I guess this post should really start with the money shot. Blaster and I stopped to gaze at this marvelous sunset. In fact, we even spent 10 precious minutes capturing it in many (failed) forms. In the end, I don't think I will see another one like it for another 2 decades, if ever.
I guess we'll just continue the story backwards. Despite growing up in Mountain country, Bruce and I really got schooled on being out in Ecuador after dark. It all but a reality that tonight will be another one. We are 30KMs from Salinas, but Garmin GPS has all but confirmed sundown. In another 10 mins, the sun will be nothing and the air will invert in a layer of fog. Bruce and I have a plan that slow is steady, and steady is fast.
It's about this time, we realize that the Terra has burned out the low beam headlight filament. Now faced with a wall of fog and the decision to trudge forward with only the DR200 headlight or the Terra on high-beam. After some experimentation, we'll ride Tandem and use the DR200 light. It's slow and incredibly ineffective, but it's the situation we find ourselves in.
While the road is 2 or 3 cars wide, it's still a dirt road. No shoulders, no guard rails, no street lights. We muddle forward as the temperature begins to drop like a bowling ball at terminal velocity. The best I hope for is that we stay on the road and keep moving. At least, that will be less distance if I need to start walking.
With only 5KMs left before Salinas, we now have to navigate a construction zone. A construction zone in Ecuador is marked with a few tidbits of "Peligro" tape. No matter how deep the open trench, no matter how haphazard the dirt piles are dumped, no matter how narrow the temp bridge, it's just you in the fog and some tape.
No sooner we arrive in town. We are wet, and cold and lusting for a long hot shower. What we find is a eclectic group of foreigners huddled by a communal fire. Odd.
We check in and the bed has enough covers to subdue an Alpaca. Oh my, sure sign there is no head source in the room. I decide to ready to shower and let it warm up. No luck there either. Apparently, the hot water is only on for a few hours mid-day. We hang our riding kit up, and head back to join the rest of the foreigners next to the communal fire. Of all the hostels and hotels we'll find on this trip, the Refugio is one I don't want to see again. However, I am assured it's the best one for 50 miles around.
We figure that Marty and Jack are about 1 hour behind us. Certainly, there was only 30KMs to go when we last saw them. I place a few calls/emails back to Freedom Bike Rental to see if anyone had called them on the Sat phone or if they could track the bikes. About 2330, Marty and Jack are greeted at the hostel. Cold and exhausted, they have triumphed another day!
It's about this time, we realize that the Terra has burned out the low beam headlight filament. Now faced with a wall of fog and the decision to trudge forward with only the DR200 headlight or the Terra on high-beam. After some experimentation, we'll ride Tandem and use the DR200 light. It's slow and incredibly ineffective, but it's the situation we find ourselves in.
While the road is 2 or 3 cars wide, it's still a dirt road. No shoulders, no guard rails, no street lights. We muddle forward as the temperature begins to drop like a bowling ball at terminal velocity. The best I hope for is that we stay on the road and keep moving. At least, that will be less distance if I need to start walking.
With only 5KMs left before Salinas, we now have to navigate a construction zone. A construction zone in Ecuador is marked with a few tidbits of "Peligro" tape. No matter how deep the open trench, no matter how haphazard the dirt piles are dumped, no matter how narrow the temp bridge, it's just you in the fog and some tape.
No sooner we arrive in town. We are wet, and cold and lusting for a long hot shower. What we find is a eclectic group of foreigners huddled by a communal fire. Odd.
We check in and the bed has enough covers to subdue an Alpaca. Oh my, sure sign there is no head source in the room. I decide to ready to shower and let it warm up. No luck there either. Apparently, the hot water is only on for a few hours mid-day. We hang our riding kit up, and head back to join the rest of the foreigners next to the communal fire. Of all the hostels and hotels we'll find on this trip, the Refugio is one I don't want to see again. However, I am assured it's the best one for 50 miles around.
We figure that Marty and Jack are about 1 hour behind us. Certainly, there was only 30KMs to go when we last saw them. I place a few calls/emails back to Freedom Bike Rental to see if anyone had called them on the Sat phone or if they could track the bikes. About 2330, Marty and Jack are greeted at the hostel. Cold and exhausted, they have triumphed another day!
Ants in the rainforest are big, very big! And they move big leaves around.
Bruce and I have a hoot on this track. While the footing is bit of loose rock, and many switchbacks, it is lovely scenery. We wait on this bridge for a bit. No lack of water and water falls.
God likes water too.
Wild Bananas (Plantain?) with a dingle
Bruce and I are taking happy snaps, when we hear the bikes coming. However it was many false alarms, since it's tough to tell how close the bikes are since they are doing switchbacks. They get "close", but then far again. But we are happy to know they are still advancing. Jack comes bucking around the turn first. Marty, however, sees me and stops dead in his tracks. Soon enough, he coaxes his way through the turn and I capture his excitement!
Marty Still Smiling!
While this road is freshly paved, absolutely no reason to revett the hill sides to prevent slides.Slides would only happen in a place made by volcanic rock that cleaves easily....
More voting propaganda. Who needs a flimsy sign, I have a can of paint and lots of talent!
