       Parking.

Parking is still a major mystery to me, but doesn’t appear to be to Peruvians – they simply park where they like! In no parking zones, on corners, on zebra crossings (Oh, forgot to mention them – pedestrians have to give way, not motorists!), across driveways, on the pavement, blocking roads … it just goes on. I thought I had worked out that if the kerb was painted yellow it meant “no parking” but no-one takes any notice so I must be wrong.

There are some parking garages, where you pay to park, though many for some reason will not take motorbikes (the ones that do will also look after your crash helmet), and some mall parking lots give you a (free) ticket when you arrive where they write your ID number and number plate, for security, and check this when you leave.

The general rule for parking appears to be to park as close to where you want to be as possible – this may mean parking on the pavement (so pedestrians have to go round you), double parking (as someone is already parked where you want to be), parking opposite another parked vehicle (thus blocking the road), parking on someone’s drive, or so close he cannot open his garage door, or in the middle of the road as there is some other obstruction (like an advertising board) preventing you from stopping right outside the door. These all apply even if there are no other cars parked in the street – there is no reason you should have to walk more than a few paces.

I realise that this list is incomplete as there are numerous scenarios I haven’t yet experienced, and some I may have omitted as I felt they must be wrong! This latter category includes making left turns, or U-turns where there are signs forbidding them – the “No left turn” and “No U turn” signs here must mean something else!

To my Peruvian friends and acquaintances I mean no malice by this, but am just having a bit of fun!! I am sure that driving in the UK is just as bad – well, at least by all the foreigners over there!!

Alone ... or lonely?

A lot of people think it odd that I choose to live alone, here in South America it seems to be expected that you are part of a big family and are amazed when they hear that I live alone. They assume that you must be very lonely, and try and involve you in things, but I want to choose the things I do, and not have to join in because people think I might need to be involved with others around me.
There is a world of difference between being "alone" and being "lonely". "Alone" is a physical state, no-one else around, and "lonely" is a mental state, when you feel bereft because no-one is around, though you can easily feel lonely in a crowd of people, or with loved ones, particularly if you feel that the others do not understand you.
I like being alone - I do not feel the need to have other people around me all the time, I do not feel the need to be part of a group or crowd, and, in fact, I avoid crowds whenever I can. Maybe it is because I was a very shy child, so was able to enjoy my own company - I could immerse myself in a book, or even watching a spider build a web, and didn't have to share that with anyone else to feel fulfilled. that doesn't mean that I do not enjoy the company of others, just that I now want that to be on my terms.
I used to work with guys who went out together in their free time, to the pub, to the cinema, to the disco, etc. and saw each other day in, day out, and I could not imagine anything worse - there was no spontaneity, no variety - if it was Wednesday it was disco night, Thursday was karaoke, and so on. When I lived in Mozambique we had a golf course in the village, and I used to go and play most afternoons - alone! Even if my friends were planning to play I would go out earlier, on my own, as I preferred it that way. I met up with them at the club most days, and we used to do things as a group, but I realise now I was always a bit aloof, and used to pass on some of the more dubious escapades!
I was married for 19 years, and living with my wife (now ex-wife) for some years before we tied the knot, and it was an enjoyable time for the most part. We used to do a lot together, and in fact I had very few interests outside family life, so married life was everything to me. After our divorce my daughter came to live with me, until she went away to University, so I had someone living with me for a few more years, but for the past 10 years or so I have lived alone - happily alone.
I can do what I want when I want, without anyone bothering me, and don't have to worry about my actions (in the home) affecting anyone else - I was, I think, a considerate house-mate while married, and would never dream of doing anything that might inconvenience anyone else - nor being bothered by the actions of anyone else. I have a large house in Brazil, and often I am asked why I don't rent out a room, or find a partner to share with - and basically there are 2 reasons, the main one being that I enjoy being alone and would feel uncomfortable working my life around anyone else (lodger or partner), and  the second one is that I am very independent and feel I could not afford to support a second person. OK, I am conveniently ignoring the fact that they might also contribute to the household - but the latter stages of my marriage this "partnership" fell apart due to loss of earnings from my wife (medical grounds) and my inability to support us alone, and do not want the stress of being in that situation again.
I now own two motorbikes, one in Brazil to run around town in (I do have a car there but use it only for long journeys), and one here for fishing and touring. I did consider buying a second-hand car here in Peru, but realised that this might solicit requests for lifts when I travel - so the bike allows me to travel alone at my own pace (even though not as comfortably as in a car!). I travel alone, stopping when I want for as long as I want, and generally in pretty remote spots (avoiding crowds!), and never feel lonely. If I have enough food in the house I can spend days without venturing beyond the boundary on my property, and if I do venture further I may just go for a ride along the coast (or down to the river in Brazil!) away from "civilisation", or here in Peru just a walk along the promenade and finding a quiet spot to watch the sea. I may not even say a word to anyone the whole time I am out. 
I suppose it would be nice to find a soul-mate, someone to share the remainder of my life with - and it could be a like-minded male just as easily as a female partner (though I rather hope the relationship would be different!) - but I do not feel a "need" for company, I am not looking for any sort of relationship, and am quite content being alone - but never lonely!

Hair and barbers

Hair - we all have it, some more than others, and some in places we don't want it. I am not talking about hair we remove for aesthetic reasons - like underarm, pubic area, and ladies' legs - but rather ears, nose and rampant body hair! As we get older, at least in my case, the ear and nose hair seem to grow more rapidly (not only inside the ears but round the outside too!!), but for most men the head hair seems to recede and eventually disappear, and some shave what little they have remaining as they think it looks better than tufts around the cranium!
My father started losing his hair at quite an early age, and had nothing "on top" by the age of 40, though he left what remained and kept it trimmed at the barbershop. Interestingly both my grandfathers died with full heads of hair, and at 62 I still have very vigorous hair, though now "salt and pepper" coloured, and slightly receding both sides above the eyes.
When I was 22, living in Durban, South Africa, I read an article that said that combing the hair, was very bad for the scalp and could lead to early onset baldness! I immediately went out and bought a hairbrush and have used one ever since - and as I still have all (well the majority of) my hair maybe there was something in that article!
I have had friends who used to spend inordinate amounts of money on their hair - from visiting expensive stylists, blow drying (I am talking males here!), putting all sorts of creams and potions on their heads, tinting, dyeing, and so on. I have always looked for the cheapest barber I can find who does a good job - I have better things to spend what little money I have always had than on my hair - and only go when it starts to get unruly. I have a simple trim, and never let them put any creams, powders, liquids on it  - Brylcreem used to be in every barbershop, usually in a fancy pump dispenser (though I must admit that on occasions in the past I have used Brylcreem to tame my mane!).
I recall when we moved to Angola in 1960 I was taken to a local barber - and everything went well until he produced a cut-throat razor (to trim my neckline). I had never had this done before, and had an irrational feeling he was going to cut my throat so would not let him near me with this weapon!  After a little gentle persuasion my mother convinced me this was normal and he was not a reincarnation of Sweeney Todd.
Back in England in the mid-60's I used to visit a barber in my village - he was a little man, probably no more than 4 feet tall (he had callipers on one leg, so had obviously had some childhood ailment), but appeared to manage cutting with no problems. The only weird thing was that at 4.00pm, every day like clockwork, he would stop what he was doing (even with a customer in the chair), and without a word leave the shop to go home for his tea! Usually around 15 minutes later he would return and continue as if nothing had happened!
At one stage I used to go to a small market town nearby for my haircut - the barber had a small shop, but with a waiting room for the overflow as he was always incredibly busy. He was good and very quick so you never had too long to wait, and it was better than the 10 mile drive to the nearby city, fight for parking, and then look for a barbershop! What amazed me was how rude he was to his customers - "what the f*ck have you come here for, you expect me to waste my time on that mop you call hair?" - and they loved it! Some even gave back as good as they got, though I was always a bit wary as in a few minutes you would be sitting in his chair entrusting him with your hair (and your ears as he had scissors in his hand!). He closed at 5.00pm, but would tell his regulars to come round to his house and he would cut their hair later that evening (which also meant that this wouldn't go through the books!). He eventually retired so I had to look elsewhere.
When I moved to Brazil there used to be a barber in the town I lived in - but opening hours were random (like many things!) and eventually he appeared to move on, so I have to drive 70kms (40 miles) to a nearby town when my hair needs cutting. Actually I usually wait till I have other things I need to do there, so my hair is generally pretty long by the time I get round to it. The barber does a good job, but takes forever over it - going back over the same areas several times, and then cutting a bit more off.
This brings me to something I have found over the years - the different cutting styles between male and female barbers (hairdressers, if you like). Barbers over the years have tended to cut with a combination of comb and scissors, using the comb to control the depth of cut (and also using "serrated" scissors to thin out hair), while hairdressers tend to gather the hair between two fingers and use that as their "depth stop". On occasion I have used a hairdresser for convenience - once we had one in our village, and another used to come to the house to cut my wife's hair, and I have also waited in hairdressers for my wife or mother so seen how they cut. 
The barbers I have been to in Brazil have all cut "hairdresser" style - but as very few tradesmen have any formal training I actually wonder if they have learnt their craft from mothers, wives or girlfriends (or just watching them cut!!) so that is why, rather than that this is the normal barber methodology of Brazil. I went to a barber here in Peru yesterday, and he was old-school, barber-style cutting and extremely efficient (and at 10 Peruvian soles, around £2.10, very reasonable!). I actually came out looking neat and tidy, but not looking as though I had just had my haircut!

Buying motorbike tyres.

After almost 9000 kms on tarmac roads the dirt tyres (very knobbly) that came with my bike were well past their best. They were great on the rough stuff - even in sand - but on tarmac roads, apart from being incredibly noisy, they were not that good. The "knobbles" translated a lot of vibration through the handlebars, in the wet the lack of surface contact made riding a bit slippery (not a nice feeling round hairpin bends in the Andes!), and I felt that the top speed, acceleration and fuel economy were also probably adversely affected.

"Oli" the Ronco, showing dirt tyres

I decided to leave buying new ones until my return to Peru in March this year (seemed silly to put new rubber on and then store it for 6 months), and that also gave me plenty of time to research the best options. And this is where I hit a huge snag - Oli has 17 inch wheels front and rear, and I was unable to find any manufacturer (let alone one that had representation in Peru) that made a front 17 inch "mixed" tyre! There are plenty available that are dirt tyres, or road tyres, but not in a dual-purpose format, which is what I felt I needed. I trawled the internet looking for a solution, and joined a couple of forums ("fori"?) asking for advice, and nothing sensible was forthcoming ("You bought a what?"), although one suggestion was that I bought a rear tyre and used it on the front.
Now I feel here I must include some technical stuff about tyres and what they do. The rear tyre comes into it's own during acceleration, putting maximum grip to the road when you open the throttle, and conversely the front tyre does most of it's work during braking, or deceleration, when it need maximum grip and control to stop you. OK, there is a lot more to it that this, but this explains the need for a different tread pattern front and rear. Tyre construction is made up of layers, running in different directions, and the joins being "glued" together depending on the wheel rotation - most tyres have an arrow indication which way it should be mounted. Thus it is potentially possible that a rear rotating tyre could de-laminate if rotating forwards - it is highly unlikely and more probable on high performance, high speed machines, but still not something you would want happening - and most manufacturers stress this on their websites. I did, however, find one or two, who did acknowledge that you could use a rear tyre on the front - "as long as you reversed the rotation", i.e. ignored the "arrow"! Unfortunately neither of these manufacturers made a suitable 17 inch rear tyre (or rather they only did one size, and it is better to have a narrower front tyre).
I have Pirelli MT60 tyres on my Honda 150 in Brazil (17 rear and 19 front), and they are very good on tarmac, and adequate off-road, and Pirelli do different widths in 17 inch tyres.

Pirelli MT 60's on a Honda 150

So I emailed Pirelli, and followed that up with a message on their Facebook page - and 3 months later I am still awaiting their response! As I know from my Honda that the front and rear tyres have identical tread patterns - other than they face in opposite directions - I decided to see if I could get a set upon my return to Peru. I started in the Ronco dealership, and the motorbike salesman there gave me all sorts of advice (they didn't stock MT60, but could order them - delivery schedule unknown!) - including mixing tyres from different manufacturers (a big no-no!) and massively different tread patterns (a bigger no-no!) - I think he was just trying to sell me a pair of tyres he actually had in stock! 
I left him still trying different combinations and walked a few yards down the road to a motorcycle spares shop, who had MT60's in stock - and different sizes - and asked for a pair. The salesman even explained that they were both "rear" tyres, which impressed me - the first time I had come across someone who seemed to know about products he was selling! But I took them anyway, and then had a long argument with my mechanic about mounting the front tyre with the arrow reversed! He finally agreed and I after 300 kms I am extremely pleased with the result. The road noise has vanished and so has the vibration, though I will need to run the bike for a few more miles to tell if fuel economy, top speed and acceleration are improved. 
Is it safe? I honestly don't know - I do know that the tread patterns are mounted correctly (even with a direction arrow pointing the wrong way!), and most of my riding will be done at gentler speeds (it is after all a dirt bike I am using as a tourer!) and on halfway decent roads, so only time will tell!

Back in Peru

Lima roundabout

After a very uneventful journey from Brazil, though a 4 hour lay-over in Sao Paulo culminating in a 4.00 am departure is not funny, I arrived in Lima. I went to Immigration and requested the maximum allowed 183 days as a tourist, and had to explain why I wanted so much time - had a motorbike here, wanted to see more of the wonderful country, blah, blah, blah ... - and was reluctantly granted the full visa, but told that in future my time would be reduced (meaning I will have to border hop to Ecuador to renew, so no big deal really!) as it appeared I was trying to get residence. I explained that I did not fulfil their residence requirements so had to make do with only 6 months a year here.
Customs in Lima is like no other I have ever come across! Previously you collected your bags and proceeded to the Customs area of the hall where there were several queues leading to gates with a button by it - you pressed the button and waited. A green light meant you were clear to leave, a red light meant you had to submit your bags (including hand luggage that had been checked before boarding - though I assume you have had time to move any "suspect" items from your checked luggage to hand luggage in the baggage claim area!) for X-ray screening. If the operator didn't like what they saw they then opened and searched your bags. Now, however, every piece of luggage has to be X-rayed before you can leave the airport!
My hostal had a taxi waiting for me, who remembered me from a previous visit, so we headed for Brena - right in the middle of morning rush hour! Traffic in Lima is always a nightmare (with 8 million residents it is a big city), but rush hour is something else - however the Police do actually help. Most major intersections have officers on duty and they will over-ride the traffic signals by allowing traffic on red to proceed if there are no vehicles approaching the green lights! This helps enormously, as does stopping "green light" traffic from encroaching onto the intersections in the exits are blocked!
Although it was early for check-in I was allowed access to my room and after a shower and shave decided to head out and explore a little. The young lady on reception was very solicitous and even offered to help me find a taxi, but I decided to walk instead, and eventually made it to Larcomar (in a taxi as it was much further than I thought!), a large shopping Mall built into the cliffs overlooking the sea.

Larcomar, in the cliffs at Lima

I had hoped to get some GoPro accessories there, but despite three shops stocking it none had much of an accessory range! So I had lunch, and then tried to get a sim card to use while in Peru. The nearest outlet was several blocks away so I walked there - the Claro cellphone provider shop didn't have any! - and found a large Department store that had sims, but the system was down so I had to wait 30 minutes until it was working again!!

I walked a little further on my way back before getting a taxi back to my hostal, but came across one of Lima's delightful parks that is over-run by cats! I had heard about these but was not prepared for the reality of it. I was under the impression that these were feral cats, but they all happily accepted petting, as well as the food left in large containers all over the park.

Really chilled out cat

I saw at least 50-60 cats, but there were probably a lot more.

They all seemed very contented

They also appeared to live in harmony together ...

Park-goers petting a cat

... and didn't mind being picked up and stroked. It appeared they even had sandy areas left especially as "toilets" and I certainly didn't notice any smells.

I got back to my hostal and the lack of sleep the previous night made me decide to have a siesta, which lasted 3 hours - but when I woke up the need for more sleep overtook the need for dinner, so I fell asleep again and slept through the night!!

Brazil v.Peru

Because of my financial situation since 2013 I have been spending 6 months every year in Brazil, and 6 in Peru. Inevitably this has led me to notice some differences between each country, and this is aimed at being a light-hearted comparison between them. 
I enjoy my time in each country, and my situation in each is different - in Brazil I own my own home and pay all my own utility bills and taxes (property, car and motorbike), while in Peru I rent all-inclusive and only pay motorbike tax. In Brazil I live in a remote rural area, 262 miles (420 kms) from the nearest city of any note, but in Peru I am only 10 miles (16 kms) from the third largest city in Peru. In Brazil I drive a car and a motorbike, while in Peru I have only ridden a motorbike. These small difference all have an impact on how I view the 2 countries and must be taken into consideration in the final "reckoning"!

1. Driving/Traffic.
Brazil:
Motorists in Brazil are all crazy! They all think they are Ayrton Senna (and this includes truck drivers) and that the road belongs to them. A car in front is there to be overtaken - even in a queue of traffic with no gaps available to slip into. Once your nose is in front of the other motorist you have priority and can force your way in, even if you are driving a double-trailer truck going uphill on the wrong side of the road over double white lines ("no overtaking") passing a queue of vehicles nose-to-tail all travelling at 12 mph (20 kph).
Motorcyclists believe they have right of way, and toot to get you to move aside (in your lane) to make room for them, and if you should dare to move into "their" lane, even if there is plenty of room and they are 50 metres back, they will ride into your bumper (fender) and blame you! Motorcyclists also believe that traffic signals do not apply to them and will pause before driving through red lights. Mind you, buses will also do the same thing!
In big cities like Salvador it is generally accepted at night (after 9.00 pm), and possibly at weekends (seems to happen but I am not sure if it is "acceptable"), that, due to the risk of car-jacking, you can ignore a red light if it is safe to do so! In Brazil they joke that you drive through a red light, drive faster through an amber, and stop at green - in case someone is approaching from the other direction!
I have driven extensively on highways and in Salvador in a car, but would not risk my life on 2 wheels doing this. My motorcycling is restricted to local around the town I live in, and short main road runs of up to 50 miles (80 kms) - I value my life too much!!

Peru:
Motorists in Peru all all crazy, but marginally less so than in Brazil! They are not as aggressive as in Brazil, but just seem unaware of any rules of the road. Lane discipline is appalling - if you want to turn left at a traffic light you can use any lane, even the extreme right-hand lane and cut across everyone. Even if there is a "no left turn" sign, or "no U-turns" it is OK to do so without any indication, or any concern about drivers following you not realising what you are doing!
There is an incredible amount of public transport in Peru, numerous buses - ranging from minibuses with 12 seats (that will fit 16 adults and 4 children at a pinch), to larger single-decker buses with 24 seats and standing (squashing) room for another 24, and taxis - I have never seen so many taxis in a city before - and in smaller towns the favoured mode of public transport is the three-wheeled Tuk Tuk.

Tuk Tuks in Moyobamba

Some of the taxis are "coletivos" (collectives) which are cheaper (taxi fares in Peru are incredibly cheap compared to, say, England, anyway) but means that the driver is always looking to "fill" the car, and will drive along hooting at anyone walking to try and tempt them to join the ride. Actually taxi drivers do that ALL the time! If you are walking anywhere, or even sitting near a road, taxis will toot to let you know they are available. and near busy roads this means that the tooting is continuous! Buses follow a similar pattern - there are a few "regular" bus stops, but basically a bus will pick up and drop off anywhere, usually at a street corner (which often means blocking access from the joining road). Most buses have a "conductor" as well as the driver (there are some modern buses with a driver-conductor, who takes money and issues tickets - you don't get a ticket issued in most buses - usually while driving, which can be fun!), and he hangs out of the door whistling and calling out the route (unintelligibly to foreigners) to anyone he sees standing by the road.

All this means is that 75% of the traffic (I think that this is a conservative estimate, as the percentage of "public" transport could be higher!) is continually stopping on the right side of the road (remember we drive on the right in South America), or slowing down to look for fares, or cutting across from the left to drop off/pick up/seek fares. Initially I cautiously rode my bike on the right, but soon realised that the safest position was riding to the extreme left, but watching out for all the illegal left-turners! You still have to keep your wits about you - I was turning right on one occasion and approached a traffic light - there was a taxi stopped in the centre lane (of three) to go straight, but as I was almost alongside his fare decided to alight, and opened the door into my bike almost knocking me off! Buses and taxis also will pick up, and drop off, fares indiscriminately in whichever lane they happen to be in at the time when stopped at traffic lights.

Speed limits are another problem in Peru - there do not seem to be many signs indicating what they are! Mostly they are still a total mystery to me in the absence of any indication, so I just tend to go with the flow and keep up with other motorists. I have not noticed any speed cameras during my travels in Peru, so haven't had any problems.

I was very nervous before my first trip into Trujillo by motorbike, but soon realised that driving in Peru was considerably safer than Brazil, despite the poor driving standards.

2. Cost of living.

Brazil:

Living in a very rural area in the North-east of Brazil the cost of living is very reasonable - fresh fruit and vegetables at the local market are cheap, as is meat at the sole butcher we have in town. The butcher does not have the range of cuts I would like, claiming there is insufficient demand for many of them, but we do have a mini-supermarket that also sells some frozen meat, though at a premium price! Availability of dry foodstuffs, and everyday household goods (cleaning materials, and so on) is generally pretty good, and prices (unless you insist on imported brands!) are reasonable, too.

Domestic goods are another thing altogether! We do not have anything available locally (there is a "depot" of a large store in town, but it obviously does not hold much of a range of goods), so a trip to Seabra (40 miles, or 70 kms away) is necessary for larger purchases, and even there the choice is not brilliant. Locally produced furnishings and white goods (fridges, cookers and the like) are reasonably priced, however most people complain about quality, though I have not had any issues, but am fairly gentle with my things!

Regular utility bills are reasonable in Brazil, water and electric are much cheaper in real terms than the UK, but if you compare average earnings they are fairly expensive - however my council tax bill is a fraction of what it would be there, but my internet bill is my single highest outgoing, and very expensive for what it is.

Petrol is about 25% cheaper than the UK at the moment, but has continued to rise throughout the falling oil price, and, again, comparing average earnings fuel is quite expensive here.

Not having to pay monthly rent makes my overall cost of living very cheap in Brazil, and buying a house when I first came in 2009 was probably the single most sensible thing I have ever done!

Peru:

Despite living in a tourist town in Northern Peru the cost of living in Huanchaco is very reasonable. There is a daily market in town with local produce at cheap prices, though I tend to steer clear of the meat they have on display there as I do not trust their hygiene standards in unrefrigerated displays. In Trujillo there are two (there are more, but I have only visited 2) big markets - one is huge and predominantly fresh produce, and prices there are incredibly cheap, and quality very good. 

Hermelinda's Market, Trujillo

The other market is more general, but does have fresh food, and a big butchery area, with good selection and reasonable prices, though sometimes hard to find cuts that I recognise!

Trujillo also has many large supermarkets, and though fresh produce is quite a bit more expensive that at the markets quality is excellent, and the range is extensive. Some of these supermarkets are really hypermarkets, and sell electrical goods as well, and the range and price appear considerably cheaper than Brazil. I have not had to shop for furniture in Peru, but from what I have seen in Trujillo the quality is higher than Brazil and, certainly compared to where I live, the choice is much greater, but you would expect that in such a large city.

3. Eating out.

Brazil:

When I first arrived in Brazil I was impressed by the reasonable cost of eating out - even the tourist places seemed fairly cheap, and quality of food was good. I live in  tourist town, and there is a huge choice of eating venues, but prices tend to be much higher here than other local non-tourist towns, though there are small back-street places that cater for the locals if you know where to find them. There are eateries that charge by the kilo - you fill your plate and they weigh it and charge you depending in how full it is, and these are reasonable - unless you happen to be in a tourist hot-spot! I have seen these "per kilo" places three times more expensive depending on location, and quality and selection pretty much the same.

In the 5 years I have been here I do not eat out much locally, preferring to cook for myself, so only eat out on special occasions - and last time was amazed at how much prices have risen. I rather think that they are aimed at the tourist market, but I find eating out in Brazil no longer a cheap option.

Peru:

I live for the main part in a tourist location in Peru, but eating out is still relatively cheap, even at the higher end restaurants. Quality is good, portion sizes generous, and even in the tourist areas prices good, though probably helped by the amount of competition! many Peruvians eat out at lunchtime and there are numerous small restaurants (usually someone's front room!) serving a "menu". This consists of a starter, usually ceviche (lemon-"cooked" raw fish) or soup, followed by a choice of main course (usually three or four options), and a drink (this is generally some sort of squash). In Huanchaco you will pay between 8 and 12 soles (between £1.70 and £2.50) for this, but in the interior, away from the tourist towns, it can be as little as £0.85! The main restaurants in Huanchaco have caught on to this lunchtime fixed "menu" and offer similar deals for 12 to 15 soles (£2.50 to £3.20) which includes a soft drink, but portions are generally a little smaller.

During my travels I stayed at hotels that had their own restaurants, and whilst these are usually more expensive than you can find in town, in most cases I found the food to be better and cheaper than eating "out". I was surprised while travelling along the extreme North coast, prices in restaurants there were much higher than back in Huanchaco, also a tourist destination, and I can only assume it is because they are not as seasonal as further South due to warmer weather all year round, meaning more tourism all the time.

4. Accommodation

Brazil:

In Brazil you have Hotels (high end accommodation), Pousadas (guest house or inn, mid-range), or Auberges (hostels, cheap lodgings). I will admit I have not used many of these in Brazil - and there is a huge difference even in hostels here, from flea-pits to very nice accommodation. Most hostels offer mixed dormitory rooms, with up to 10 beds and an en-suite shared bathroom, but some have smaller rooms, and will always allow you to book a whole room for one person (at a premium, of course). Some have en-suite facilities, air-conditioning (and at least one has a small pool!), free breakfasts (and these can really vary from place to place), and various other services for their guests. Generally when I am paying (my nephew owns a hostel so I get to stay for free but take pot luck on the room!) I will book a single en-suite room, and prices are reasonable (much less than say, a bed and breakfast in the UK if you go for a single). I have stayed in  Pousada and had a private room with air-conditioning, which was very nice and as it was just out of season was reasonable.

Peru:

In Peru you have hotels and hostals - hostals are like high-end hostels/mid-range hotels in Brazil. Dorm rooms are available in some, but most have smaller rooms with 1 to 4 beds, and may come with en-suite facilities, but some have shared bathrooms. Unlike Brazil may in Peru do not include breakfast in the price, and even if they do (or it is available at extra cost) it is not as good as the Brazilian hostel breakfast! You may get a glass of juice (probably from a packet), coffee and two small bread rolls with butter and jam, but there will be many places locally that will serve breakfast (especially bakeries) and these are much better and very reasonably priced.

Hostals in Peru, even in tourist destinations, are very reasonable, and especially so if you book through a booking site (one I stayed in was US$11 a night booked online, but the price list in reception showed US$20 a night!). One of my requirements while travelling was secure parking for my motorbike, so this limited my options considerably, so I ended staying at pricier lodgings than necessary, but none of them would be considered expensive.

I rent an apartment while staying in Peru, and this includes electric, water, TV and internet (I only have to pay for gas cylinders for cooking - usually one lasts me the whole 6 months). There are many options available in Huanchaco, especially from the beginning of March when the summer tourist season ends, but I have certain requirements that limit my choice, and push the price up a little! One was secure parking, and the other was a "proper" kitchen (many have a hotplate and a small fridge as they are aimed at the short-term rental market), but despite this my costs while in Peru were acceptable.

5. The people - I realise I may generalise a little here, and some may even take offence at some of this, but none is intended. I simply write about my experiences, and my views on life and the people I meet. I love living in Brazil and Peru, and the people I meet here - I would not stay if this were not the case. There are frustrations in the experiences I have, but they are minor irritations rather than major shortcomings!
I do not like to class people by ethnicity, either, as we are all citizens of the planet, but governments and statisticians like to have classifications so I will use them for clarity.

Brazil:

Disclaimer - my experiences are almost exclusively with the people of Bahia, in the North-east, one of the poorest parts of Brazil. Brazil statistically has a population ethnically that is almost 50:50, that is 50% white, and the remaining 50% mixed race, black, Asian, or indigenous. However it varies greatly from state to state and here in Bahia, the white percentage drops to 20%, and in rural areas it is much lower still.

Brazilians are very friendly, and laid back to the point of being almost horizontal! No-one wears a wristwatch, and time is a vague concept - morning or afternoon is sometimes as close as you can tie anyone down, and that could be tomorrow or even next week!! 
There are close to 3 million people in Salvador, and any large city has its problems, but the hustle and bustle of daily life there is similar to anywhere else in the world - however I am not a city dweller, and could not wait to get away from metropolitan areas!
Lencois, where I live, is much safer, and friendlier, as everyone seems to know everyone else, or knows someone who knows them. Again I cannot fault the people here on friendliness, but trying to find a skilled tradesman is a nightmare!! No-one appears to have any formal qualifications, but claims to either to be able to do any work you need, or has a friend who can. Unfortunately many of these people do not have the necessary skills, and much work is shoddy - the problem is there is little employment here and everyone is desperate to find work, so will "lie" in order to get the job. I think part of this too is that they want to make you happy, so will make wild claims - the ones you want to hear - even if they cannot deliver. You ask, "When can you deliver my furniture?" - they reply, "Tomorrow." "Wow, that is great!" - so you wait in all day, and when you call they give excuses, like "the van has broken down", the next day "we had a puncture", then the following day "well, when we checked the chair was broken, so we have had to order another", and so on, and eventually a week later you get the delivery - and that is when you were always going to get it! I just wish they would be honest from the outset!
There always seem to be parties going on - many organised by the local council - and fireworks! Fireworks are let off day and night indiscriminately, even by the church or other organisations, with no consideration for the feelings of others. They seem to think that if they want to make a noise they have a right to, day or night, or all day and all night, and to hell with everyone else.
I could go on, but will end Brazil with something that I see all the time - which is people just milling around in the streets. Any time of day there will be groups sitting on the pavements talking (and drinking!), or just hanging about. If you go into any shop or business there will usually be a few "friends" who have dropped in to pass the time of day, and others who just seem to hang out there permanently! The streets are always busy, and children are usually out playing (very loudly) as well.

Peru:
Disclaimer - my experiences in Peru are probably more extensive than Brazil, as I have travelled round more, however I have friends in Brazil, but only acquaintances in Peru (having spent less time there and always as a tourist).
Ethnically Peru has a very small white population, with only 5% considering themselves to be white, with 60% considered to be "mixed race", or mulatto, 8% Asian and black, and the remainder belonging to indigenous tribes. Peruvians appear to be a lot more serious, but equally friendly. A solo gringo touring around on a motorbike generates a lot of interest and people will come and strike up conversations. You will, however, rarely see groups just hanging around (though there are a lot of concrete sports pitches and a lot meet for a kick around with a football), and  there are times of the day when the streets are almost deserted - no children out playing and no adults just standing or sitting idly. In Pisco, in the South, I walked towards the beach for over half an hour after a meeting, and did not see a soul the whole time. Even on my return I only saw the Tuk Tuks tooting for business!
I live in a different location in Peru, close to a large city, and as a result the quality of tradesmen appears much better, and they appear to get on with the work too, possibly because they have another job waiting for them to finish this one. Punctuality is better in Peru, as well.
Families appear to be very important in Peru, and you often see families out for a walk together at the weekend - fathers appear to play a strong role in family life, though I do know that there are still many single parent families with absent fathers!

6. Conclusion:
On the whole I think Peru is slightly cheaper than Brazil to live in, and certainly feels safer on the roads. It is hard to compare city life - Trujillo seems safe to me, and despite riding around a lot I have never felt threatened there, not even riding in remote areas alone. One third of Peru's population lives in the Lima metropolitan area, and this causes huge social problems, and I believe Lima has serious safety problems as a result, much as found in the huge metropolitan sprawls in Brazil (but since I wouldn't live in a big city anywhere I can discount this in my summation!). Shopping and availability of everything comes out in favour of Peru, too, though I think that the people of Brazil are warmer overall.
If cost of living were my only criteria, I would have to find in favour of Peru, and there are very few areas where Brazil "wins", but ... I love the part of Brazil I live in, I love the simplicity of the people (and I do not mean this in a bad way!), and the way of life, and if I had to choose one to live in permanently I think it would be Brazil. However as things stand I have the best of both worlds, as long as I am able to spend 6 months in each country!!

Fishing in Angola

Introduction:
Fishing causes me stress! Not the actual process of it, but I find it hard to reconcile my love of fishing, with my aversion to bloodsports! I have not, and would not, go out and shoot any animal for sport (except with a camera), but I have no problem throwing a baited hook into the water and catching a fish. I know that this distresses the fish - all scientific studies seem to indicate this to be true, and I read somewhere that fish can lose 40% of their bodyweight during a long fight (apparently they had previously caught and weighed the particular fish), and some die even after release due to the physical damage caused during the fight.
I suppose I would hunt animals for survival, and do not have a problem with anyone who hunts for food, but it is those who shoot for trophies, for sport, or just to kill, that concern me. But I digress from fishing.
Maybe it is because from my first fishing experiences we did eat what we caught, or gave it away to be eaten, including taking some round to a pelican who appeared to be a pet near where we lived!

Pelican in Luanda

I think also the fact that you cannot see the poor fish struggling on the line until you land it, or that you do not actually see it take the hook, or that you don't hear its cries of pain, helps me to "overlook" the fact that it is still pretty cruel. The fish has a choice whether it bites my hook, unlike an animal in the sights of a high-powered rifle. All these help me to assuage my conscience and continue fishing, but I still feel a twinge of guilt, and this causes me some stress!

Fishing in Angola:

Fishing in Luanda

I don't remember ever fishing before moving to Angola in 1960, but I do recall that the following three years were the best fishing years of my life! The photo of me was taken at the end of the "island" in Luanda, we used a large cockle-like shellfish for bait called Mabanga, and used to cut it into quarters - I used to take a whole one and bite pieces off to put on my hook, sometimes eating the bait as well (it used to be served as a shellfish dish in restaurants and bars, so not as crazy as it sounds!), which is what I think I was doing in the photo. The long sleeves were not because of cold, though Luanda did have a cool winter due to the cold Benguela current running along the coast, but rather because I used to suffer really badly from sunburn, so had to keel my arms covered.

I do not know the names of all the fish we caught, but the waters at this end of the island were a haven for small fish to around 2 pounds, including the occasional Puffer Fish or small Moray Eel. My father used to cast further out and there would catch Spotted Grunter to around 10 pounds. At the other end of the island the fishing was not so fast paced, but bigger fish used to congregate there, and occasional schools of Barracuda would be found, and I caught a large Red Sea Bream there once (around 10 pounds). On one occasion my father went snorkelling there with a friend and a spear-gun, and came face to face with a Brindle Bass twice as big as he was, but luckily he wasn't on the menu that day!

For a special excursion we went to the mouth of the River Quanza (in the days when it was still safe away from the cities), and on one occasion my father caught a Sand Shark, and a large Red Sea Bream, while I caught a few small fish. The Bream weighed in at over 30 pounds, and was shared among friends as well as providing us with some lovely meals.

Mum posing with the Sand Shark

Me with the Sand Shark, the Bream was too heavy

Dad with his catch

There was another favoured spot to the North of Luanda, a bridge over the Bengo River, which at times of high water was a haven for small Tarpon (to around 5 pounds) - I say "small", because compared to some I have seen in books and on the internet these were modest, but they were still incredible sport. We used to use spinning lures for them, and when they got hooked they would launch out of the water and shake like crazy to try and throw the hook, which they did more often than not! I never did manage to keep one on my line, but my father was more successful, though on our first visit we lost most on the way up to the bridge as once clear on the water on being landed they started shaking again, and would get free. A basket on a long rope solved this problem though.

Posing with Dad's Tarpon

Although we fished a lot in Mozambique during our time there, and I have fished in other countries as well, I still recall Angola as being the best fishing, possibly because the variety of fish caught was amazing.

Buying a motorbike in Peru

Before I returned to Peru at the beginning of 2014 I decided to research motorbikes. I had decided that I needed something a bit bigger than the 150cc I had borrowed the previous year, so started looking on the internet for ideas - and soon realised that Peru has not really taken to internet commerce!
I started in classified ads, and soon found a vendor in Trujillo who appeared to be selling a few large bikes, some suitable for touring, at what appeared to be low prices (first warning, I guess!). Often vehicle adverts in Peru have the prices in US dollars (which is legal tender, and even cash machines will dispense them), and occasionally a price will show Peruvian Soles, but is in fact dollars (2.5x  greater!) so can catch out the unwary. However these adverts were showing dollars already and I decided to try and make contact. There was a "reply to advertiser" button, as well as an email address and a telephone number, so I tried that first - as expected no response! So I emailed (2 different adverts) and again, no response. As a last resort (as I was in Brazil) I tried phoning and my cell provider did not recognise the number!! So I made a mental note to try again once I arrived in February.
I had, in fact, experienced this lack of response to internet ads before, when apartment hunting - I must have contacted a dozen advertisers online and only one ever responded to me. It made me wonder why they went to the bother, and sometimes expense, of placing an online advert in the first place!
In my research I had spotted a rather nice looking 350cc bike - the Regal Raptor SPT350 - manufactured in Singapore, but the only dealership was in Lima, a long way from where I was in the North, and there were no agencies anywhere near. Despite the fact that they assured me I could get servicing done "anywhere" I was a little concerned that any warranty might be invalidated, and that I would be unable to find anyone suitable skilled while touring.
All imported bikes are very expensive in Peru, and they hold their secondhand values too, so I was finding myself priced out of the dedicated touring bike market, and also the "larger engined" market! There is a huge motorbike market in Peru, heavily skewed towards imported Chinese machines, and none bigger than 250cc, so I started researching this market, and decided I needed a trail bike, for my fishing trips, but that might be suitable for long distance cruising.
A problem I soon encountered was that fuel tank sizes were very small (at that stage I wasn't sure how easy it would be to find petrol stations while travelling in rural areas) - usually no bigger than 3 gallons, and these are US gallons, so 3.7 litres rather than the Imperial 4.5. The second problem was that most of these "trail" bikes had a maximum top speed no greater than 55 mph (88 kph), so touring was going to be very slow and tedious, and potentially dangerous on highways where you would be among the slowest moving traffic.
Armed with rudimentary knowledge I went to Avenida Peru in Trujillo, where all the bike shops are, and started asking questions. I started with Ronco (the same make as the 150cc I had used before), as I had seen one there the previous year, and it looked the part, but they had no technical data for it other than tank size (12 litres - 3.25 US gallons, or 2.7 Imp gallons), but "thought" it would do 120kph (75mph)! I visited various other companies, and they all had visually similar models (in fact at least one appeared identical other than brand name and stickers), and was even showed one that had a built-in MP3 player and speakers on the mirror stems! Technical data was again in short supply, with wild claims being made by the salesmen - most of which were seriously at odds with the data I had found from the manufacturers' websites!

Ronco Demolition 250

Eventually I decided on the Ronco Demolition 250, mainly because it was the best looking of the bunch, and I knew the shop and the mechanics from the previous year! At the prevailing exchange rate the bike was just under £1000 - on the road! This also included plates, registration and a crash helmet - oh, plus a small t-shirt, and a litre of oil for the first change!

I was expecting a long drawn out process to get the registration and paperwork done, especially since a foreigner is supposed to go to Immigration and get a document allowing him/her to sign contracts. But the shop simply gave me the receipt, and the (unsigned) sales contract and told me I had to go to a Notary and get it authenticated. I had no idea what the process was at the Notary, but went to reception and explained I was there about a bike purchase and they pointed me in the direction of an office at the back, where there was quite a queue. One of the two employees attending then went for lunch, and this delayed things further, but eventually after over 2 hours it was my turn - and I was in the wrong place!! This was for transfer of ownership from private sales, and all I needed was to go to the front desk and get my identity authenticated!!! They looked at my passport, checked it was me, signed the sales contract and then I had to pay a 15 soles fee, and was done!!

I went back to the bike shop and handed the papers back in - and they gave me the keys!! I asked about registration and plates, and they simply said I just need to show the bill of sale to prove ownership and tell them that the rest was on the way - but I did need to go and get SOAT, the compulsory third party insurance. So it was on my birthday, February 14, 2014, I walked into a bike shop at 10.00 am, and then rode away on a new bike at 4.00 pm (would have been quicker if I had known what I was doing at the Notary!!). Two weeks later they called to say the plates had arrived, and 5 days later the bike registration (like a credit card) was ready. Compared to Brazil it was a piece of cake!