Lima

The ride to Lima was actually really nice. Unfortunately, our new Colombian friends decided to leave earlier than planned, so it was just Isaac and me traveling together. The first stretch was cold and wet, but once we descended from the mountains, the weather and temperature improved.

It was a long day about 12 hours with a few stops. Around three hours from Lima, I started noticing a burning smell. Not sure what it was, I pulled over to check the bike and saw that my radiator tank was still really low. On top of that, the coolant was blue, even though the mechanic had refilled it with green coolant. That meant the system wasn’t circulating properly, probably due to air in the lines. I tried topping up the secondary tank, but it didn’t help the smell just got worse. Since there was a proper Kawasaki dealer in Lima, I decided to push on and hope for the best.

We got to our hostel around 8:30 PM and called it a night. The next day, Isaac and I dropped off our bikes at dealerships for maintenance. He’d been dealing with chain and sprocket issues, but it turned out his clutch also needed replacing. I left mine as well and figured I’d get my headlight, oil, and coolant replaced, along with a full inspection. Turns out, my carburetor diaphragm was toast, and I needed new caliper pins.

The real problem? These parts had to be imported, which meant another 5–6 week delay. I wasn’t gonna wait that long, so I started reaching out to WhatsApp groups for help. Eventually, I found someone who could sell me the parts.

I ended up staying in Lima for a week while waiting for the bike to be fixed. Didn’t get up to much just explored the city, grabbed beers with hostel friends, and tried some local food. One day, I ordered a bowl of chicken noodle soup, not realizing it came with chicken feet, lungs, liver, and a heart. I ate all of it, but chewing through the bones wasn’t exactly enjoyable.

On my last night, I went to an Irish bar with Isaac for a proper send-off. We’d been traveling together for two weeks now, so it felt like the end of a chapter. Afterward, I caught a movie, but it was in Spanish with no English subtitles Interesting experience, but probably not one I’ll repeat.

Tomorrow, I’m heading south, back into the desert along the coast.Læs mere