Machala

Day 125, Nov 4, 2013, 240km

Did drive through some beautiful areas to Machala today.

I'm staying in Hostel Puerto Ventura for $15 and is only 85 km's away from the border to Peru. I still have lots of things to see in Ecuador but that will have to wait until another day.

 

The last few days have been amazing and uplifting to say the least.

 

Gauchapala

Day 124, Nov 3, 2013, 392km

Last night some friends of the family where I'm staying checked in and one is a musician by the name of Leo Mass, during dinner he started playing some beautiful songs with his guitar and harmonica, he explained that this was his gift to us setting around and enjoying it. I hope you can imagine how beautiful this was, just setting here in these very special surroundings with him playing. This morning at breakfast we talked because he was curios about my trip and the purpose of it all (if you have read from the beginning you will understand the rest), as it turns out Leo and his wife Letty with there two daughters are in the middle of building a self sustainable community in the middle of nowhere. They also believe that the way for mankind to survive in the future lies in these types of communities, where you can be one with the environment. And if you think what do they know, it just happens to be that Doctor Letty studied at Ma-gills in Montreal and is the General Director of the Hospital here in Puyo. We  talked about the movie Avatar and how close they were to this story and he said that they cried when Home Tree went down, we also talked about the 7 levels of spiritual enlightenment, the meaning of there Circle of Life (remember the medicine wheel), the 82 billion points of the human sensory system and a lot more things. A truly amazing couple. Letty is a native Indian of this country and has learned that healing is not just medicine but that life and our well being lies deep within our souls (spirit), she is teaching others that in order to heal a truly good Doctor will also have to learn how to listen to our spirit.

I have been invited to come back and see there work when it is done, and Leo also gave me as a token of our friendship, his songs on DVD/CD and signed it as your Bro for life Leo Mass. I'm deeply touched by there generosity and can only wish them with all my heart the very best.

 

Finca Chamanapamba.

 

Did leave a little late today and drove down the Valley of the Waterfalls or so it is known, with El Diablo being the biggest of them all. But today being a Sunday it's a ants nest with people and I had to manoeuvre around a lot of trucks, buses and cars, so I decided to continue down the E30 to the E45 in Puyo. This goes through the Amazonian Jungle area which is very beautiful but not a whole lot to see other than the trees, so I headed back towards Cuenca on the E40, this road is 99% done and is spectacular.

Of coarse getting out late made this another trip deep into the night, getting tired, cold, and hungry I finally fond a Hotel in a place called Guachapala for the night.

View on the E40

 

Quilotoa Lake, Finca Chamanapamba

Day 123, Nov 2, 2013, 274km

Left Quito and did take a side road that was suggested by Freedom Bike Rental. This road is called Via Sigchos.

It starts just before the town of Tanicuchi and goes all the way to the Quilotoa Lake that is spectacular. (bottom picture)

Ecuador has some very diverse landscapes from Amazonian Jungle to Outer Space Lunar, so extreme it is breathtaking around every corner, thank you so much Court and Sylvain for suggesting this.

From there I headed toward the village of Banos and fond out that all the Hostels were full because it is a national Holiday this weekend, so standing there on the side of the road at the last Hostel contemplating what to do next, comes along this guy looking at my bike and starts asking questions, turns out he is from Germany and now lives here. Wanting to help me he calls a friend that just happens to own this place up on the side of Volcano Tungurahua called Finca Chamanapamba  and they are willing to take me in if I can camp, because they too have all the rooms occupied.

This place is built by Dietrich Heinke and is really something ells, it lies at the bottom of this huge waterfall, and is cut out of the jungle that surrounds  it.

Set-up my hammock in there car port and had a good nights sleep; life is good.

 

Quito

Day 122, Nov 1, 2013,

Had a great ride through some very twisty roads leading into the village of Mindo, this place is where you can go see a waterfall, or go on a canopy tour or go see the Butterfly's. I decided to continue the off road portion leading back to Quito or at least I thought. After an hour of this road that is mostly gravel/dirt with a rocky water crossing, turned out to be further up impassable or so I was told by a local farmer and his son that could speak some English.

Decided to go back and head out the other direction through more twisty roads all the way to Hwy 20 and back to Quito. Did stop at 2 waterfall's and take pictures but only to find out later that my camera has died. This is also the same for my action camera, way back when I was at the Kuna Indians in Panama that one had died..

 
Next big town I will have to look for a  new/used camera that works, and until then I will have to use my phone.

Just before Quito, there is this beautiful sight of the clouds rolling over the mountains.

 

 

Equator at San Antonio

Day 121, Oct 31, 2013, 55km

 

While exploring Quito today I realized that I had past the Equator yesterday in the rain, so I had to go back 25 km's to San Antonio and of course stand at the this extraordinary point on earth. I learned that there is no shadow at this point on March 21 and September 21 at 12:00 noon, and that's because the Sun is straight above you, and also that eggs will stand on there end.

Did meet-up with the guys Court and Sylvain from Freedom Bike Rental , if you want to fly to Ecuador and rent a bike then these are the guys to go and see. They replaced one of my front lights that was burnt out and were great in giving me some awesome tips on where to go next.

Tomorrow if the weather cooperates will take a ride up into the mountains.

Sylvain from Freedom Bike Rental

 

Quito

Day 120, Oct 30, 2013, 341km

Today's trip from Pasto to Quito Ecuador started great with sunshine and temp's in the mid thirty's,  with beautiful twisty roads through the mountains and valley.

And then just before the border the rain started poring and it did not stop until I was just outside of Quito, just great I thought it don't matter anymore I'm drenched. The scenery has changed to a lot dryer look (less trees and more sand).

The border crossing did take 2 hours and was more a waiting game from the Aduana people than anything ells.

The Colombian exit is easy, park at the rear of the buildings and get your Passport stamped at the first building when you entered the complex and then head back to the next building and get your Import paper cancelled .

Then off to the Ecuador side, where you can park at the rear of the building. Get Passport stamped at the first building on the left (when looking from front) and then get a copy of the stamp in your passport because you will need this, plus get a copy of your passport, owners title, and drivers license for the Aduana. Aduana is at the last door on the right just before making the curve towards the parking lot.

Currently staying at the Backpackers Hostel for $8.50 and will stay an extra day to discover this area.

 

This is where farming takes a whole new meaning/challenge on the slopes of the valley.