For three reasons
When I reach the cab station in Arcopata, I immediately get a feel for the situation. The next car to Curahuasi has no passengers yet. So I could sit in the front seat. A real advantage at the same price of 25 soles (6.5 €). With the many curves in the mountains, one rarely feels sick as a passenger.
Now I walk around the car. The left rear tire has no tread left. It’s smooth as a child’s bottom. If I had been born in Peru, I would now be thinking, “Nothing will happen!” With my German imprint, however, statistics immediately come to mind. And unfortunately, it says that the risk of fatal accidents in Peru is 10 times higher than in Germany – in relation to the number of vehicles on the road.
“Can’t you change this wheel real quick?” My suggestion seems to convince the cab driver. He gets the spare wheel from the trunk and in five minutes the deed is done. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.
With this effort for road safety, I am not at all surprised that my driver is caution personified for two and a half hours. Speed and overview give no reason for complaint. And on top of that, he listens to the radio station “Diospi Suyana” on the road. And already I feel at home. /KDJ
