Keep on Truckin'

Friends:

I am fond of my little 3 cylinder, 1989, Japanese mini truck. It does everything I need a truck to do at minimum of expense. However,  Peruvians in Trujillo take "light trucking" to a whole new meaning. There are a lot of small trucks powered by  small motorcycle engines. They are actually quite sturdy and seem to carry heavy loads at times. For those not able to afford a truck with an engine there are a lot of trucks that are bicycle powered. Some of them are quite ancient. A lot of them are equipped as portable fruit stands, or selling fresh baked bread, pick up and delivery, garbage collection and a host of other things.  

This collection of pictures might give the impression that this is the main mode of transport.  Far from it. There are all kinds of vehicles from old to new clogging the main roads, weaving in and out and changing lanes constantly, with one hand on the wheel and the other on the horn. Driving in Trujillo is not for the faint hearted. In spite of the fact that they cut each other off  and honk continually there is no road rage. Meanwhile, the lightweights just go along at their own pace as though they were the only ones on the road and let the cars and buses look out for them, and they do. 

Most people don't have any kind of vehicle. As a result, most of the cars on the road are taxis. The last picture is of a Huanchaco bus. It is our favorite. Like all buses, it is colorfully painted. It gets us to the ocean at Huanchaco, where we will go tomorrow to spend a few hours body surfing, and relaxing under a rented umbrella, reading while listening to the surf.  Mondays are our free days, and going to the ocean seems to be becoming a routine. The nice thing about the Huanchaco bus, aside from the low cost,  is that there is one every 3 minutes. Seriously . Amazingly, they are all mostly full. Also amazing is that neither Debbie or I have been allowed to stand. These people are so polite that it is embarrassing. They readily give their seats to any old people or women. Good manners, like good food, seem to be a tradition that all embrace. We are falling in love with Peru and Peruvians. 

Peter & Debbie