Day 65 - Chimbote, Peru
There are easier ways to collect X-rays than to keep crashing. Maybe the next time Ted wants to add one to his collection, he will only pretend to have an injury. His latest X-ray came after a taxi did a U-turn right in front of him. Luckily it was just after a Peaje (toll both) and Ted was "only" going about 60 km/h when his bike slammed into the side of the taxi. He went flying off the bike, rolled over the trunk of the taxi, and landed hard in the middle of the highway. His left wrist took the worst of it, nicely complementing his previous injury to his right shoulder.
Luckily, the latest X-ray in the growing collection revealed no fractures, although Ted is in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, Ted´s bike did not come out as lucky. The impact forced the shift lever right through the camshaft cover. All the engine oil in his bike quickly formed a pool on the highway under his toppled bike. Oil spills are never good. His left mirror and handguard were also smashed.
I was riding in the lead position at the time, and didn´t see any of this. When I noticed that Ted wasn´t behind me I stopped at a gas station to wait for him. The sun was setting, and we had been trying to make it Chimbote (about an hour´s drive away) before dark. When he did not come after a few minutes, I rode back to look for him. My first thought was that he had stopped to fill up with gas because we had gone about 300 km since the last fill.
The accident scene was cleared amazingly fast, and I saw no evidence of any crash when I rode back only minutes later. It turns out that Ted saw me ride by from the police car that was whisking him to the hospital. A passing truck had been flagged down to carry his broken bike to the police station. The police radioed the toll both to stop me, but I rode right through without being stopped. A few kilometres down the road, well past where I knew Ted had been in my rearview mirror, I pulled over to the side of the road to think about what to do next. While I was comtemplating, two guys in a pick up truck stopped and said that my amigo had been in an accident. That was all I understood. They spoke no English.
Immediately they offered to drive back the way they had just come so that I could follow them. On the way back, the police stopped me at the toll both and said that my amigo had a fracture. I continued to follow the guys in the pick-up truck. They led me back to within a few hundred metres of the gas station where I had been waiting before making a turn into the small town of Viru. They tried the police station first. Ted was not there, but they learned that he was at the hospital. Naturally I was concerned. It was so frustrating not being able to speak Spanish well enough to ask if Ted was alright.
When I found Ted, I was relieved to see that he was standing and appeared fully mobile. He was understandibly a bit angry at the whole situation. The sight of one´s bike leaking oil all over the road does little to improve one´s mood. He needed me to pay for an X-ray because he had no currency. They had piled all of Ted´s luggage in the hospital room. A police officer told me to watch Ted´s belongings closely while Ted got his X-ray. I was thinking about my fully laden bike parked in plain view out on the street in front of the hospital. But my new friends from the pick up truck were already thinking ahead of me, and said they would watch my bike while I waited. Later, I moved my bike off the street and parked it in the front entrance of the hospital.
One of my new friends, Martin, took me across the street and phoned one of his sisters who spoke English. She explained to me that Ted and I were welcome to stay in Martin´s room that night. Martin made a real effort to get me relaxed and make me feel welcome. I really appreciated talking to his sister in English as well. In turns out that he has a second sister who lives in Canada - in Lethbridge, Alberta of all places. What a small world.
We ended up staying in the home of the brother (Jesus) of the guy who had been driving the taxi that caused the accident. To get Ted´s non-working bike across town, Martin rode my bike using his right leg to push on the left passenger footpeg on Ted's bike, which I was riding. Clever.
We parked our motorcycles in their living room. Apparently leaving them outside was unacceptably risky. We were fed supper and slept on the living room floor beside our bikes. In the morning, after a breakfast of fresh eggs and coffee, the two brothers (and Jesus´4 year old son) took us on a tour of the local Inca ruins (Castillo de Viru) while their father went to Trujillo to get the damaged part repaired.
In the afternoon, a local mechanic made a new gasket and fitted the repaired part back on the bike. He also fixed the alignment and handguard. All of this was paid for by our hosts. I hope it did not cost them much, because it was obvious that any money they had would be better spent on themselves and their families than on us.
By the time we said goodbye this afternoon, I was moved by the hospitality and friendliness that was showered upon us. We were given so much by people who had so little. I felt guilty accepting food and drink (not to mention the cost of the repairs) by people who did not even have running water.
Today´s short ride to Chimbote from Viru was extremely painful for Ted. I´m not even sure how he can pull the clutch lever with his left hand and forearm swollen up like a balloon as they are. Our pace will most likely have to slow down (or stop altogether) until his condition improves.
Luckily, the latest X-ray in the growing collection revealed no fractures, although Ted is in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, Ted´s bike did not come out as lucky. The impact forced the shift lever right through the camshaft cover. All the engine oil in his bike quickly formed a pool on the highway under his toppled bike. Oil spills are never good. His left mirror and handguard were also smashed.
I was riding in the lead position at the time, and didn´t see any of this. When I noticed that Ted wasn´t behind me I stopped at a gas station to wait for him. The sun was setting, and we had been trying to make it Chimbote (about an hour´s drive away) before dark. When he did not come after a few minutes, I rode back to look for him. My first thought was that he had stopped to fill up with gas because we had gone about 300 km since the last fill.
The accident scene was cleared amazingly fast, and I saw no evidence of any crash when I rode back only minutes later. It turns out that Ted saw me ride by from the police car that was whisking him to the hospital. A passing truck had been flagged down to carry his broken bike to the police station. The police radioed the toll both to stop me, but I rode right through without being stopped. A few kilometres down the road, well past where I knew Ted had been in my rearview mirror, I pulled over to the side of the road to think about what to do next. While I was comtemplating, two guys in a pick up truck stopped and said that my amigo had been in an accident. That was all I understood. They spoke no English.
Immediately they offered to drive back the way they had just come so that I could follow them. On the way back, the police stopped me at the toll both and said that my amigo had a fracture. I continued to follow the guys in the pick-up truck. They led me back to within a few hundred metres of the gas station where I had been waiting before making a turn into the small town of Viru. They tried the police station first. Ted was not there, but they learned that he was at the hospital. Naturally I was concerned. It was so frustrating not being able to speak Spanish well enough to ask if Ted was alright.
When I found Ted, I was relieved to see that he was standing and appeared fully mobile. He was understandibly a bit angry at the whole situation. The sight of one´s bike leaking oil all over the road does little to improve one´s mood. He needed me to pay for an X-ray because he had no currency. They had piled all of Ted´s luggage in the hospital room. A police officer told me to watch Ted´s belongings closely while Ted got his X-ray. I was thinking about my fully laden bike parked in plain view out on the street in front of the hospital. But my new friends from the pick up truck were already thinking ahead of me, and said they would watch my bike while I waited. Later, I moved my bike off the street and parked it in the front entrance of the hospital.
One of my new friends, Martin, took me across the street and phoned one of his sisters who spoke English. She explained to me that Ted and I were welcome to stay in Martin´s room that night. Martin made a real effort to get me relaxed and make me feel welcome. I really appreciated talking to his sister in English as well. In turns out that he has a second sister who lives in Canada - in Lethbridge, Alberta of all places. What a small world.
We ended up staying in the home of the brother (Jesus) of the guy who had been driving the taxi that caused the accident. To get Ted´s non-working bike across town, Martin rode my bike using his right leg to push on the left passenger footpeg on Ted's bike, which I was riding. Clever.
We parked our motorcycles in their living room. Apparently leaving them outside was unacceptably risky. We were fed supper and slept on the living room floor beside our bikes. In the morning, after a breakfast of fresh eggs and coffee, the two brothers (and Jesus´4 year old son) took us on a tour of the local Inca ruins (Castillo de Viru) while their father went to Trujillo to get the damaged part repaired.
In the afternoon, a local mechanic made a new gasket and fitted the repaired part back on the bike. He also fixed the alignment and handguard. All of this was paid for by our hosts. I hope it did not cost them much, because it was obvious that any money they had would be better spent on themselves and their families than on us.
By the time we said goodbye this afternoon, I was moved by the hospitality and friendliness that was showered upon us. We were given so much by people who had so little. I felt guilty accepting food and drink (not to mention the cost of the repairs) by people who did not even have running water.
Today´s short ride to Chimbote from Viru was extremely painful for Ted. I´m not even sure how he can pull the clutch lever with his left hand and forearm swollen up like a balloon as they are. Our pace will most likely have to slow down (or stop altogether) until his condition improves.
Hi Tyson,
Thank you for phoning and letting us know that you and Ted in particular are "upright" although travel plans may be delayed. I am so sorry to hear of Ted's injury and hope that a further X ray doesn't reveal a fracture. What to do for the swelling? Ice Packs?
Walter checked his cell and there are plenty of hours remaining. Please don't hesitate to call us on his cell as we don't know when we will be at home.
Do take care you two,
Mom
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