“HE WHO DOES NOT TRAVEL DOES NOT KNOW THE VALUE OF MEN".
Moorish proverb

We had to wait a while for breakfast, after inhaling it, we left in the direction of Arequipa, which is inland so we left the coast. All desert or Peruvian Pampas as they call it. Before arriving at Arequipa we veered right towards Tacna, not as much traffic, at times we were the only one around, some mountains and valleys. We both had problems with trucks and car coming on the opposite side, they had plenty of opportunities for overtaking at the right places but evidently could not wait a few seconds. At one stage i had a nasty situation where two semis one trying to overtake the other, were occupying the whole road I made changes of lights, honked the horn with no avail, but I had to tighten everything and come to a halt. The truck put the brakes on and burnt the tyres, smoke coming out of them he went back behind the trucks just metres from me.
At about 150 kms before Tacna we arrived at a town in a valley, put gasoline, I put unleaded, cheap they call the 84. Shorty inadvertently pointed to another pump so the guy put the 95. A few metres later, his motorbike starts to fail, it would start and then stall, I continued on to find the closest servo, I went back for him and somehow he made it to the servo, convinced that the problem was sand in the carburetor as we had to pass through another sand storm today. While Shorty began to pull apart his Suzuki, I went to buy refreshments. Works out that in town there is a motorbike mechanic and hotels, so I returned to tell Shorty there was no need to panic. The air filter was super dirty, we cleaned it with air but nothing, we attempted to start it and petrol would leak, I said to Shorty it must be the carburetor but he says to me it has injection not carburetor, in that two boys of around 15 years old who were watching say to us that the liquid on the floor is diesel, so I translated to Shorty and there was no other choice but to drain the tank and refuel. I put a bit through the mouth of the filter and spilt a bit so when we tried to start the bike it caught fire, so then we all start to blow like mad to stop the fire, it extinguished immediately and we put wet rags to try again and with the aid of wd40 it started with a lot of smoke. Shorty began to put everything in its place, the tank, seat and I cleaned the air filter on Angie that also was dirty and with sand.
We gave the boys some money in gratitude, grabbed water from a well to wash our hands.
More of the pampas and we arrived at Tacna, 40kms from the border. We looked for a hotel, a native lady told me I could keep the bikes in the garage but it had a step that was too steep for Angie to go down. The lady put some bricks down and went to get some cardboard as Shorty went to enter his bike it touched the tiles and cracked two. When the lady returned I put Angie in without a problem but then she started that we needed to pay for the damages and to argue that she asked us to wait for the cardboard, bla bla. She wanted 15 soles, which is nothing but Shorty was adamant that he'd only pay 10 and thats when things turned ugly. With his limited Spanish he started "abra puerta yo take bike, llamar policia," he wanted to leave and have his money returned. In the end we negotiated for 11, basic place not recommended, 30 soles forget the name. The place is opposite a bus depot where we went to get chips and biscuits and that is how another very long and complicated day came to finish. Went to sleep, clothed, no shower and no descent food.
SAME TEXT HERE IN SPANISH: Dia 46 Viernes 14

Un dia con dramas

Tuvimos que esperar un rato por el desayuno, despues de aspirarlo, salimos con rumbo a Arequipa, dejamos la costa, todo desierto o pampas Peruanas le llaman, antes de llegar a Arequipa torcimos a la derecha hacia Tacna, poco trafico, eramos solos por largos ratos, algunas montañas y valles. Los dos tuvimos problemas con camiones y auto en nuestra via de frente, tenian pila de lugares para pasar pero no podian esperar unos segundos, yo me la vi feo con dos semi uno tratando de pasar al otro, empece con cambios de luces, bocina pero tuve que apretar todo lo que tenia hasta quedar parado, el camion freno y las cubiertas largaban humo se puso detras del otro a pocos metros de mi.
A unos 150 kms antes de Tacna llegamos a un pueblo en un valle, pusimos gasolina, yo de la sin plomo, la mas barata le llaman la 84 y Shorty le señalo el otro grifo con la 95, a los pocos metros su moto empezo a fallar, prendia y se apagaba, yo segui y encontre a pocos metros otra estacion de servicio, lo fui a buscar y mas mal que bien estaba llegando. Convencido yo que era el carburador sucio de tanta tormenta de arena que pasamos, que tambien hoy nos toco. Mientras empezaba a desarmar la suzuki, me fui a comprar refrescos, me entere que en el pueblo habia mecanico de moto y hoteles, regreso para comunicarle a Shorty que no habia necesidad de panico. El filtro del aire estaba super sucio, lo limpiamos con aire y nada, hicimos como para prenderla y salia gasolina, tiene que ser el carburador le digo, y Shorty me dice es a injeccion no tiene carburador, en eso habia tres muchachos alrededor dos jovenes de 15 años y el de la estacion, uno de los jovencitos miro la gasolina que habia en la tierra y dice eso es petroleo asi le llaman al Diesel, el de la estacion trajo un poco de gasolina en una botella y le pusimos por la boca del filtro de aire y arranco, ahi le dije a Shorty, los muchachos estan diciendo que te pusieron Diesel en vez de gasolina, todos nos dimos que cuenta, no habia otra, a vaciar el tanque, le pusimos gasolina, yo le puse un chorro en la boca del filtro y derrame por el costado, tratamos de prendera, y se prende fuego, todos a soplar a lo loco, se apago enseguida y pusimos trapos mojados para intentar otra vez y con la ayuda del wd40, arranco tirando humo.
Shorty empezo a poner todo en su lugar, los costados, tanque, asiento mientras yo limpie el filtro de aire de Angie que tambien estaba sucio y con arena. Le dimos una propina a los tres, saque agua de un pozo, nos lavamos las manos, la estacion de servicio era todo de tierra, de esas de campaña.
Mas pampas, llegamos a Tacna, que esta a unos 40 kms de la frontera, buscamos un Hostal, una indigena me dijo que podiamos poner las motos en el garage, mire y tenia un escalon muy alto para Angie, me dijo que ella ponia unos ladrillos, abrimos la puerta, puso los ladrillos y me dice voy a buscar unos cartones, pero Shorty empezo a poner su moto, toco abajo y lasco dos baldosas, vino la mujer con el carton y pusimos a Angie despacito y sin problema, pero la mujer empezo que tenemos que pagar por los daños y a discutir que eso ya estaba que no , que te dije que esperaras por el carton y blabla mas discuciones, queria 15 soles que es nada, pero Shorty que no diez no more y ahi la cosa se puso fea, Shorty con su pobre español le dice abra puerta yo take bike, llamar policia, queria irse a toda costa y que nos devolvieran la plata, al final arregle por 11 soles. Basico NR 30 soles, no se como se llama, le saque una foto, esta en una esquina frente a la terminal de buses, a esta fuimos a comprar unas chips y galletitas y asi paso otro dia largo, complicado, a dormir vestrido sin baño y sin una comida decente.