Gian Franco’s “Surf Distractions” easily draw me in. The rolling surf clearly has his mind on other things as he peels off the highway down a dirt path for a closer look. It’s speaking to him and you can see it. He soon regains focus and returns to join us.
Rumours of lunch start to chatter on the intercom as we get closer to our first stop. The team exits the highway and congregates in a gas station parking lot to weigh options. A local boy pops out from behind a parked truck and quietly takes a perched position beside me. I say hello exhausting the extent of my Spanish abilities. Wide-eyed he carefully reviews each motorcycle. My observations immediately transport me to those days where I too would marvel at the big two wheelers. I suppose boys are boys regardless of geography or even age for that matter. A sudden and sharp “Vamos” over the comms means we are off again. “Ciao ciao Amigo!”...I said as we rolled off. I got more out of the encounter than he did I’m sure.
Quickly we notice the team is separated and those of us out front stop and wait. News comes that Larry has fallen. Larry is a new rider and his experience worked against him in negotiation of the gravel in the gas station parking lot. He spun out damaging a Pannier and his rear brake lever. Some quick bends and a toss of the Pannier into the truck and we were off to lunch.
We were met in Ilo by a man and his small video camera. We assumed he was a local news guy interviewing foreigners in the town square. Through Pier’s interpretation it was my turn. This was cool. Last time in South America I made it into the news paper in Arica for perfectly legal reasons. This time...Peruvian television just had to talk to me. Pier suggested that next time I take a run and political office in Chile or Peru. One never knows.
With that we were off to lunch. Piles of food and Inca Cola...just the fuel we’d need to complete our day. We may have doubled our portions if we’d know what lay ahead.
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