THE MOTO-KAR NIGHT TRIP: it’s a good thing we didn’t know…
Monday evening, August 3.
When the second pick-up truck was unable to make it to the Health Post in Munichis after our long, hot work day,
and we had finally finished the last patient at about 7:30 PM, Susan arranged alternate transportation. Around
here, that means moto-kars, the 3-wheel “taxis” that are everywhere on every street around here….day and night.
There are very few cars or trucks on the streets of Yurimaguas or in the surrounding areas.
So, 3 moto-kars showed up for the half-hour drive back to Yurimaguas; each could take 3 of our people (team and
translators), and Susan could take 4 in her pick-up. We had a tarp protecting the medicine and dental bags from
any additional rain, although it seemed like it was about over.
All who left the Health Post in a moto-kar noticed that they were driving faster than any we had ever seen. The
roads were sloppy, and there was a bit of sliding in the clay. It’s really dark outside of Yurimaguas, as there are no
streetlights and no lights coming from the rare thatch roofed homes along the way.
When the first moto-kar came upon what appeared to be a disabled moto-kar on a lonely stretch of road, he just
sped on by. When the second car, carrying Mackenzie, Brian (Susan’s medical student nephew from Michigan),
and Anthony (one of our Peruvian interpreters), came up on the disabled kar, the driver stopped. The 2 men from
the disabled kar said their front tire was flat, so they lashed the front wheel up onto the back ledge of the
Mackenzie/Brian/Anthony moto-kar, climbed back in to their own kar, and both kars fired up and sped along the
bumpy road. It was almost like 4-wheel drive…
Brian had to stop talking, as each time he tried to talk some of the wet clay mud that flew up from the front tire
would hit him in the mouth. All the passengers were peppered with mud dobs by the time they got back to our hotel
in Yurimaguas 30 minutes later.
Warren (a very gregarious Peruvian translator from Tarapoto) had been a passenger on that first moto-kar that
bypassed the disabled kar. As everyone was talking about the trip, all now back in the safety of the hotel Akemi
lobby, some comments were made about the speed of the trip.
“It was like they were racing.”
Others were wondering out loud why that first moto-kar didn’t stop to help.
“Well,” Warren said, “they go fast like that because of the bandits.”
Everyone together said “Huh?!”
“And that’s why we didn’t stop to help, because sometimes that’s how they set you up.”
OK. Well, it all worked out just fine, and later other locals here said that they think Warren was just kidding about
the bandits.
Either way, we decided we’d try to not be outside of the town on moto-kars this late at night again…
This had been a really long, hot, tiring day….again We were almost glad there was no hot water in this hotel; the
cold water felt pretty good.
Monday evening, August 3.
When the second pick-up truck was unable to make it to the Health Post in Munichis after our long, hot work day,
and we had finally finished the last patient at about 7:30 PM, Susan arranged alternate transportation. Around
here, that means moto-kars, the 3-wheel “taxis” that are everywhere on every street around here….day and night.
There are very few cars or trucks on the streets of Yurimaguas or in the surrounding areas.
So, 3 moto-kars showed up for the half-hour drive back to Yurimaguas; each could take 3 of our people (team and
translators), and Susan could take 4 in her pick-up. We had a tarp protecting the medicine and dental bags from
any additional rain, although it seemed like it was about over.
All who left the Health Post in a moto-kar noticed that they were driving faster than any we had ever seen. The
roads were sloppy, and there was a bit of sliding in the clay. It’s really dark outside of Yurimaguas, as there are no
streetlights and no lights coming from the rare thatch roofed homes along the way.
When the first moto-kar came upon what appeared to be a disabled moto-kar on a lonely stretch of road, he just
sped on by. When the second car, carrying Mackenzie, Brian (Susan’s medical student nephew from Michigan),
and Anthony (one of our Peruvian interpreters), came up on the disabled kar, the driver stopped. The 2 men from
the disabled kar said their front tire was flat, so they lashed the front wheel up onto the back ledge of the
Mackenzie/Brian/Anthony moto-kar, climbed back in to their own kar, and both kars fired up and sped along the
bumpy road. It was almost like 4-wheel drive…
Brian had to stop talking, as each time he tried to talk some of the wet clay mud that flew up from the front tire
would hit him in the mouth. All the passengers were peppered with mud dobs by the time they got back to our hotel
in Yurimaguas 30 minutes later.
Warren (a very gregarious Peruvian translator from Tarapoto) had been a passenger on that first moto-kar that
bypassed the disabled kar. As everyone was talking about the trip, all now back in the safety of the hotel Akemi
lobby, some comments were made about the speed of the trip.
“It was like they were racing.”
Others were wondering out loud why that first moto-kar didn’t stop to help.
“Well,” Warren said, “they go fast like that because of the bandits.”
Everyone together said “Huh?!”
“And that’s why we didn’t stop to help, because sometimes that’s how they set you up.”
OK. Well, it all worked out just fine, and later other locals here said that they think Warren was just kidding about
the bandits.
Either way, we decided we’d try to not be outside of the town on moto-kars this late at night again…
This had been a really long, hot, tiring day….again We were almost glad there was no hot water in this hotel; the
cold water felt pretty good.
Brian Holowecky, Max, and Kelly hit the road in one of the ubiquitous moto-kars in Yurimaguas.
Apparently, at night, it's not always completely safe....
Apparently, at night, it's not always completely safe....