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Posted On: September 30th 2026, 05:31 pm
My bike ride this morning was (and always is) an adventure.
I was headed to school to help in the classroom of a friend who is an English teacher, and I’ve become pretty adept at simultaneously dodging major potholes and oncoming mototaxis—those three-wheel motorcycles that carry people to and fro. Other parts of the world call them tuk-tuks. Here, a ride anywhere in the city costs S/3, or about $0.88.
The way the roads are navigated (myself included) often makes me wonder how many people actually have driver’s licenses. I checked. Apparently, only 10–15%.
I usually follow the moto in front of me because they seem to know the “softest” route over the rompe muelles—speed bumps positioned before most road crossings since there are no stop signs or stoplights. (Wait, not true. There is ONE stoplight in my town.)
Then there are the things you have to dodge: oncoming mototaxis and motorcycles, trucks, parked cars, pedestrians, wandering dogs, and piles of construction debris from the current preparations for El Niño. Everything just seems to happen right in the street. Oh, and did I mention trash and dog poop?
The dogs may require the widest berth. A bite to the ankle is not something I’m looking to add to my Peru experience. We received two rabies shots before being placed on site. Hmmm…
So I find myself riding on both sides of the street, depending on whatever obstacle is coming at me, while following the moto in front of me and trying to stay in the flow. Your senses are ALLLL heightened!!
And then there’s the background soundtrack: roosters crowing, mototaxis honking at blind street crossings—which is basically ALL of them—open casa doors with music blaring, and restaurants and tiendas with LARGE outdoor speakers aggressively sharing their favorite song of the day.
Add cars covered in campaign stickers with a HUGE boombox strapped to the roof, vendors on bicycles broadcasting prerecorded messages on repeat, and the ice cream man on his three-wheel yellow trike, beeping his way through the maze of streets.
So that was my morning in Guadalupe, Peru.
Just another peaceful bike ride to school.
How was your morning? #itsallgood #perú #slowtravel
I was headed to school to help in the classroom of a friend who is an English teacher, and I’ve become pretty adept at simultaneously dodging major potholes and oncoming mototaxis—those three-wheel motorcycles that carry people to and fro. Other parts of the world call them tuk-tuks. Here, a ride anywhere in the city costs S/3, or about $0.88.
The way the roads are navigated (myself included) often makes me wonder how many people actually have driver’s licenses. I checked. Apparently, only 10–15%.
I usually follow the moto in front of me because they seem to know the “softest” route over the rompe muelles—speed bumps positioned before most road crossings since there are no stop signs or stoplights. (Wait, not true. There is ONE stoplight in my town.)
Then there are the things you have to dodge: oncoming mototaxis and motorcycles, trucks, parked cars, pedestrians, wandering dogs, and piles of construction debris from the current preparations for El Niño. Everything just seems to happen right in the street. Oh, and did I mention trash and dog poop?
The dogs may require the widest berth. A bite to the ankle is not something I’m looking to add to my Peru experience. We received two rabies shots before being placed on site. Hmmm…
So I find myself riding on both sides of the street, depending on whatever obstacle is coming at me, while following the moto in front of me and trying to stay in the flow. Your senses are ALLLL heightened!!
And then there’s the background soundtrack: roosters crowing, mototaxis honking at blind street crossings—which is basically ALL of them—open casa doors with music blaring, and restaurants and tiendas with LARGE outdoor speakers aggressively sharing their favorite song of the day.
Add cars covered in campaign stickers with a HUGE boombox strapped to the roof, vendors on bicycles broadcasting prerecorded messages on repeat, and the ice cream man on his three-wheel yellow trike, beeping his way through the maze of streets.
So that was my morning in Guadalupe, Peru.
Just another peaceful bike ride to school.
How was your morning? #itsallgood #perú #slowtravel
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