Part 11 Northern Ecuador, Otavalo, Quito, early Jun 17

Part 11 Northern Ecuador

Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv4kwC4hDys

Day 64 Otavalo, Ecuador

It was 12 degrees when we left and we stopped for coffee just outside Pasto. We immediately found ourselves in conversation with people who stopped to chat. One cyclist who was coming back from the direction we would ride said that the next 25 km were all down and it would get hot, then it was up again to the border. And that is exactly what happened.

Mountain Scene After the Border

The border was modern and efficient. It took a while because of the exportation then importation of the motos as usual, but this time and for the first time the whole process cost nothing. This border crossing is a choke point for travellers in South America because pretty much everyone has to pass through it. We saw families, migrant workers in large groups, and numerous small groups of bored looking backpackers walk across no-man’s-land in both directions. We stood in line with them at Migracion after parking the bikes. We heard many different languages being spoken while waiting in line.

Stopped to Take In The View

Ecuador immediately felt different from Colombia and from Central America too. Cars, not motos are the vehicles of choice and there was no craziness in the border town. The mountains became bigger as we went down then up and down again. The temperature ranged between 12 and 35 degrees. We just kept our warm clothes on for the relatively brief times it was hot. The scenery and road conditions were both superb. It was a truly memorable day of riding.

View from Hosteria Rose Cottage

We are at a charming place in Otavalo called Hosteria Rose Cottage. It is located on a hill overlooking the city. The cobbled road is steep and the entrance to the complex has a sharp right-hand turn and very steep climb past the gate. I took both bikes up and through the gate and the cobbles gave excellent traction. A surface that was any looser would have meant lost traction because it was so steep. Our host tells us that the cobbled road is the original Inca trail that goes to the top of the closest volcano.

Otavalo Seen from Rose Cottage

We are back at 2800m elevation tonight. A few days or a week at this height should prepare us well for life in the months to come, at very high elevations. We are surrounded by four huge volcanos, one of them is snow covered, at the equator! It looks gigantic and rises from a valley floor that sits at about 8,000 ft. Our latitude is 28 minutes North. I just filled the sink and watched as the water spun counter-clockwise while draining. Still normal.

Coffee and Berry Farming Near Otavalo

Day 65 Otavalo

We have decided to stay a while in Otovalo. There are waterfalls to hike to and volcanos to climb. Our hostel is a peaceful place that is beautifully located on an old Inca road up toward Fuya Fuya Mountain, one of four nearby volcanos. The views from here are wonderful and we have been made to feel very welcome by George and his staff.

Western Valley Below Rose Cottage

A good breakfast at the hostel was followed by a slow morning. We stripped down the motos for the week, taking about 150 pounds off each one. George gave us a ride into town. We had lunch in one of the many neat places then spent some time in the famous Otavalo market. On Wednesdays, there is a smaller version of the big Saturday market. We plan to visit the Saturday version too.

Western Valley with View of Volcan Cotacachi

Otavalo has many indigenous people and the atmosphere here, unlike cities we have recently visited, is serene. It really is calm. Traffic moves slowly and politely and so do the people. On the $3 cab ride, back to Rose Cottage the driver pointed out how tranquil the city is and proudly announced that it was because there are no drugs here. Alcohol is for sale in the stores but the selection is small and expensive.

View from Rose Cottage of Volcan Cotacachi

The Breakfast Room

We used every blanket given to us last night and today was sunny and 26 degrees. After the heat in Cartagena it doesn’t get much better than that.

Day 66 Fuy Fuya Mountain and Lago Mojanda

George tells us that the views from Volcan Fuya Fuya are most favorable in the morning. We left right after breakfast to ride up the mountain and see the crater lake. Isabelle took her moto down the steep driveway first and headed up the road. I followed and one minute later came upon her in the middle of the road, her bike on its side. She had fish-tailed in a patch of mud. Her ankle was sore and we checked things over. Movement seemed OK but her ankle was a little tender. She wanted to continue.

Arrival at Mojanda Crater Lake Via the Cobbled Inca Road

The rest of the ride up the mountain was filled with thrilling views. Lago Mojanda was at the top of the cobbled road and sits at 3700m (12, 025ft). Isabelle was adamant that we continue so we slowly walked up the rough track that followed, for about 2 km to an intersection. Looking in both directions we saw that each choice went a long way before it got anywhere. Isabelle’s ankle was not doing well so I insisted harder and she relented. We turned around.

Mojanda Crater Lake, elev. 3700m

She let me ride up further and explore while she hung out at the lake. There are tables and a bus shelter there. I aired down the tires on her bike (they are much better off-road tires than the ones currently on mine) and with a school boy grin set off up the muddy track. It was really fun and easy for a while but later became a little more difficult. I wasn’t wearing proper off-road riding gear and didn’t want to risk an upset. Eventually things became rough and I turned around. Isabelle and I rode back down the Inca road to the hostel.

We had dinner with our new bunk mates, Nickie, Ana, Ben, Penny and our host, George. Ana and Nickie are from The Netherlands. They have been traveling for a time in Colombia and have ventured south, across the border. Penny and Ben are Australian. They began in Santiago, Chile and are in their second year of travel. They worked in Santiago for a time, one in a restaurant and the other as an English teacher. Then they bought a car and are now touring.

Isabelle’s ankle is even more swollen tonight but there still is no bruising. We’ll keep an eye on it. Tomorrow we have an appointment to horseback ride to a beautiful waterfall.

Day 67 Cuicocha Crater Lake

Ben, Penny, Ana, Nickie and I decided to hike around one of the crater lakes, Cuicocha this morning. Isabelle supported the idea and chose to stay at Rose Cottage and rest her ankle. The hike was four hours long so I rode to the lake, following the others as Ben drove. The lake was beautiful and the views of the valley and other volcanos in the area was magnificent. I doubled back early in order to make the horseback riding appointment at 1 pm.

Volcan Imbabua and Otavalo as Seen on the Climb to Cuicocha Crater Lake

Ben, Penny, Ana, Nickie at Cuicocha Crater Lake

Jump Shot!

I made tea and snacks for us and we watched an internet stream of our daughter’s bronze medal volleyball game at the CISM championship in Florida. “CISM” is an organization of armed forces sports teams from around the world that compete once a year at different locations. The purpose is to promote international friendship through sport.

It was during tea that I suggested a visit to the hospital in town that could x-ray Isabelle’s ankle. The swelling had not reduced and the more troubling thing was the formation of those familiar blue bruises. Isabelle agreed and our first step was to call the insurance company back home. George set us up with a skype call. He was about to run into town for errands and he offered two other guests and us a ride. He dropped the others at the town square with some advice on restaurants and taxis and he took us to a private clinic.

As we approached the clinic we asked him to drop us off at the door but he insisted on parking and coming in with us. He dashed into the clinic ahead of us and discovered that the x-ray technician would only be in the next morning so we piled back into the car and headed over to the hospital. George did the same thing at the hospital. He came in with us and made sure Isabelle was started in the process. The emergency room didn’t have a formal reception desk and George found the right door to get through and to get someone’s attention.

Satisfied that Isabelle was properly started in the system he went off to do his shopping for the hosteria. The weekend was coming and he was expecting a lot of guests. We thanked him repeatedly and said that we would cab it home and not to worry about us. This was not to be the end of George’s kindness and generosity, we would soon learn.

Isabelle received timely care at the Otavalo hospital. It wasn’t an hour before I was called from the waiting room to the multi-gurney treatment room. Doctor Luis Barahora showed Isabelle and I the x-rays and declared it a fracture. He went straight to plastering Isabelle’s ankle and in a cheery voice he spoke to us and to the nurses. He could really work the room.

Dr. Barahora Setting the Cast

At another point, a familiar face walked in through the door. It was George, back from his errands. He looked a little shocked at the sight of the doctor finishing up with the plaster cast. Then he came out with, “It looks like you are just about finished here, I’ll just wait in car for you.” A few minutes later I went and thanked George again and insisted that we would take a cab home. I didn’t know how much longer we would be and he has a business to run.

Soon after that a young mother came in, followed by her husband, carrying her baby. She was visibly upset. Doctor Barahora examined the baby using a tongue depressor and an eyepiece. He said in his cheerful voice that things were a little enflamed. The parents and baby left post haste with a prescription bottle in their hands and relief in their hearts.

He returned to Isabelle and said he wanted to see her again in three days, after the swelling had gone down. He said his initial impression suggested an uncomplicated fracture of her ankle but surgery was a possibility, “pero espero que no” (but I hope not). We were never asked for payment so we asked him where we should pay. He said that it simply was his pleasure and that was that. Healthcare is free to all in Ecuador. Isabelle left with a prescription bottle in her hands but a cast on her ankle. The relief will have to come later.

We got back to Hosteria Rose Cottage after a fun chat with the taxi driver. It seemed to cheer Isabelle up. The hosteria has many small buildings on a few levels that are connected by paths through flower gardens and some stair cases. Isabelle was hobbling rather unsuccessfully using hiking poles. We hadn’t reached the stairs down to the lower level and our dorm room when George appeared and insisted that the stairs were too dangerous for Isabelle. He didn’t want her trying to go down them and we were not to worry about the extra cost. He would figure something out. We got her settled in the nearby solarium. George came by later with the news that he had changed us to a private room near the restaurant and without the danger of any stairs. It is the actual “Rose Cottage” and it is delightful.

Day 68 Hunting for crutches

I followed George into town. He was dropping guests off at the market and was going to show me where the farmacia is to buy crutches. He parked and ran in only to discover that they don’t sell crutches but the clerk gave him directions to a farmacia that did. This pattern went on for about three more stores until the second person said that the bigger city, nearby Ibarra, was the place to go for that sort of thing. I thanked George for his help and rode off to Ibarra which was about 25 minutes away.

I duplicated the pattern of farmacia hopping without success and stepped into a big grocery store. There was also a small shopping list to satisfy. I overheard English being spoken with an American accent nearby. The American couple kindly gave directions to a store in that very shopping mall. A few minutes later the sales clerk assured me that they only had youth sized crutches like the ones in her hand. She showed how to extend them and how well they fit her.

I relented and bought the short crutches. They would be better than nothing. As I began to strap them and the groceries on the moto in the shopping centre lot a lady came up and started enthusiastically asking about the bike. She asked if she could take photos and wanted to know our story. I finished the quick version of it by telling about Isabelle’s injury and expressing disappointment in the size of the crutches. She began to speak even more rapidly and I got completely lost. She dashed over to her nearby car and handed me her business card. Dra. Nancy Cisneros, Traumatologia Y Ortopedia, read her card. She is an orthopedic therapist with a shop that sells aids! I finally realized that she was telling me she has the correct size crutches and here is the address of her shop. I took out my phone and typed into the translator (yes, I do use a machine when I get stuck), “Can I follow you to your shop?” “Si, si”, was her reply. She had been trying to tell me this all along.

Dra. Nancy Cisneros, Traumatologia Y Ortopedia

I followed her through traffic and we made a trade. I bought her $50 pair of crutches and she bought my short ones for $20. Photos and hugs followed. First, helmeted Nancy was photographed on the moto by her daughter, then the reverse. It was a fun exchange that finished with, “when you come back on your way to Canada I want you and your wife to call me and come to my house for dinner.” She also wanted me to contact her when I wanted to sell the bike. She wanted to negotiate and said it would be easy to ship the bike back to Ecuador!

The important thing is that Isabelle now has crutches.

Day 69 Waiting for details

I went by myself today to climb Volcan Cayambe. I had heard that 4X4 vehicles could make it to the refuge at the base of the glacier. I decided to try it on a motorcycle. The road started with cobbles and degraded as it got higher. A truck that was stuck in the mud sideways at 4200m forced me to turn around.

The Equator!

Climbing Volcan Cayambe

The First Part is Cobbled

Higher Up the Road Gets Worse

Higher Still

Road blocked at elev. 4200m

After Airing Tires Back Up in Village at Base of Mountain

Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MrSm3zMEQg

Isabelle can get around more easily with the crutches and she does not have much physical pain. Tomorrow she sees Dr. Barahora and we hope for more detailed news. She has all kinds of “what if” scenarios bothering her. More information will help us to make informed decisions. It’s never good to make important decisions when you are stressed by injury or sickness.

Day 70 Return to the hospital

George gave us a ride to the hospital and we arrived 15 minutes early. Dr. Barahora removed the temporary cast and sent Isabelle for x-rays. A while later the orthopedic specialist, Dr. Zenon de la Cruz came to consult with Isabelle. He declared her injury an uncomplicated fracture requiring 6 weeks recovery. Dr. Barahora put on a more permanent cast and we are to return in 10 days to see Dr. Zenon de la Cruz for a follow-up visit. We are looking for an apartment to rent in Quito during her recovery.

Day 71 Quito

Isabelle found the perfect apartment in Quito through AirB&B and we have moved here. It has secure parking and it is fully equipped. The kitchen has every gadget we will need and there is even an office and computer. The wifi is good and strong. The price is $34CDN per day and fits into our trip budget. There are a couple of neighborhood restaurants a block away that serve traditional desayuno (breakfast) for $2 and almuerzo (lunch) for $2.50US. We will be comfortable here while Isabelle recuperates.

The taxi arrived at 9 o’clock this morning. We loaded up all our loose gear and Isabelle rode in the taxi. I rode one of the motos and we set out for Quito. It rained the whole 1 ½ hours and all the great mountain views we had been told about were not visible. We arrived at the apartment and got the keys and a tour from the housekeeper. Housekeeping and laundry service are included in the 1 month booking.

The taxi driver, Arturo drove me back to Rose Cottage to pick up the other moto but we stopped on the way and I bought him lunch. Arturo was pleasant and helpful with my Spanish. We had a great conversation. The cab cost $65 US. It saved time, allowing us to accomplish everything in one day and we got lucky with having Arturo as our driver.

The second ride saw clearing skies. Some of the mountain views peeped through and most importantly the excellent road was dry. It was the first time I had ridden the 700 (aka Princess Leah) any real distance. It’s a really fun and well-behaved bike. It seriously lacks power compared with the 1200 but can easily outclimb even the great big pickup truck with a noisy V-8 engine that got competitive with me for a while on the 4-lane mountain highway.

This post ends with the beginning of our Quito chapter. We will need to change our itinerary. We planned and prepared for the unexpected and now it has happened. We’ll get past it. We just learned that one of our ship mates on the Stahratte, Philippe Berini has fractured his tibia and is off his bike too. He and Isabelle have been poking fun at each other on the internet. We are in Ecuador and there are much worse places to be delayed! I guess we will just have to get comfortable.