Now I was getting nervous about something else: el policia. No queiro problemas con la policia! We had no license plates and had to pass through a security check point on the way to Huanchaco, which is why the salesman came with us. We had money for a bribe, which is the common practice in Peru if pulled over, and were also pretty sure that it was legal to ride them right now, but we weren't sure as our Spanish skills and Google translate we used at the dealership wasn't good enough to quite figure that part out. We passed one group of police randomly waving people on in the road and the didn't seem to care much. Well okay, lets see what happens at the checkpoint a few kilometers down the road. We got closer and and began to slow down through it we went and..... they didn't even look twice at it. No tuvimos problemas con la policia! In the states we wouldn't have made it four blocks without plates. Here they don't even care it seems, which explains the way they drive here. So we pulled up to the hostel right as the sun was setting both in disbelief that we had just purchased motorcycles in Peru.
Now our second problem is how we are going to break them in. We need to put 500k on them so we can take them in for there first service. Without plates yet this is a little nerve-wracking. After talking to some locals we found out to just put cardboard on the back of the bike saying placas en tramite, which means plates in processing. And after talking to a friend who toured around on one he said to just ask if you can pay the "fine" now and flash a 20 soles bill in front of him. In the US you would go to jail for that, but here in Peru that is the way, I mean they do make police pay for their own gas.
Still I am a little nervous about riding so we have been taking rides to down a desolate desert road that follows the beach. I have to say it is pretty zen riding through a barren desert wasteland with the ocean right there, especially as the sun sets. After the road veers away from abandoned adobe buildings and the beach. It suddenly becomes fields of sugarcane (I think) and veers away from the ocean. Eventually, I started to see more and more mototaxi's and was suspecting that we were getting closer to a town and we were which consisted of a traffic circle and some adobe slums.
Another thing about Peruvian small towns is a one-way street is just a suggestion. We passed policia while going up one (without plates), and he did nothing at all but give us that "what are these crazy gringos doing here look". We also saw three utility workers two on bike and one on horse right after. I am very excited to see more of this side of Peru that most travelers don't get to see.
Today we went to Trujillo to drop some stuff of at the Honda dealership and pick-up some supplies, such as spare tubes, tire levers and what not. My poor Spanish speaking abilities were getting pushed to the limits and I was getting pretty mentally burned-out. In frustration I returned to Huanchaco to fine that two friends had showed up from Huaraz and just happened to be at the hostel. I talked to them for a bit and then decided it was time for a ride. So off I went and as soon as I was getting towards the end of town I felt my back end getting squirrelly. Sure enough, I already got a flat. I got off the bike and began to push it towards the the other side of town where I knew there was a mechanic. In the mid day heat this was the last thing I wanted to do, well second to last, being forced into another Spanish conversation that was probably the last. After making it a few blocks a few Peruvians sitting out front of a restaurant one asked "que paso". I had no idea how to explain so I turned the back of the bike towards them and pointed. This must look ridiculous Travelling has its humbling moments for sure. He tried to explain directions to me, but my lacking knowledge of prepositions left me lost. So he just ended up walking me up to the place. There was some construction going on and kids playing out front but no mechanic in sight. Okay, so if he was going to rob me he wouldn't do it in front of all these kids... I hope. He ran into a building and came out and said a bunch of stuff really fast that I couldn't understand and then left. So I was left standing there with my bike. Finally this shady looking old man stepped out and silently began gathering tools. He began taking the wheel off and I started to help the guy building cut rebar. If he is going to be using a grinder right next to us I might as well help.
Eventually he finished patching it and put the tire back on the wheel. When he was finished assembling the tensioners he quickly took the wheel back of then threw it in the mototaxi, looked at me and smiled and then hopped in. I jumped in front of him and stopped him. "Que pasa, que pasa!" He got out angrily and put the wheel on his table and said something about frio frio blancha aire, which means cold and air and something else. I made him take the tube off and leave with just that. He came back in about ten minutes with a inflated tube and quickly reassembled everything. Gringo paranoia and inept Spanish, two big problems. "Cuanto es" I asked, he grinned and said cinco soles. That whole thing just cost me two dollars when he could of charged me whatever and this whole time I was worried about getting robbed.
I rode back home and scheduled Spanish lessons.
Today I took a Finnish friend for a ride down the road and then explored some slums and climbed up a little hill for a view of Huanchaco. We passed a checkpoint on the way. I guess they close the gate and keep it on lock down at night time. These pictures are from the ride today. I am getting damn bored sitting around here waiting for these plates. Excited for the surf competition to end that is being held here so I can get back in the water.
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