Driving in Lima

One of my biggest fears was driving in big cities in South America.  In particular I was afraid of Lima because of its well established reputation.  As we approached Lima in Peru I met another motorcyclist who had been living in California but was now living in Lima.  He immediately asked how we were doing in traffic.  He explained that driving in Chile is like driving in Europe.  Driving in Peru is like driving in Africa and Lima was completely nuts.

He was right!

Well, actually, after 3 days of watching and participating in the traffic I am no longer afraid and I am beginning to enjoy it.  There is definitely a method to their madness.  One big difference from traffic in the US is that in Lima everyone actually pays attention to what is going on around them.  No putting on make-up or reading while driving here.   Also since it is commonly understood that traffic controls and lane striping are merely suggestions, people are aware that they must stay on their toes.

At first the cacophony of horns is confusing, and frankly a little frightening.  But I can now state with confidence the main reasons why they honk their horns:

1) A friendly notice that they are about to violate your right of way.  Just a heads up, no offense intended.  A mild variation of this is the honk to let you know they are coming if you might not have noticed.  This honking is actually quite helpful.

2) Honking because you are not being aggressive enough and are delaying traffic, please keep it moving.  Happily I can say I learned this  by watching others, not by being slow.  It is very helpful to have a large power to weight ratio, be narrow and maneuverable in this traffic.

3)This rule probably took the longest to understand...they honk and honk and honk until you finally look and they wave, or take your photo, or give you a thumbs up and smile.  The Dakar Rally and everything about it, including bikes that look like rally bikes, or in the case of mine have Dakar written all over it (literally with words and pictures) are warmly received.

4) This reason I have not personally seen, but I'm sure it is the case:  Each vehicle licensed in Peru has an indicator light on the dash.  If you have not honked your horn in the last 5 minutes the light comes on as a reminder to honk and the driver does so.

I will post video of traffic here when I get back to the states.  It really is hard to believe.