“… If you wish to drive through Peru, you have to be very courageous. Actually, you must be extremely courageous and have a death wish. You must also have great big balls of steel, especially if you’re in a sedan, always give right of way to larger vehicles – this includes buses, trucks, mini-vans, mini-buses and donkey pulled chariots…”
So the second leg of the trip saw us drive in a northerly direction through the following towns:
- Lima -> Barranca -> Trujillo -> Huanchaco -> Chan Chan -> Chiclayo -> Lambayeque -> Trujillo -> Otuzco -> Trujillo –> Tortugas -> Lima.
Drive to Otuzco from Trujillo
The photos might look appealing, but I must put a strong “health and safety” warning out there. If you wish to drive through Peru, you have to be very courageous. Actually, you must be extremely courageous and have a death wish. You must also have great big balls of steel, especially if you’re in a sedan, always give right of way to larger vehicles – this includes buses, trucks, mini-vans, mini-buses and donkey pulled chariots. Most drivers have a lack of respect for the little people. Do not drive at night, and if you must, drive at 60 kph at most. We saw a black car with its headlights turned off overtaking a double decker bus. I tried to honk, flash my lights, do the finger, yell abuse from my car window and I was still forced onto the emergency shoulder “lane”.
Aside from those mishaps and unfortunate holiday adrenalin rushes, the overall experience was quite awesome (if you made it out alive). People were friendly and helpful, and they loved to stop for a chat.
On another note, I found the “Museo del Señor de Sipan” in Lambayeque to be absolutely spectacular. The old ruins of Chan Chan were something from another planet – reminiscent of the sandmen from Star Wars… and Otuzco with its religious tradition – devoted followers of the Virgin “de la puerta” (of the door/gate) who crawl 70 kilometres on their knees from Trujillo to Otuzco…
.. and here are the photos that you’ve all been waiting for:
