It is fair to say that crossing
the border from Colombia into Ecuador created some anxiety. It proved needless,
my experience did not replicate reports of hours spent navigating the
bureaucracy of changing countries. Passage was complete within an hour, by
7.15am I was rolling towards Tulcan. Arriving at the border at 6am certainly
helped, by 7am the refugees from Venezuela had started to appear in increasing
numbers.
Tulcan is famous for the topiary
in the cemetery, making it something of a tourist destination. As early as I
was the place was deathly quiet.
The night was spent at Ibarra, at
a hotel located on the volcanic lake, Yahuarcocha. The journey south continued
the following day with a stop at Otavalo to witness the indigenous market for
which the region is noted. Colorful people with colorful food available.
About twenty miles south of
Otavalo is the Equator, marked by a monument and sun dial. The sun dial
reflects the importance of the location to the peoples that populated the area
500 years prior to the arrival of the Incas. It was not to be missed.
Navigating to the hotel on the
outskirts of old town Quito went without a hitch, where I met a couple of Brits from
Hereford. Well into their 70’s, they assembled a travel itinerary to spend a
month in Ecuador; backpacking, hiking and moving around on public transport.
Good for them!
The bike remained parked on
Sunday, a 25 cent bus ride and old town Quito provided entertainment. Unlike
cities back in the US, which empty out at the weekend, Quito old town was a
bustle though not quite on the scale of Bogota.It was quiet when I arrived at 9.30am and climbed the towers of the Basilica; by 10.30am the locals started to arrive in numbers, though the Presidential Guards were unfazed.
Quito is a city built in the
Andes, the topography is on display in the video. The center is well preserved; Spanish colonial and attractive. The first sweep is looking south, the second to the north, where the towers mark the new town and business center of the city.
The Ecuadorians love their
chocolate and the quality of cocoa produced is a matter of pride. Yumbos
chocolate is a cooperative outlet for fine beans grown on small scale farms
often owned by women. The Molinari chocolate shown is produced in limited
quantities from beans sourced from a single estate, it is considered the ‘Grand
Cru’ in the chocolate world. It was indeed “Chocolate Sabroso” – the title of
the track used on the video.
The journey continues tomorrow, the bike being newly badged.
T2.
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