Dos Amigos Escape, One Remains in Lima

We finally cleared customs and we drove once again to the warehouse, where this time we were issued orange vests and hard hats. Jorge was great and set aside a place for us to assemble our bikes. Steve Ready, want you to know I hauled extra parts for naught, but what if I hadn't.

While the warehouse workers helped us lift bikes etc., I turned around once to see one going through my pannier. Shoooo! I don't think anyone lost anything. Our expediter even helped assemble bikes.

Well, now we are riding for the gate. As Jim said a day early, we're free at last, free at last. Now we fuel up and caravan through the hood. When your Peruvian cab driver says its dangerous you keep moving. That is for about three miles.

Bouncing down a semipaved, semi existing road I looked in my mirror to see Rick throw up his hands. Remembering the cabby's warning, I hesitated but then turned back. Rick was smoking. He pulled off his seat and grabbed the melted battery and gave it a toss.

Seems as though Rick bought a battery that was too high and then couldn't secure it. It hopped around on the semipaved road and shorted out on the bottom of his seat.

The expediter stayed with Jim and me in the hood while the cabby and Rick went looking.

When they returned they were accompanied by a black Toyota pickup. The owners jump out and grabbed a 3/4 inch piece of fiberboard out the back to use as a ramp. Who's kidding who! The expediter went over to the hood and for 5 soles rented a 4x12 plank of rare tropical hardwood to load. The plank would sell for $700 in Seattle, if you got it through customs.

Next we rented a room at a Hostel. Our guide explained that in a densely populated city like Lima privacy is at a premium. I did notice a number of couples without luggage.

This morning Rick bought a new battery but could start bike. Thinking we could all spend a month in Lima, Jim and I abandoned Rick in the hood to fend for himself.

Jim and I headed up the coast and Rick continued to search for answers with the help of our now almost full time cabby.

Look at SPOT. We're sitting around the pool in Huacho. Just before we got here I got nabbed by the Peruvian Nacional Policia for riding without a headlight. Jim and I feigned total ignorance of Spanish. They asked license and documents and I asked for them back all the time with no apparent communication. Finally we all started laughing, we shook hands and Jim and I took off.

Mañana.