Worst Drivers in the World?
I think I already mentioned that the driving in Peru is mighty scary. That’s an understatement. I now believe that Peruvian drivers will be near the top of the list of bad drivers when I “finish” seeing the world. My preconceptions (again) were that the worst drivers would be in Southeast Asia. Well, if it gets any worse then there will be a lot of carnage to witness. I saw amazingly stupid stunts in Africa, but I did not fear for my well-being when I got into a car. Not true here in Peru. I basically wish for the best outcome every time I get into one.
The other evening the taxi was taking me into Cajamarca to meet a new friend. We were on a dual carriageway when I saw a car with lights on facing our direction on our side. Plus it was tilted to the side. I immediately concluded accident… slow down. Not my braniac taxi driver. He continued to speed along not even acknowledging that something was amiss. Plus he was in the lane where the other car sat. Now such a single incident might have you thinking that hewas just not paying attention. Oh no, this is just how it is done here – drive like a fool towards some object and decide at the last moment on how to deal with it… most likely it will get out of your way by time you hit it and you can just continue on with no change. For a country that I am falling in love with and what is becoming the best country I have visited, this little cultural problem sure does bug me. Probably because it endangers my ability to live a full life! So, as we get closer to the obvious accident, I start to prepare to become part of it (I never get in a car without using the seatbelt here). At the last moment, the driver realizes the smashed up car is not going to get out of his way (he was perplexed because he was using his horn!!!!) and he swerves crazily to avoid it and then swerves again to avoid people and the other vehicle which had been the other half of the accident.
I actually do not see as many accidents here as I would expect to be caused by so many bad habits. But the number of close calls is phenomenal. I don’t know if I have had a single ride yet where there wasn’t some incident that would have been a freak situation at home. A situation that I would remember for days. So many of them here, they are all a blur. I have yelped a couple of times. And it isn’t always the drivers. I saw an indigenous woman shuffling along by the road in her full skirt regalia and obligatory weaved, wide-brimmed hat when we approached on the road. Suddenly, her shuffle took her right into the road to cut across it. I expected her to become a new passenger in the front seat, but the taxi’s brakes managed to stop us centimeters from impact. She continued her shuffle not even phased that she almost became a hood ornament. Yesterday, a bicyclist crossed a road in front of our bus and only because the bus slammed on its brakes (when was the last time you saw a 60 kph bus lock up its brakes?) did that fool get to eat dinner. He also continued on his merry way as if nothing had happened.
Peru is famous for its plunging bus rides. Plunging off cliffs, that is. Often enough that it makes me a bit nervous. Famous enough to compete with Indonesian and Philippine ferry dives. The ride I took yesterday from Cajamarca to Trujillo was beautiful. The cliffs were there, but the drive for Transportes Lineas was ultimately safe… and slow. I’d rather go slow, though, than see just how fast a bus can fly. To give you an idea about how slow and how crazy the roads are here… Cajamarca is about 120 kilometers from Trujillo by way the crow flies. The road is 310 kilometers long! The drive takes over six hours and the first four hours we only traveled 150 kilometers. For four hours we only were going an average of 37.5 kilometers per hour!!!! Luckily, the scenery was awesome and truly nice to enjoy at such a slow speed and when we got to the boring part near the coast, I was able to watch a new movie (Deja Vu) which was the first new movie I have seen in a long time. When we got on the bus, the guy next to me said a prayer and made the sign of the cross. I almost said “Hallelujah, Amigo!” By the way, the buses are extremely modern and comfortable here. Or at least for the companies that I will be taking. There are really cheap companies that have antiquated buses for the poorest travelers and my belief is that they are the ones that try to fly. That’s my story and I am sticking to it…
Tags: peru, south america, Travel
vagabondrick
When you go back to Africa, you MUST drive in South Africa. I can’t begin to describe it, but simply say that I understand where you are coming from! Of course, being stopped by the police and told they were taking me to jail out in the middle of nowhere added somewhat to the fear. Your travels continue to sound wonderful…..Marion