Quito

Quito, capital of Ecuador, elevation 2850 m, population 1.8 million. It’s the second-highest capital city in the world, second only to La Paz, Bolivia. There is some kind of weird discrepancy in that La Paz is the de facto capital of Bolivia, with Sucre being the official capital – not exactly sure what that’s all about, we haven’t got there yet. And then there’s Lhasa, Tibet, at 3500 m, which technically is no longer a capital city since China ransacked and absorbed Tibet. Suffice it to say though, Quito is a city sitting high in the Andes.

It was good to get back on the bikes. The ride from Otavalo was chill and fairly uneventful. 1000+ m climbs no longer phase us. Although, we are still fascinated by the descents which take us from the chilly down-jacket highlands into the hot shorts-and-tank-tops valley-bottom deserts – all in the span of an hour or so of coasting downhill. Conveniently there was a town at the bottom (a place called Guayllabamba) where we found a good cheap hotel serving cheap food and beer – the critical elements to the overnight stops are good (meaning clean and comfortable), cheap (10 to 20 bucks), and with access to decent cheap food (2 to 3 bucks for dinner). We have had surprisingly good luck with finding that combo thus far (knock on wood!).

We passed a significant landmark along the way: The Equator. We are now officially in the southern hemisphere. That’s cool, but we were really bummed to discover that we actually bypassed the official landmark (i.e., the place you would stop and take a picture). There seems to be some weird confusion here between a place called La Mitad Del Mondo and the actual geographic location of the equator. The Mitad del Mondo (trans: middle of the world) apparently is some ridiculous hokey tourist thing that is (1) inconveniently not anywhere near the Panamerican Highway, and (2) not on the equator. The real landmark along the highway has no signage (at least not that we noticed) and we therefore coasted by it without seeing it. Oh well, we didn’t get the photo, but we are now officially closer to the South Pole than the North Pole. BTW, that toilet thing where it’s supposed to circulate the opposite way down here...is bunk. It has nothing to do with hemispheres, and everything to do with plumbing and water pressure.

So Quito, wow, what a beautiful city. Welcome to Europe!...at a fifth the cost. The site dates way back to pre-European invasion times and was a major city of the Incas. When the Spanish looters arrived in Ecuador in the early 1500s, rather than let the city fall into their grubby hands, the Inca flattened the city and evacuated. The Spanish then built their city on top of the Inca ruins. The result, ironically, is a stunning colonial city full of grandiose ornate buildings and, of course, churches and cathedrals (the Spanish really outdid themselves by building magnificent churches on every second street corner throughout South America). The jewel of the city is the el centro or centro historico, which is obviously the “old city” where all the 400-yr old buildings and churches are.

We landed at the “Colonial House” hostel in the old city, which, true to its name is an old colonial house itself. Walking around taking in the sights is very much a tour through old Europe. Safe and clean, it is one of the grandest colonial cities either of us has visited. With the cobblestone streets, steep alleyways, towering church steeples, 300-yr-old bars and restaurants, it made for a wonderful evening of strolling the streets and checking out the live music and roof-top terraces. Europe in the middle of the Andes, who would have thunk?

The pinnacle of Spanish achievement in Quito could quite possibly be the awe-inspiring Basilica del Voto National – the largest and most ornate neo-gothic basilica in the Americas. You can see it from just about everywhere in the city, and we finally decided to hike over and check it out at close range. OMG! What a sight. As we rounded the corner to get our first up-close view of it, it really blew us away. It is indeed ginormous and incredible beyond words. We really weren’t ready for anything so spectacular. We had heard zero hype about it, and only walked over because it seemed like something we should go see. Only after some post-visit google research did we realize how significant it was. We are both amazed at what this place has to offer. Looking for a cheap European holiday? Think about Quito.

So now what? The next plan is a side trip of sorts, into the central highlands, to the town of Latacunga. We’ll be using Latacunga as a base to launch into the Quilotoa Loop – a 3 to 4-day hiking trip to some smaller remote villages high up in the Andes. As a “side trip” and primarily a hiking expedition, we’re going to leave the bikes here in Quito and switch to backpacking mode for a week or so. The plan is to return to Quito after the Loop, pack up the bikes, and head down to the coast for some beach time and a stint of coastal cycling (flat!). But that’s a whole other world from now...stay tuned, we’ll be back in a week so with the central highlands report.

 

A week in Otavalo

Nine days actually, but who’s counting. A first for us, being in one place for so long is an interesting change of pace. Kind of like just living somewhere, we ran out of groceries (and rum, which is cheap here!) several times and had to dash out to the corner store to get that one missing ingredient for dinner. We know all the staff by name (Rosalita is our fav), know that the pananderia two blocks away is better than the one next to the hostal, and we know where to get 80-cent French fries when I’m craving something good and tasty (which is pretty much all the time). Amy has a favourite street connection for 30-cent beer nuts. All in all, it’s been a great opportunity to get grounded and become acquainted with all things Ecuadorian. The most enjoyable activity, of course, has been simply wandering around and taking in the indigenous vibe. We aren't sure yet, but they may be the smallest people on the planet. Believe it or not, I can always tell where Amy is. She's the tallest person in the crowd!

Fascinating distractions aside, the main missions here in Otavalo were (1) spanish lessons, and (2) the markets. Both missions were accomplished to varying degrees, with the Spanish thing being the lesser accomplished. Hard to believe, I know, but after 5 lessons, neither of us is fluent in Spanish. However, progress has been made, and I now realize that “Buenos nachos, mi llamo es cerveza” is a strange thing to say (trans: good nachos, my name is beer). The lessons have been great, if not exhausting. Four hours of one-on-one is pretty intense (with a break for coffee and empanadas). At the end of each session, we both agree on a mutual feeling that one’s head is going to explode and rain Spanish all over the room. Perhaps at our advanced age (mine anyway) there just isn’t any more room in our brains for new information? Time will tell. We’ll see if we improve as we head deeper into the wilds of Latin America. Pienso que si.

 El Mercado did, as advertised, go ballistic on Saturday. It’s not just a market, but rather, the entire town seems to go into market mode with every street being converted to market stalls, and the open spaces around town filled with every kind of furry beast, big or small, you might want to load up on Noah’s Arc. For you Nelsonites, it’s marketfest on steroids. The animal markets get interesting as you wander through the list: cows, check, horses, check, pigs, check, goats, check, chickens, check, quail, uhhh ok, bunnies, hmmm sure, guinea pigs....guinea pigs? huh!? Yep, seems like the fine folks of these parts have an affection for guinea pigs, not because they are cute and cuddly and make a nice pet for the kids, but rather because that ummmm-good guinea pig taste really comes out when you bar-b-que them. Known as cuy, we have yet to try this local specialty. We aren’t that hungry yet J

 Amy has been in her element with el Mercado. The Christmas gifts are bought, boxed, and mailed (her’s anyway). Mailing market items from places like this is an interesting irony. The postage costs 4 times more than the items. But hey, you just can’t pass up that handmade alpaca wool poncho for 10 bucks.

 Last Spanish session tomorrow, one last walk around town, one last Cuba Libre coctele in the courtyard, and then we ride for Quito, the nation’s capital in the heart of the Andes. Despite the luxury of our current situation, and the fantastic break it has been, it will be good to get back on the bikes. We’re starting to get a bit soft, and getting a little too comfortable for our own good. Shockingly (not), the elevation profile  for the 114-km ride to Quito indicates we climb, then go way down, then climb back up another 1000 m. Looks like another 2-day mission with a strategic overnight just before the final climb into Quito. That’s the plan anyway. Chao.

 (incidentally, you might have noticed that I signed off with ciao in a previous post. That’s the Italian spelling. In Spanish, it’s chao or even chau. $6.50/hr for lessons is paying off!).

Otovalo

A mere 1000-m climb put us in Otovalo for afternoon coffee (back to instant unfortunately). Funny how perspectives change. A 1000-m climb just seems like part of the drill now. It’s nice to be back in the highlands, but I think Amy could use more heat (she loves the heat of the valley-bottoms). At 2550 m, Otovalo has warmish days and cool nights. A perfect climate in a way: no heating, no cooling required. During the day you open the windows to let the breeze in, at night you shut them to keep the heat in – 365 days of the year. With a population of 40,000 Otovalo has that nice small-town vibe and you can walk everywhere, but is big enough to have everything you need. Lots of great smelling pananderias (bakeries), restaurants, and shops, and of course, the market.

Since anyone can remember, Otovalo has hosted one of the most important markets in the Andes. The indigena (local indigenous people) come down from all over and layout a schwack of hand-made traditional goods from leather belts to ponchos to fine fabrics – all dressed in their traditional clothing. Otovalenos are particularly known for their textiles and weaving skills. It’s Disney Land for shoppers. Amy is like a kid in a candy store and can’t get enough of it (apparently our daily budget does not include market items). I’ve had enough after a few minutes. In fact, she’s there right now while I write this – I had to go, it was beer:30.

As eluded to last post, our plan is to stay put for about a week, which we predict will not be a hardship. After checking on a few places we found what could be the perfect base, and is the nicest place we have stayed at so far: Hotel Riviera-Sucre (things just keep getting
better!). In keeping with the theme we have seen thus far, it’s an old colonial home that has been converted into a hotel/hostel – complete with high ceilings, creaky wood floors, and endless nooks (one sitting space even has a fireplace). Our room is palatial, off on its own wing, opens up to a courtyard garden area, and, surely has the single hottest shower in South America (any traveller knows what that’s worth). It might be hard to pry ourselves away from here.

One of our bigger goals for this little adventure we’re on, is to learn Spanish. From all accounts, Ecuador is one of the better places to take Spanish lessons. So, today was day 1 of 5 of escuela de espanol. We are taking the plunge and have signed up for 20 hrs of 1-on-1 lessons at a local spanish school; 4 hrs a day for 5 days (with this weekend off so we [i.e., Amy] can go to the market which goes ballistic on weekends). $6.50 an hour, hard to beat that.


 
 
Speaking of money, an interesting factoid is that Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar (i.e., exact same cash, ATMs spit out U.S. green backs). Back in the late 90s the Ecuadorian economy was imploding along with its old currency (the sucre). In 2000 they made the switch to U.S. currency to stabilize things, et voila, everything here is in U.S. dollars and cents. The big difference, obviously, is that everything is about 1/5^th of the cost, which is nice! Taking advantage of the 80%-off sale, we had our teeth cleaned yesterday (no, not by monkeys, by a real dentist) for the outrageous price of $16. At those prices, who needs a health care plan?
 
So a week of spanish lessons, sifting through the market, getting used to the new food (so far less rice, more corn), and trying to take photos of the locals without offending them. So far our impressions of Ecuador are good: much quieter, people seem almost shy, and, way cheaper than Colombia.  Should be a fun week. More soon.

 

Adios Colombia - Bienvenidos a Ecuador!

A fairly eventful few days since Pasto. The biggest event is that we are now in Ecuador, finally! Whew, Colombia proved to be a longer haul than previously anticipated. The ‘ole PanAmerican (highway) snakes up and down through the Andes like a goat trail. It’s actually quite fascinating. The human (town) patterns are reversed from what we are used to. Here, the highlands are the lush green zones where most of the towns and people are, and the valley bottoms are harsh deserts with very little of anything. So the basic pattern we appear to be into is going from one high-elevation town to the next, with usually a major descent (1000 to 2000 m) into a hot desert valley bottom, followed by a major climb back into the highlands and more towns.

We seem to have figured out how to manage the climbs. The important thing is to not get caught in the middle of a major climb in the middle of the afternoon with no town in sight (as previously happened on route to Pasto). There are simply no options because another 25 kms or so is just not going to happen when you’re pushing a loaded bike at 5 km/hr with zero energy reserves. Solution: overnight at the bottom, start the climb fresh in the morning, overnight midway if necessary.

We’re actually using the desert thing to our advantage, and are currently sitting poolside for a rest day at a hotel smack dab in the middle of nowhere, except that it sits right at the bottom of one of these dry hot valleys. Looking around, it could be southern Nevada. It would appear that rich Ecuadorians have figured out that coming down from the chilly high elevations to a hotel with a pool can make for a nice weekend – or in our case, a wonderful place to rest up for our next climb. Amy is overjoyed to be lounging beside a pool for a day (OK, so am I), given that hours previously we were in our gortex jackets and gloves – it’s very chilly at 3200 m, but scorching hot at 1500 m.

The ride from Pasto to the border was amazing. After an initial 600-m climb to get us to 3200 m, we cruised down through an exhilarating 1450-m descent – maybe 10 turns of the pedals the whole time. And again, gortex jackets and gloves at the top, tank tops at the bottom. The next day we climbed back up, but it was such a nice day, and the scenery was so spectacular, we didn’t mind. And, we cycled by our first active volcano, with a tell-tale puff of smoke rising from the caldron, which was very cool.

Our original plan was to blast through the border that day, but with about 20 kms to go, Amy’s rear tire got shredded on something that left an irreparable 1-cm gash in the middle of the tread. We carry spare tires, so not a major problem, except that an overnight stop in Ipiales (border town on Colombian side) was now necessary to find a replacement tire. Luck was on our side with our choice of 3 bike shops within walking distance from our hotel. As mentioned previously, Colombians are big into cycling. We bought a tire along with a new water bottle to replace one of mine that I should have replaced years ago, and also a set of spare brake pads for Amy (something tells me we are going to need new brake pads eventually). After a sleepless night in Ipiales due to an insanely loud TV emanating from the hotel owner’s room (TVs should be banned from public spaces in Colombia), we were up and at the border by 7 am. Passage through the border was relatively quick and uneventful, which is the way you want it to be.

Border-crossing in this part of the world is interesting. Unlike the Canada-U.S. border where you inch up to a toll-booth kind of situation and then proceed to be grilled by a border guard, there is no line in the sand here where someone stops and grills you. On either side (a bridge across a river in this case) there is an immigration office – which is up to you to find in the midst of all the chaos – where one enters to get one’s passport stamped. No one tells you this, you just have to know to do it (we learned the hard way in Central America). So on the Colombian side we need a departure stamp, followed by getting an entrance stamp on the Ecuadorian side. Failing to do so makes you illegal, which could be a problem down the road for obvious reasons. No one seems to care what we’re carrying or how we are travelling. Just get the stamps, and away we go. Perhaps they just know that we aren’t smuggling a family of refugees in our panniers J

The final tally was 52 nights in Colombia – more than we had originally planned, but that included an initial 18 nights getting acclimatized and exploring the Colombian Caribbean (which was sort of a side trip). Upon reflection, our collective thoughts on Colombia are that it put on a fantastic show for us. From the beaches of the Caribbean, to the coffee-covered mountains of la zona cafetera, to the colonial towns of the south, the diversity of landscapes and sights is truly awesome. And to the people of Colombia, two huge thumbs up for their wonderful and friendly nature. We both agree that Colombians are some of the nicest and friendliest people we have ever encountered. Very noisy people mind you, but, very nice just the same. With the violence of the past, in the past (hopefully), Colombia seems to be a rising star. Viva Colombia!

Colombia trip stats:

Total kms on bikes: 2106
Number of riding days: 30
Average kms per riding day: 70
Number of flats: 3 (Amy 2, Rob 1) + 2 blown tires (1 each)
Cheapest accom*: $10
Most expensive accom*: $39
Average cost per night accom*: $25
Best beach: Palomino
Best town/city: Salento
Rob’s fav street food: papas con heuvo
Amy’s fav street food: ice cream (cono doble)
(*accom = private room)

Amy’s top pros/cons on Columbia:

                       +                                                                        —

Driver encouragement (honks, thumbs up)           constant noise

Diversity of scenery                                                     crazy drivers

Fresh limes and lime juice                                          lack of veggies

Rob’s top pros/cons on Columbia:

         +                                                           —
the people                                       constant noise
beaches to mountains                  wine is expensive
cheap beer                                      rooms without windows

 OK, Ecuador. We’re both pretty excited to be onto country #2. It’s a small country, which is nice when you’re on a bike. Distances between interesting stops are just so much smaller. So right now we’re relaxing by the pool near a tiny place called Ambuqui, about 90 kms south of the Colombia-Ecuador border. We’re resting up for tomorrow’s climb to the town of Otovalo – a mountain town famous for the biggest market in all of South America. Our plan is take some serious time out (a week or more – looking forward to that) to take Spanish lessons. We have both maxed out our sign-language gringo travel Spanish. It’s time to stop sounding like a 3-yr-old and start putting real sentences together J