Flat tyre in Lobitos

Carangajeira · 06-14-2015, 08:46 PM

On my latest trip I had planned a three-day stop at a small town (though that is probably an overstatement!) called Lobitos in Northern Peru. It is known as a surf spot, but I wanted to use it as a base to visit Cabo Blanco (where Hemingway supposedly got inspiration for "The Old Man and the Sea"), and see if I could get some sea fishing in, either from the beach or in a small boat (not "deep sea" as my budget definitely doesn't stretch that far!).

My lunchtime view!

Cabo Blanco beach - the flat bamboo raft is used to go out fishing on!

I didn't realise at the time, but Lobitos is 12 miles (18kms) along a dirt road off the hardtop. The dirt was rutted, rocky, sandy, loose, dusty, and generally unpleasant, made worse by my worries about the bolted-on pannier boxes I had made, and which have a habit of shearing bolts (try finding decent strong bolts in Peru!) on tarmac, never mind dirt!
Anyway I arrived at Lobitos, but couldn't find my hostel - the map provided was nowhere near anything - but eventually I found somewhere and checked in (not where I was meant to be!). While they were getting the room ready we had a power cut - and this continued till midnight - so we all ended up spending the evening sitting round a big bonfire!

My hostel was just behind the big building on the bluff

The view from the platform in the garden of my hostel

Sunset at Lobitos, with rigs in the distance

Next morning (Saturday) I found that my rear tyre was looking a bit low, so went out for breakfast asked about somewhere locally I could get some air, or get a puncture fixed. Blank looks all round - the nearest place I could get it fixed, I was told, was 12 miles away! But there was a guy in town who had an airline! Unfortunately try as we might his airline would not fit on my rear wheel as the connector was too straight to fit, so another guy appeared with a stirrup pump and pumped me up.
Two hours later and the tyre is obviously going down again - but now the hostel owner tells me there is a guy locally who fixes tyres (now this place is tiny, so how the other folk didn't know this is beyond me!), and he has to take a car tyre there so I can follow him - and then takes off at about 50mph! On a half-inflated rear I struggle to keep up, but we find the tyre place - marked by a pile of old tyres on the road!!!
The guy isn't there so we speak to his wife, though when we go back later he still hasn't returned, so with reassurances that they will lock it up overnight, leave my bike and his tyre and go back to the hostel. The next afternoon we go back to see if they are ready and the place is locked up, and I am starting to get a little concerned as I am due to be back on the road the next morning! Monday morning we go back again, and the tyres are fixed, but as the guy still isn't there (maybe his wife is the tyre guy??) I have no idea what the problem was, but as it costs me $3.00 it cannot have been that serious, and it gave me no more bother the rest of the trip!
The reason I didn't go back Sunday morning to get my bike is that I managed to get a boat fishing trip in!!! Leaving at 6.00am we headed out to sea and anchored over the reef - despite being sea-sick (yeah, had to happen!) I had a great time and we caught loads of fish! I was fine until I snagged my line and had to replace my tackle - being able to see the horizon while bouncing all over the place really works, but looking down to tie new hook and sinker on doesn't!! I have no idea what the fish were called, except for the red ones (half buried by the others, so you can just see a fin!) - which they call "Pez Diablo" (Devil Fish), but it is the Peruvian Scorpion Fish!

Our fishing boat

We were quite far out

First fish of the day - mine!

4 hours later!

On the way back in we visited an abandoned oil rig, where sealions have taken over and rest up.

Sealions have taken to resting on the abandoned rigs

MICRider · 06-14-2015, 10:45 PM

Riding, beautiful scenery and fishing! Doesn't get much better than that

.
Awesome ride report, thank you for sharing!

**cheesy** · 06-15-2015, 08:13 AM

Quite an adventure.

Weldangrind · 06-15-2015, 11:21 AM

That ride report was a great way for me to start my week. Thanks!

SpudRider · 06-21-2015, 02:36 PM

Thanks for posting the great ride report.

Your photographs are magnificent.

06-14-2015, 08:46 PM	#1
Carangajeira Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Swap between Bahia, Brazil, and La Libertad, Peru Posts: 36	Flat tyre in Lobitos On my latest trip I had planned a three-day stop at a small town (though that is probably an overstatement!) called Lobitos in Northern Peru. It is known as a surf spot, but I wanted to use it as a base to visit Cabo Blanco (where Hemingway supposedly got inspiration for "The Old Man and the Sea"), and see if I could get some sea fishing in, either from the beach or in a small boat (not "deep sea" as my budget definitely doesn't stretch that far!). My lunchtime view! Cabo Blanco beach - the flat bamboo raft is used to go out fishing on! I didn't realise at the time, but Lobitos is 12 miles (18kms) along a dirt road off the hardtop. The dirt was rutted, rocky, sandy, loose, dusty, and generally unpleasant, made worse by my worries about the bolted-on pannier boxes I had made, and which have a habit of shearing bolts (try finding decent strong bolts in Peru!) on tarmac, never mind dirt! Anyway I arrived at Lobitos, but couldn't find my hostel - the map provided was nowhere near anything - but eventually I found somewhere and checked in (not where I was meant to be!). While they were getting the room ready we had a power cut - and this continued till midnight - so we all ended up spending the evening sitting round a big bonfire! My hostel was just behind the big building on the bluff The view from the platform in the garden of my hostel Sunset at Lobitos, with rigs in the distance Next morning (Saturday) I found that my rear tyre was looking a bit low, so went out for breakfast asked about somewhere locally I could get some air, or get a puncture fixed. Blank looks all round - the nearest place I could get it fixed, I was told, was 12 miles away! But there was a guy in town who had an airline! Unfortunately try as we might his airline would not fit on my rear wheel as the connector was too straight to fit, so another guy appeared with a stirrup pump and pumped me up. Two hours later and the tyre is obviously going down again - but now the hostel owner tells me there is a guy locally who fixes tyres (now this place is tiny, so how the other folk didn't know this is beyond me!), and he has to take a car tyre there so I can follow him - and then takes off at about 50mph! On a half-inflated rear I struggle to keep up, but we find the tyre place - marked by a pile of old tyres on the road!!! The guy isn't there so we speak to his wife, though when we go back later he still hasn't returned, so with reassurances that they will lock it up overnight, leave my bike and his tyre and go back to the hostel. The next afternoon we go back to see if they are ready and the place is locked up, and I am starting to get a little concerned as I am due to be back on the road the next morning! Monday morning we go back again, and the tyres are fixed, but as the guy still isn't there (maybe his wife is the tyre guy??) I have no idea what the problem was, but as it costs me $3.00 it cannot have been that serious, and it gave me no more bother the rest of the trip! The reason I didn't go back Sunday morning to get my bike is that I managed to get a boat fishing trip in!!! Leaving at 6.00am we headed out to sea and anchored over the reef - despite being sea-sick (yeah, had to happen!) I had a great time and we caught loads of fish! I was fine until I snagged my line and had to replace my tackle - being able to see the horizon while bouncing all over the place really works, but looking down to tie new hook and sinker on doesn't!! I have no idea what the fish were called, except for the red ones (half buried by the others, so you can just see a fin!) - which they call "Pez Diablo" (Devil Fish), but it is the Peruvian Scorpion Fish! Our fishing boat We were quite far out First fish of the day - mine! 4 hours later! On the way back in we visited an abandoned oil rig, where sealions have taken over and rest up. Sealions have taken to resting on the abandoned rigs __________________ Ronco Demolition 250 - Peru Honda NXR150 Bros - Brazil
	0

06-15-2015, 08:13 AM	#3
cheesy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Elburn, IL Posts: 5,796	Quite an adventure. __________________ Cheesy ______________________________________ 07 Hi Bird Enduro-Flown the Coop 07 Ural Gear Up 79 Honda CX500 77 VeloSolex 4600 V3 73 VeloSolex 3800 I'm making this up as I go.-Indiana Jones Telling me something 'is for my own good', is a fast way to a fat lip.-Me I don't even care about my own problems, why should I care about yours?-Quote on one of my favorite t-shirts
	0

06-15-2015, 11:21 AM	#4
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	That ride report was a great way for me to start my week. Thanks! __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
	0

06-21-2015, 02:36 PM	#5
SpudRider Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Idaho Posts: 25,054	Thanks for posting the great ride report. Your photographs are magnificent. __________________ Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience." Mark Twain 2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894
	0

06-14-2015, 10:45 PM	#2
MICRider Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 3,274	Riding, beautiful scenery and fishing! Doesn't get much better than that . Awesome ride report, thank you for sharing!
	0