Traveling in Peru is similar to travel in other South American countries with one exception - the mototaxis. They are motorcycles fitted with a cabin over two back wheels. Some, as in this photo, are surrounded with colorful plastic and seat from one to three passengers. It seems they were first introduced in jungle regions from India in the 1980s and quickly spread across Peru. Now they are ubiquitous in small towns, rural areas, and often in neighborhoods and suburbs of larger cities. They are inexpensive and reasonably comfortable. They mix fluently in car and bus traffic and your use will depend upon your risk level. I was determined to ride in one and finally did so in Zorritos.
A mototaxi with somewhat less covering than most.
Traveling up the Pacific coast we sometimes used a guidebook to find lodging, other times we stopped at a travel agency or information office. In a Miraflores travel agency, we chanced upon an advertisement for a campground in Zorritos, a small town south of Tumbes near the Equadorian border. Although a campground was not part of our original planning, the advertisement was so appealing that we decided to make Zorritos our next stop after Chiclayo. Reaching Zorritos, 288 miles north of Chiclayo, proved challenging. Bus schedules were not ideal and air travel required a flight to Tumbes, then a reverse trip to Zorritos. In the end, we decided on bus travel along the Pan-American Highway (the only route). We arrived at 3am in the morning, disembarking in front of a bank with a sleepy guard. Fortunately, the guard found a mototaxi who brought us to the campground. In the morning we were assigned the cabin in the photo. We found a very friendly and relaxing atmosphere. Residents took meals communally and conversation was lively. The lingua franca, English, made communication easy for people of various nationalities - one couple from as far as Croatia. We spent our time relaxing, talking with the other guests or wandering the beach. At the end of a week, we reluctantly said good buy to our Italian hosts and the other guests. We would have liked to stay longer but had one more stop on our list: Cajamarca. We boarded a bus for the return trip and immediately upon arrival bought tickets for Cajamarca. I should add that bus travel in South America is far more comfortable than buses in the U.S. Some bus lines, however, are better than others.
