Once again, Dirty Larry is back!

I still am amazed at how the last few days have unfolded. After much troubleshooting, it was determined that the fuel pump and filter needed to be replaced, and of course, no parts were here in Peru for a 2002 Heritage Softail. However, several people from the Lima dealership were in Phoenix for a meeting, so they were able to get the parts necessary in the US and bring them back when they returned over the weekend.

So, after a long day at the dealership on Wednesday (1/20), Joaquin (the owner of Harley-Davidson Lima) invited us to stay at his home.

Thursday (1/21), he arranged for our new friend, Giancarlo, to take us sightseeing around Peru. We went to Pachacamac and the city center of Lima and learned so much about the people and culture of Peru. Giancarlo speaks English, so it was amazing to be able to easily communicate and also have help with translations!

Friday (1/23), we decided to go to the beach. What we didn't know was that Joaquin had a house at the beach, and he was taking us to stay there for the weekend. And, what an amazing place to be! Swimming in the South Pacific Ocean, learning to body surf, sunset walks along the beach, and having amazing home-cooked Peruvian meals for the last few days made waiting feel not as stressful or worrisome. It was an honor to spend so much time with our new friends, Joaquin and his wife Betty and their beautiful family. They took three dirty bikers in and treated us with such love and care as we patiently waited for Dirty Larry. They are the most gracious and beautiful people.

On Saturday (1/24), Alex, the head mechanic at Lima, brought our bikes to the beach house so we could leave first thing Sunday (1/25) morning and continue our journey north.

Since leaving Lima, we have ridden long days. We made it to Ecuador on my birthday (1/26) and to Colombia on 1/28 and continued towards Bogota. When you look at those who typically ride the Pan American Highway in its entirety, it is people who ride sport-touring bikes like a BMW or KTM. Not many people to my knowledge take a Harley-Davidson on this trip. If it wasn't for us sticking with the bikes we love so much, we would never have met the wonderful people we have on this trip.

Even Dirty Larry and all the troubles, I wouldn't change it for anything.