March 19, 2009
Pig on a Moto
There's a new addition to the Hagerman house. No, it's not a baby--or even another chicken--but living each night in our kitchen is a dirt bike. It's technically a "moto" (motorcycle) here, but at 200cc's, it seems like a dirt bike to me. The motorcycles here are all between 100-200 cc's, except for the occasional import. It lives in the kitchen because anything that can be stolen has to be brought inside nightly. 
We've been saving up for this one ("THANK YOU!" to those who contributed) and are thrilled to get the relief it will bring to our gas budget. There are times we need to run around the neighborhood or into town, and taking the SUV out each time gets pricey. This alternate method of transportation also frees Ken up to do things farther from home during the day while we're schooling. (He didn't like the idea of us being "stranded" here with nothing to drive in case of emergency.) As soon as the motor is broken in (500 km or so), I'll be learning to drive it so that I, too, can use it for short trips. Look out Paraguay! Here I come!
Surely this post means that our family members will be increasing their prayer time for us, especially my mom, who saw how crazy the roads are here. Actual road rules are practically non-existent, for the most part, and the general law is that the biggest vehicle does what it wants. So motos lose out most times. There's no enforcement of a speed limit, but in the case of motorcycles, they just can't go very fast because they have such small engines. For this reason, rest assured that we will continue the Hagerman family rule of helmet usage. We will probably be more "North American" in our usage of the moto, as well. Here, it's very common to see families of four or five people (sometimes including tiny babies and/or toddlers) riding one small bike, and it's normal to transport the strangest things while riding. Just the other day, we saw a guy carrying a giant ladder. This picture below was taken last weekend, and yes, it's a live pig. We'll be sticking to normal passenger loads and minimal cargo for now!
(Don't click below...)
You are one brave woman. I won't drive our motorcycle...bc the drivers here are just completely insane.
ReplyDeletePromise me you'll wear a helmet--a good one---even to the grocery store.
what a picture! Too funny!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! It´s easy to ride a motorcycle and you will have the hang of it in no time! And it´s so practical!
ReplyDeleteWould you mind if I use your pig on a moto photo for a Face Book album I am doing of Paraguayan Peculiarities?
ReplyDeleteI'd be honored!! Ken has a similar album, although he's subdivided into "things people carry on a moto". We see the strangest things and can't get the camera ready in time. I've started carrying it in my lap anytime we make a long trip. The picture I keep trying to get is an ox-cart driver text messaging on his cell phone. I see it all the time, but when they see me snapping a photo, they always stop texting.
ReplyDelete