Peru Program - The Horn

Before arriving to Peru I took the road laws for granted. Actually, I never had to consider why anyone would be in any lane but the right. But surprises are the beauty of traveling, and the first taxi experience in Lima will totally change your perspective on driving. On every street the taxi drivers appear to be jockeying for space, coming within inches of eachother every other second. And how do these drivers magically move around without too big of a pile up? Well, instead of adhering to the principle of staying in one´s lane, the drivers of Peru have the principle of The Horn. The Horn is of course the car horn, and when driving in Peru the horn is the right-of-way for drivers.

Here is an example...
After hailing a taxi for a meager three soles you and your group of friends all pile into the car. Without much thought one or two of you will buckle the seatbelt upon entering, and the taxi driver takes off with a beep of his horn as he enters the flowing street. As you cruise through Lima the taxi begins to weave his way through the condensing traffic with the magical beep of his horn. After a few blocks the driver takes a right turn at the exact time another car, opposite the street, takes a left turn, but with the magical beep of his horn he is able to execute the right turn first. After that maneuver you are asking yourself, "how did that work?", and at the same time you are clicking your seatbelt into place. Now with everyone buckled up the taxi ride feels a bit more comfortable, and you understand the idea of the horn. However, the taxi driver is now headed straight into the what I call The Circle, which is a packed road going around in a circle with cars entering and exiting all at once. As your eyes widen at the spectacle and your hands grasp for the rosary dangling from the rearview mirror, the taxi driver dives head on into The Circle honking his horn and fitting perfectly into a space between two cars (perhaps magic is involved?). With only one full rotation the taxi spits out onto the exact street, and after two blocks you find yourself staring at your destination, the sunny coast line. So for just three soles you end up with a taxi ride and adrenaline rush...

Chad Danklef