Lobsters to Llamas, Maritimes to Argentina

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by dryden_rider_54

20 - 7
3:59 left in 3rd. Atlanta threatening

27-7
2:11 left in third

27-21
Seattle starting to gain momentum in the 4th

27-21 34 seconds left Seattle on the 2 yard line 1st and goal

27-27 seattle fumble and recovery crossing goal line. td under review

28-27 Seattle 31 seconds left

28-27 19 seconds atlanta on the move.

Atlanta in field goal range 13 seconds left

30-28 Atlanta 8 seconds left

Atlanta squib kick. Seattle has ball near center

Hail Mary Atlanta interception no time left

Atlanta wins great game and an incredible 4th q

I appreciate the updates. Here is what I was doing meanwhile


So there's this Maritimer in Peru, and he walks down to the bar to see the game, Bar's closed! then he walks back to his room to put it on the TV....Australian Open Tennis, then he figures, he can at least listen to the game online....takes 20 minutes to find a radio station that doesn't have South America blocked out..... gets to hear the last few minutes of a disastrous first half, calls his own home at half time and can barely make out anything anyone says there are so many people there watching the game. Internet goes dead. No Call home, no game. Frustrated he tries to diagnose computer problem because he's getting the exact same messages the computer has given for the last two weeks...DNS SERVER NOT RESPONDING....tries dozens of unsuccessful attempts to reset DNS Server, then tries to find out if maybe the Hostal's WiFi is suspect. Tough to do when you don't speak the language but is given assurances it's OK. Walks a mile back past the closed bar to the internet cafe in 95 degree heat to find out the F***ing internet is down all over town. walks a mile back home with no game, no call home and nothing to do. 6 hours later.....finally connects to his own home, finally, his buddy answers, a buddy who has been watching the figgen game, and a second game, in this poor Maritimer's house, along with a large group of football fans, only to have his buddy say he has to go and take another call....WTF? Can't hear anything because someone is yelling in a cell phone on a local call..

Too bad about the Seahawks, but I would have liked to have seen it or at least heard it.

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by 1Man2Wheels

I was fretting about navigating into central Lima too, but a Peruvian rider recommended the route below:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=213224474256604881985.0004d330da7ee289ca18 e&msa=0&ll=-12.080953,-77.081451&spn=0.722463,1.352692

(I couldn't get the Google maps route marker to cooperate so its a rough approximation)

I didn't have GPS maps for Peru, so I'm going off memory here. Basically you leave the Panam a few kms after Ancon and make your way to the international airport (signposted), then on to the Lima cost road (the "Costenera") The first section of this route has some traffic, but nothing too crazy. Once you get on the Costanera its cake to get to the center of town - the Costanera is a promenade type road at the base of a cliff so very little traffic.

I'd recommend a very early start form Huanchaco as its a full day to Lima from there. In fact I stayed the night in Ancon to avoid having to deal with Lima evening rush hour. I went in the next morning.

Anyway, just another option for you to consider to get into Lima.

Been enjoying your report from the start. Keep up the great reporting. I did the same trip last year and wish I was back there again!

I really appreciate that. Very timely information. I was just looking at how to get into Lima. My plan today is to ride down to the Primavera area and then stop at the beaches around there, maybe Playa del Colorado. Then make an attempt on Lima after the morning rush hour is done.

I will very likely take the route you suggested. Thanks!

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by Fourty2ri

Have another day off and relax. All is still well in Patriots nation!

Your having an amazing adventure my friend, travel safe

I do take some comfort in the fact that the Seahawks beat the Patriots this year. Thanks.

I guess I'm just frustrated the I looked forward to the game all week and then absolutely everything that could prevent me from hearing or seeing it seemed to happen at once. It's that Murphy fellow I tell ya!

I'm going to get ready and head south today.

Kedgi

[RhinoVonHawkrider]

Kedgi just found ur RR & read the whole thing in the past few daze, great stuff keep it coming


Feliz 2013, stay safe

Rhino

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by RhinoVonHawkrider

Kedgi just found ur RR & read the whole thing in the past few daze, great stuff keep it coming


Feliz 2013, stay safe

Rhino

Welcome abroad, Rhino

Glad you're along for the ride!

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

I had a long ride yesterday, some 600kms along the Peruvian Coast. Starkly beautiful. Empty, miles and miles and miles of nothing but sand rock and mountains. Good Pavement. Crazy buses. Had three of them force me off the road yesterday, all opposite direct buses that pass even though you are coming at them. I stopped in Ancon, just short of Lima last night, just after dark. I found a place in a hostal at the side of the main road after looking in couple little towns and not being able to find a place with secure parking. It was 25 Peruvian Soles or about $10.

I got up early, as always and rode into Lima. Decidedly NOT for the timid. What a crazy city. It is huge. It took me two hours to get from the outskirts into Miraflores, the tourist district. Cab drivers are crazy. They won't give you your right of way, they just pull out in front of you. They don't care. I drive like I'm going to slam right into them and at the last second they back off and you squeeze through. I made some video but I'm afraid to look at it. haha Actually its quite long and would require a lot of editing to post. Maybe when I have more time.

Bryce was hit broadside by a car yesterday. Hit him in the Panniers. Knocked him down but he's alright. Broke his luggage rack, but the rack saved him. Firiggen lucky! He's already had the required welding done and is on his way again.

I have had my headlight aimed too high since I left home. Got that fixed today! Yay! Got my tires, I bought in Cali, installed too at MotoPerformance Plus Peru. Ricardo and Johnny are awesome. They treated me like Gold. They told me a long distance guy from Oregon was in their shop yesterday. I asked, "Big Guy with a Beard?" Yup! Bryce! I know that guy! About 5 minutes after I got there two more Adventure bikes from Colombia showed up. I went to breakfast at the Market with one of those guys, had rice, chicken and some kind of huge beans and coffee for 6 soles. What a deal. It was good! While I eating I hear someone yell, Dwight! It was Bryce. He had dropped back into the shop and came to the market looking for me. He's off to Nazca today. I'll probably catch him again in Cusco.

I have lots of picture to post later....

Kedgi

[dryden_rider_54]

I am reading 5 ride reports, and sometimes mix them up but I have been specifically reading your report, Alison's (Bubbletron) and Bryce's (Ulysees). It is interesting to get the, somewhat different but mostly the same, perspectives of the locations as you travel within days of each other. It must be nice to meet up and share your stories and experiences.

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by dryden_rider_54

I am reading 5 ride reports, and sometimes mix them up but I have been specifically reading your report, Alison's (Bubbletron) and Bryce's (Ulysees). It is interesting to get the, somewhat different but mostly the same, perspectives of the locations as you travel within days of each other. It must be nice to meet up and share your stories and experiences.

Alison, Bryce, Dylan, Steve, Franki, Tony, Boris and I are all quite different or at least from different backgrounds, but we share something in common. We all know what it takes to get here. It is wonderful to be eating your breakfast in a market in Lima Peru, hear your name called and look around and see Bryce. How cool is that?

We have fun together when we get the chance but for the most part we are all happy alone. Either way it's all good. It blows me away though to come into a city of 6 million people for an hour or so and run into Bryce. I know we both had an idea of where to get bike maintenance, but we haven't seen each other since Quito. It's almost like running into a guy in Boston and seeing him a week later in Richmond Virginia just because you happened to hear of the same bike shop online.

Unbelievable.

I was talking to Steve today on email today, he's still in Ecuador, riding with Julie, headed for the Amazon, may see him down the road too. I have a feeling that if it's not on this trip, Steve and will ride together again.

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Pictures Peru


The day I missed the football game I was depressed so I only took a couple pictures, but they were good ones and that made me feel better.







Then I went to the beach




These big double decker highway coaches are the type that keep forcing me off the road




Peru's Desert

























I met this great group of opposite direction Colombian riders at a rest stop.









Occasionally you hit the coast and see great beaches like this that are completely deserted
















Can you see the man standing in this picture?











Mobile road hazards although these guys seemed to know to stay off the road




Hundreds of thousands of people in Peru live in grass huts like this.




It never rains and these are enoiugh for privacy and to keep the sun and the wind off. I am shocked by the level of extreme poverty in Peru




Sunset north of Lima






Desert






My $10 Hostal north of Lima




I'm glad i lost 20 pounds. For $10 you get a full length mirror along the bed.




Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Lima


A KLR belonging to one of the Colombians I met at Motoperformance Peru




Motosperformance Peru discovered I had worn out my brakes! Heavy loads on mountain roads do take a toll. Fortunately I brought spare brake pads with me.






Police bikes at Motoperformance Peru




The other Colombian biker's bike at Motoperfomance Peru




Brand new Honda Transalp at Motoperformance Peru. I'm not sure but I don't think this bike is available in Canada





There were a lot of nice bikes at the shop. I can only imagine what it must be like to ride a guided missile like this along the desert highway.





Brice and Juan Carlos at the market





Trusty the KLR gets some TLC





Breakfast at the market





Motoperformance Peru








Kedgi with a Moto Cop. He rides a 750 Honda inline 4. It must be very old.

The little blue police bikes are actually bikes that belong to a force that helps the Police. They are immediate responders and they call the Police if a situation escalates.







Which reminds me they asked me, at the shop, if I was going to take my old tires with me. I said I wouldn't because i was so glad to get rid of the extra load. The guys at the shop said they will give them to the Police who ride their tires until they are bald because that's all the budget will allow. I have to say Metzler Tourances are the best tires i have ever ridden. They wear like iron and they stick like glue. My tires brought me from Houston Tx to Lima Peru and could easily have gone farther. I wanted to change them here because of the mountains i am about to go up in, but they could have gone a lot farther I'm sure.


Trusty had a bath at Motoperformance Peru She's never been so clean









Ricardo and Johnny and their receptionist/cashier who's name I hared a dozen times but for the life of me I can't remember. I AM getting old.




Ricardo, Johnny and me with the Colombian riders




I can't say enough about the service I received at Motoperformance Peru. They dropped everything to work on my bike and Juan Carlos' bike. We were treated like royalty. Ricardo and Johnny both speak excellent English and obviously care about their customers and love their work.


The mechanics working on Trusty





Finished





Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Here are a few pictures i shot yesterday just walking around the Miraflores area of Lima near the Hostal

Lots of sidewalk cafes and restaurants







Buildings that remind me of Vancouver's West End




Interesting side streets





Parks




Some familiar brand names




Some unfamiliar brand names





Pizza Hut!




Wide Boulevards



Elegant buildings








Lots of shopping








Angele would love this huge bargain store. I Think it was called Avienda 5th




Cool old VW




I'm in the same neighborhood as some pretty fancy digs




I like this little apartment on the top floor. It was right across from a prominent park. I'll bet it's worth a fortune.




I heard from my backpacker friends, Jana, Niko and Lawrence. They are on their way to Lima. I am going to hang out there until they get here.

More later................

Kedgi

[Daytrader]

Thanks for taking the time to keep it going.

[slide]

Originally Posted by Kedgi

Breakfast at the market

Hmm, what is that on the right of your plate - testicles? It looks it.

[riverman]

I have been following some of the Dakar 2013 race. Are you close to any of that? Seeing any bikes or Dakar vehicles? Still reading and enjoying your great report.

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by Daytrader

Thanks for taking the time to keep it going.

Thanks for reading and commenting. It makes it fun for me.

Kedgi