This morning we took taxis to KTM and started attaching our panniers, packing our bikes, sorting out our Riding Gear and just preparing the bikes. Eduardo, our fixer (turns out his name is Ernesto and I just called him by the wrong name since I met him,) came to have a meeting with us and return our TIPS and other Paper-work) that will help us leave the country without having to pay penalties. But he also told us that should we run into a problem we can ignore our TIPS (Temporary Import Permits) and revert to giving the Customs Officials a “Tip” each which should be around $20.

We were suppose to wait until 14h00, the cut of time  for the Aduanas Inspectors to come and see the bikes are still there, but when they were still not there at 11h00 we said goodbye, shook hands with the Mechanics and the Receptionist (which I gave a little Owl made from wire & beads,) and for Eduardo (or was it Ernesto) I gave a Rhino, and we hit the road.

It was a bit tricky to get out of Lima as they drive very differently to us, for example, at a traffic circle you don’t give way to the vehicles in the circle, the vehicles coming into the circle has right of way. And in town at every crossing where two streets cross you give way to the vehicle who is deeper into the crossing, unless the vehicle is bigger than your vehicle, then you give way to the bigger vehicle regardless of how much further you were into the crossing.

Eventually we were on the main 4 lane highway heading South, the Pan American Highway. The lanes got less until eventually there were only 2 lanes going in each direction. This road in not pretty, it is actually Butt-Ugly as you are riding through the desert, with the sea on your right and the dunes on your left. Often you go through little villages with vendors selling food and fruit and cool drinks to the many trucks and the few cars. then we stopped for lunch and shared three plates of food, each holding a spoon and the plates being rotated past you.

Not pretty is it?

Our “Restaurant” behind the bikes:

After lunch we continued South and it became more desolate. The temperature was a very pleasant 21 Degrees and we started passing holiday resorts and Beach Houses on the sea. But much different to the normal Beach House you would have in mind. These houses were small and not mansions, there were no trees and mostly built in a Box Shape. The only part of these Beach Houses I liked were the Roof Areas which were like an extra room, like a Braai Room under a canvas or tiled roof, but open all the way around it.

Thankfully we could turn East off the boring desert road and head into the desert, away from the sea. The temperature shot up to 35 degrees and the music in my ears stopped as I had not charged my Intercom System long enough. I has stopped several times for photos and found myself with Millsy when his Navigation failed. I was following my 2nd hand Ducati GPS which I bought on the last trip and this aunty then took us to a town with the same name as the Oasis, 5 km away. I eventually stoked up my phone and Proff Google saved the day and we found the road to the Oasis. It led through vineyards and we could see they were harvesting the grapes. It was green and lots of crops were being grown on both sides of the road.

And then we arrived in the little oasis village, overflowing with Back-Packers and people who were on their way to go and Sand Ski down the dunes, or heading for the Buggies to take them up the dunes for Sundowners. We were being offered tours and excursions and vendors tried to sell us their stuffs, but we kept our cool, parked the bikes and then bought a beer each and sat in the street taking in the Action happening around us. And then Rocky found us a real hotel and not a Back Packers with shared ablutions and Dormitory style accommodation.

Only Pie and Rocky remembered they had Slip Slips on their bikes and that they did not have to bring any. In my defense, I did write it down in “Notes to Self” to bring Slops as the other pair broke on the last Leg, but then I forgot where I put them Notes, so I had to buy Slops, but also I brought lots of Underpants and Socks with me, only to discover many pairs which I left here, which I surely would have told myself in lost-notes.

So Peens, Tex, Millsy and each bought a pair of Slops for R100, (except Tex how paid $8 for his pair which did use more rubber. I decided to take a photo of our new Slops and will hear from our daughters in due course which dad bought the nicest pair. Sadly Peens’s feet can not be posted on a Family Friendly Blog. He has a few………,let’s say “challenges” which he tells us are being addressed by a professional, so not photos of his Slops, but here goes the rest.

Millsy ;

 

Fleisch;

See how my toes looks longer due to the two Brown and Cream Lines on the Slops.

And Tex;

Lets hope I have more Motorbike Stories and Photos tomorrow evening to post so that I don’t have to sink this low again to post smelly feet photos.

But the goodness from today is that the bikes ran well, our Navigation was working reasonably well and we are off and out of Lima and On The Road Again.

Thanks for riding with me.

Regards

Fleisch