She is the reason I changed my plan and flew to Lima. Her name? KLaRa, a Kawasaki 650 KLR I saw for sale on the website Horizons Unlimited, the reference for whoever needs information to travel on a motorbike. Originally, my plan was to purchase a moto in Brasil, and I had contacts with BMW 800 and BMW 1200 owners, a bit expensive. But I had also been told that it is better to travel with an older bike, it does not attract thefts as much. This bike was for sale $2,000USD, with all equipment (helmet, suit, side suitcases, etc…).

But I could not fly to Lima just to check it. Luckily, in Rio, I met Peruvians Jocelyne and Alejandrina, who agreed to help me checking it. Once they told me the bike was OK, I transferred the money. After the Olympics, I jumped in the plane and picked it up. This bike has 100,000km, and is full of history: registered in the US, it was driven by consecutive owners to Colombia, then to Peru. And I am planning to take it further South!Finally, I was getting more freedom, and more storage. Since I started traveling, in May, I have been wearing the same pair of shoes. In Lima, I was able to purchase a 2nd pair! And a shirt also, because I had been wearing the same 3 T-shirts! The bike was already very well equipped: suit, helmets, suitcases, front bag, locks, tools, spare parts… From shop to shop, in the traffic, I managed to complete it: boots, gloves, special scarf, cooking equipment, sleeping bag, tent, GPS holder…The double shield helmet, with the GoPro. I will make a movie when I will have time… probably at the end of my travels!Took me a while to find good hiking shoes that could be used for the motorbike. Those are perfect: waterproof, warm, rigid and super comfy. They are made for the snow.  Salomon.Waterproof GPS holder. I use Maps.Me on my phone, an I-Phone 5, as a GPS. Maps.Me is a GPS application that can be used offline, once the map of the area has been downloaded. Life-saver… Also, I can recharge my phone with the battery of the motorbike.A good sleeping bag and a good tent. In Peru and Bolivia, I am not planning to camp much. But if something happens at 4,000m and 0 deg.C… I better be prepared.I also bought a good thermos, and fill it with boiling water every morning. I drink tea and eat noodles on the road. And a bit of Pisco, the local Tequila, to keep warm.This was not planned, it was a gift from Alejandrina: a plate written ‘VIAJANDO POR EL MUNDO’ on one side, ‘TRAVELING THE WORLD’ on the other. Regularly, people horn at me on the road: ‘Welcome to Peru!!’.This was the day I left. On this pic, I am wearing my backpack. But 70km and a good backpain later, I quickly changed the set up and tightened it to the moto. More pictures in the future articles!This is the upcoming 10 days trip, from Lima to La Paz. I found out that vehicles, like humans, have a visa limit. And KLaRa’s visa is about to expire: I have to rush to the border!