In Peru and in Desperate Need of Help!

[Lone Rider]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

...douse him in gasoline and light him on fire. I cant say that I would be the least bit sad to witness that one.

Good story.
Where did the gas-to-douse come from?
Spare can on top?

Good ending, regardless...

[markharf]

SOP for lynchings. In Åfrica the standard it to use a tire along with the gasoline. From all indications, not a pleasant way to die.

[MikeMike]

Originally Posted by Lone Rider

Good story.
Where did the gas-to-douse come from?
Spare can on top?

Good ending, regardless...

Ever been on a chicken bus? People carry everything and anything including the kitchen sink. Piece of cake to holler for some "petroleo" (used for cleaning as a solvent) and soak the guy. You wouldn't believe what can be found on a bus down here. Or on top of one or under one or hanging off the side of one...

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by Lone Rider

Good story.
Where did the gas-to-douse come from?
Spare can on top?

Good ending, regardless...

Yeah, like Mike said, there is everything on top of a chicken bus, normally. I wasnt there, I just read about it in the paper. I smiled when I read it. Maybe I'm a sick motherfucker? But I thought those assholes got what they deserved and as I read the article I was saying to myself, "fuck yeah, good on you people.". Maybe that makes me a bad person? I dunno. But I still smiled. I suspect many of the Chapines would have smiled too. Fuck those assholes. I would have participated if I was there, for sure. Maybe that makes me a bad person? Hell who knows, I might have begged for his life, but I doubt it.

Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they get it totally wrong, which is sad and its a travesty, but its life and its the way things work in a land with very questionable and mostly unavailable law enforcement.

Ying, yang maybe. I dont know. Individually we cant police the world, its just he way things are, some good, some bad. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it wrong, just like the supposed civilized legal system here in the US...... Its life I guess. I'm not a philosopher, but I know right from wrong. I still think that probably I would not have begged for his life, I might have been part of the lynch mob. It is what it is.

Just relaying how I felt about the whole incident.

Salud, Vicente.

[bubbletron]

So, I found this thread last night, and read it with some disbelief about what happened. Something just didn't seem right. And then...

I am sitting around the table at a hostel in Peru with a bunch of American Overlanders (truck rigs and motos) and well... all I can say after meeting this couple is that their experience is genuine. It is hard to believe that an indigenous village would go crazy like that, without prompting, but they did. Their brutality was real too. I never would have guessed that these two had been through this incident, since they walk with strength, but there are scars and stitches and broken teeth that tell a greater story.

They are still working on getting their truck back. They still want to travel on and continue their journey. I wish them the best of luck...

[RebelYell]

Wow to hear this is just disheartening.I dont know what these people believe or were made to go ape shit on these travelers but I would like to think even tho they speak another language they would still have a sense of compassion and not act and behave like awildpack of jackals.Then again we will never know the real truth of this story or who said what.My dad use to say alot of times people have problems w other people,groups etc because they had to shoot off at the mouth instead of just keeping it shut.

[GuateRider]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

I suspect many of the Chapines would have smiled too. Fuck those assholes. I would have participated if I was there, for sure.
Salud, Vicente.

[cliffy109]

Originally Posted by bubbletron

So, I found this thread last night, and read it with some disbelief about what happened. Something just didn't seem right. And then...

I am sitting around the table at a hostel in Peru with a bunch of American Overlanders (truck rigs and motos) and well... all I can say after meeting this couple is that their experience is genuine. It is hard to believe that an indigenous village would go crazy like that, without prompting, but they did. Their brutality was real too. I never would have guessed that these two had been through this incident, since they walk with strength, but there are scars and stitches and broken teeth that tell a greater story.

They are still working on getting their truck back. They still want to travel on and continue their journey. I wish them the best of luck...

You actually met these people in Peru? Wow. OK, I am willing to rescind my skepticism (some of it anyway). I'm glad they are recovering and from your description, sound like they are strong minded and that is good. It makes the story hard to comprehend.

[Misery Goat]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

I was very far off the gringo trail in Peru, and while I had no issues, there were certain villages I went through where the indigenous inhabitants made it well known that I was not welcome, at all.
..

I recall a few villages like this. I notice it quickly with the children. 99% of the places I visited the kids are out in the road, laughing, wanting to see the bike, I throw the front wheel up as I go by and they go crazy. These other places are a stark contrast, the kids are looking at you pretty sour, afraid to make eye contact, and won't even approach you, something wasn't right. It's a rare occurrence for sure, for me, only a handful of times in CA and SA and usually pretty far off the gringo trail. And I visited plenty of indigenous villages where they were very friendly and accommodating.

I still think we're missing part of the story here and the victims may not know it either.

[MikeMike]

Originally Posted by Misery Goat

..., something wasn't right.... and the victims may not know it either.

That says it all.
Sometimes when you are off the map you get that funny feeling that things are "out of sync" as every part of the world has its ebb and flow. Especially in the little villages. This is something I tend to notice more when I am riding alone, group dynamics and antics can have a way of blurring a message you should be paying attention to.
Misery summed it up very well.
This is a curious case and it will be interesting to see what happens with the follow up.

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by Misery Goat

I still think we're missing part of the story here and the victims may not know it either.

My feelings as well.

Originally Posted by MikeMike

This is something I tend to notice more when I am riding alone, group dynamics and antics can have a way of blurring a message you should be paying attention to.

Its interesting how sensitive we are to that bad vibe when riding solo. Whether it was only in my head or not, I never stopped when I was getting vibes like that.

[Lone Rider]

Situational awareness...

And how you're perceived.

In most heavy tourist places, you are seen as a wallet - as prey. Tis the plain truth.

Others, you're welcome, interesting entertainment among friendly people.

The enclaves....of different types, should have your radar abuzz.

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by Lone Rider

Situational awareness...

And how you're perceived.

In most heavy tourist places, you are seen as a wallet - as prey. Tis the plain truth.

Others, you're welcome, interesting entertainment among friendly people.

The enclaves....of different types, should have your radar abuzz.

Good SA. Its the most important aspect of avoiding trouble, and the first line of defense. Avoiding confrontation is always preferable to dealing with confrontation, well, for me anyway. Me against 50 villagers that have some axe to grind? I'm not going to make out so well. Its important to pay attention. Not saying that these folks didnt pay attention, I wasnt there. But its just something to think about when we travel, or any other time for that matter.

[Rods]

Well, I can try to figure out the story as those peruvians did, I was just around cusco when I heard the story when getting some info on a police station about a brazilian guy who disapeared around Machu Picchu in December. I just couldn't believe on the story and didn't give the right attention, just thought it could a "urban legend".
During my trip, wich is not the first in SA, I noticed the bolivians and peruvians specially those who live in very remote and small villages are not very smart on situations that they're not used to, it happens because they've no parameters and see on foreigners the same kind of mentality that they have, wich may be dificult for us to understand, but they always think you're trying to cheat them or take some advantage.
just to ilustrate the situation, in bolivia there was a lady selling orange juice for 3 bolivian, my friend offered her 3 bolivians for 1 orange, she didn't sell it, went there and explained her it takes 4 orange for 1 glass of juice, she rapidly sold the orange. Gasoline in Bolivia, costs 3$ for bolivians and 9$ for foreigners, never paid 9$, always offered some extra they $$ on top of the price and thats'it, but of course it a takes a good conversation toget to this point. The thing is, they always think that's it's too good to be true and as they live in a place where laws are just a dream, they believe you're messing with them and make their decisions about the situation.
I don't believe this group of americans did something very wrong but for sure they crossed a thin line and those indigenous solved the situation as they solve among them, wich may be wrong for us but very right for them.

Of course i don't know exactly what happened and I'm not judging anybody, but a few lessons must be learned to deal on situations like that:
- Please, learn some good spanish to try to explain you were wrong and that won't happen again
- You're on a foreign country on third world, you'll be always wrong, no matter you're right, for them you're wrong and that's it.

Cheers

Rod
www.bikershelpdesk.blogspot.com

[Lone Rider]

[QUOTE=crashmaster;20496681......Avoiding confrontation is always preferable to dealing with confrontation.....[/QUOTE]

Don't win more than one arm wrestling contest at the same bar on the same night.
Lose a couple with grace and a smile.

Never offend. It's 'their' doorstep your boots, sandals, or bare feet have dirtied...

My intention is to learn something - anything being welcome.