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.

Part 10 Southern Colombia, late May 17

Part 10

Day 59 Pereira

We headed out the garage door from the hostel in Medellin during morning rush hour but it wasn’t a problem because we were leaving town. The going was slow but things moved continuously. The motos felt good, refreshed after their servicing. Everything that had been  needed was done to them and all for a good price at Ruta 40 BMW.

South of Medellin the roads became curvy and the trucks were slow. The speed limits were also very low. Only about 10 km of our route today was posted above 60 km/hr. There were construction zones with flag stations and blocked lanes every few kilometers, largely for landslide repairs after a difficult rainy season. We arrived at the hostel in Pereira at about 4:30 pm. 215 kilometers had taken us a little over five riding hours. Lunch and other stops added two more hours. Throughout the day the scenery had been gorgeous.

Stopped at a construction site - photo taken through my mirror

And that’s what it is about. The day we crossed the border from Mexico into Guatemala was the start of 100 km taking 2 ½ hours to cover. Once we accepted the idea that road travel is and will always be slow here things become easier. We have learned to enjoy the scenery and all the conversations during hourly breaks and in the halted wasp nests at the construction sites while waiting for the go signal.

Colombians are fantastically friendly and inquisitive. They stick their heads out the car window or steer their motorbike beside ours at every stop-light or construction zone and start to ask questions. They are thrilled we are visiting the place they love so much. They want to know our story and always suggest things we must do and see. Most common questions in Colombia: how did you come from Panama and how fast will it go?

Coming in from the north we looked down on the city of Pereira from about 200m above. The city sits at about 1300m altitude so the climate is very much like the eternal spring of Medellin. The hostel has its lobby/office in what was the garage of a house. The administrator opened the big garage door and I helped him move the furniture back. Then I rode both of our motos into the remaining space, occupying all of it. It required three of us to lift and slide the back wheel of the 1200 closer to the wall. They will be safe there tonight.

Bringing the bikes in from the street

Day 60 Pereira

Breakfast at the hostel was simple but did the trick, especially with Colombian coffee in the mix. Our private room and two breakfasts cost $25. The low-key rooftop terrace has a bar and some tables and chairs. It was a nice place to spend yesterday evening as the inside rooms cooled for the night. We stuck around the hostel in the morning because our coffee tour wasn’t until the afternoon, then we went out for lunch.

We found a little 5-table restaurante called “Café Mariscal Pereira” that served a set menu almuerzo for $4.50. It began with a generous bowl of pork and beans, then came the main dish of sausage, fried plantain, white rice and a tortilla. Desert was Jello and a drink of lemon and sugar cane juices with cinnamon. Everything was delicious. He also fixed me a great “café negro”. The owner and his wife had real pride in their food. He checked a few times with us regarding the quality of the food. He described each dish well and made sure we left with a business card for his restaurant.

Mauricio Ibanez

Mauricio Ibanez picked us up from the hostel at 3 pm and brought us to his coffee finca (farm). He is a small producer like all the others in this area and every step of the process of coffee production at his farm is done by hand. The best coffee here grows on steep hillsides to create partial exposure to the sun. This makes for a tough job clambering around on those hills and using only traditional hand tools to tend the small trees. A hand scythe is used to keep the grass and weeds down between the coffee trees. Mauricio hires local workers at picking time and to do the heavy work. He has at least one full time employee who is very knowledgeable about farming and local plants.

Some of Mauricio's coffee trees

We asked Mauricio about the “bad times” after he mentioned that phrase. I asked, “when were they?”. He answered, “Well we had 60 years of bad times but in my lifetime, it was in the 90’s”. He said that they lost many people, that it was a lawless time. Corruption was everywhere and many people thought that they could become rich through the drug trade and they quit their regular jobs. This led to the disintegration of productivity and the whole system slowly fell apart. The cities and more specifically the walled and barred homes within them became the only relatively safe places. The police were too few to protect those who lived in the countryside from the bandits so most farms were abandoned. Many farms fell to ruin.

Touring the farm - up and down...

Mauricio told the story of his father’s death. His father was murdered only 6 blocks from the nearest police station by bandits. He said the police were, “too afraid to go so they waited until the next day to recover the body. Then a new president was elected and he started a war with the criminals. People began to see the advantage of working to make a living and safety came back to the countryside.”

Peek-a-boo

Mauricio also told us stories about the road that we had ridden the day before from Medellin to Pereira. One of them was even a ghost story that featured the sudden appearance of a second passenger that was behind and pushing on his sleeping wife, on the back of his motorcycle late one night! The other stories revolved around the physical dangers on the road like falling rocks, full landslides and included people’s warnings not to drive on that road at night.

Coffee Trees

We have heard, read or seen YouTube videos of some crash and over the side plunge stories in the Andes at night. We avoid any travel at night by motorcycle. Add stray animals, potholes, unfamiliar territory, drunk drivers and the personal warnings of countless local truck drivers to Mauricio’s stories and the risks of night driving cannot be justified for us.

Coffee beans ripen at different times

It is abundantly evident that Mauricio loves the business of farming. Our private tour through the hills, deep valleys and across the streams of his farm was punctuated by Mauricio picking a wild plant, immediately smelling it then passing it to us. Next, he would go into an explanation of the medicinal or cooking uses of the plant. He continues to study plant uses from an indigenous teacher in the region.

Sun drying is the preferred method

Mauricio showed us the husking and cleaning machines and the fermentation vats. The fermentation time for coffee in this region is 14 hrs. Next came the sun drying racks outside. He has a propane powered small drier if he needs to process a batch quickly but the sun adds flavour to the beans and is the preferred method of drying. His coke fueled drying oven is not used any more as it is very bad for the health of the workers. He uses the inactive cavity for storage of tools.

Cooling after roasting

He roasted a small amount of already dried beans to show us how. Timing is everything with seconds and degrees C combinations being strictly adhered to. A light roast is preferred to preserve the aroma and correct acidity. It makes the best filtered coffee. Dark roast, accomplished by leaving the beans in the machine for not much longer, reduces the caffeine and aromas. It is best used in espresso machines.

Into the grinder

Then came the tasting. Mauricio’s wife Jimena served a tasting at the table in the house. It was delicious. Coffee is at its best when it is ground just before brewing and lightly roasted no more than 6 days before brewing. Jimena drove us home and we had a great chance to practice Spanish with her in the car.

Washing up after the tour

We got to the hostel at about 7 pm and walked down the street a couple of blocks. We ate some street food then bought some pastries from the panaderia (bakery) across the street. We enjoyed them with tea on the roof-top patio back at the hostel. It was another fun day in Colombia.

Mauricio's garden

Geese lifting off

Pastoral beauty

Day 61 Cali

Getting out of Pereira was relatively easy this morning and we enjoyed 220 kilometers of great roads and few obstructions. We even got the motos up to 100 kph for a couple of kilometers before the speed limit dropped again. Drivers mostly adhere to the speed limits in Colombia. The small moto riders, however and within their power limitations, do pretty much what they like.

We ride/drive as if our bikes are cars because we are so big. The spaces need to be quite large if we are going to dare to filter through traffic like wasps. We usually just try it on the highways near borders, tolls and construction sites when the traffic is stopped. City traffic is already incredibly intimidating, there is no need to add to that stress!

Today’s ride mostly took us through a long wide valley. It was at least 20 km wide at the narrow points and was well over 100 km long. It was huge, and it was full of sugar cane. We passed by a few four and even five-trailer rigs called “tren de caneros” (cane train) that resemble an Australian “road train” in the outback.

"Tren de Caneros"

We arrived through the big front door, literally, of the Kilele Hostel in a hip area of Cali at about 2 pm and parked the motos in the lobby.  It’s a former urban mansion, the back opening onto a steep hill overlooking the city. It is complete with servants’ quarters and a swimming pool three levels below the main one. A football championship game featuring the favorites, Real Madrid was just about to begin. A large crowd of young people had gathered and the beer was flowing, possibly because the first one was free. It was a ton of fun to watch the game with passionate fans. “Futbol” is an obsession with many in South America. Madrid won, thank goodness!

Preferred parking

After the game and a gigantic hamburger at the hostel we went for a walk around the area with the clubs and bars looking for a café with dessert choices. We had to look a while to find a simple café. Most establishments were themed restaurants or disco bars where people dance salsa all night. Cali is the place for that, we are told. I can hear the mixed beats and DJ’s through the open window as I write this. It’s Saturday night and we are in the middle of the party zone. Things are continuing, albeit on a smaller scale, here at the hostel too. It’s fun to be here tonight. Yes, we’re old and will go to bed early as usual, but it is still fun. We are especially buoyed by the news today that our daughter Gabi booked her flights and will join us to ride for a few weeks in Peru. We are overjoyed!

Cali from our room in the hostel

Day 62 Hato, outside Popayan

Getting out of Cali was lengthy and traffic filled even on a Sunday morning. The rest of today’s ride was on good roads that wound through river valleys again. We were waved though military check points. When things got hillier we saw numerous pairs of soldiers posted at the side of the road. We also saw a few sandbagged firing points that were manned by more soldiers. Some bridges are well manned and have sandbagged or concrete hard points at either end. These sightings grew fewer and stopped altogether as we moved more toward Popayan. The last hour and a half was a gentle climb.

We are at a house in the country outside Popayan owned by Elizabeth. Riding on the rough dirt road in from the main one was worth the effort. The tranquility of this beautiful place is reflected in our host, Elizabeth. She is kind and serene. The farms in this area are small and very close together. People work the land by hand and grow enough for themselves and perhaps a little more to sell. Coffee grows here too. We saw no farm machinery. There were a few small trucks on the road but mostly people and goods are moved around on small motos. We saw a few signs on the country road for cheese. Our stay tonight cost $17.

Elizabeth is a retired pharmacist

Elizabeth and I talked while fixing dinner in the kitchen upstairs. Isabelle’s knee was giving her grief again so she stayed downstairs in our spacious and hospital clean room. Elizabeth gave Isabelle some herbal remedies to put on her knee. Elizabeth said she wants to learn English. She is taking lessons from someone in the village. She would like to study in the city, Popayan but she said it is very expensive and then there is the problem of getting there each day.

We disturbed one of Elizabeth's neighbors, can you see the raised eyebrow?

Isabelle and I walked through the village of Hato earlier, probably making her knee worse. We noticed how immediately open and quick with a greeting people we met on the street were. Also, there is a distinct lack of walls and fences and locked gates. I told Elizabeth some of Mauricio’s stories about the dangerous times in the 90’s and how his father had been murdered by bandits just outside Pereira. I asked her if things were ever dangerous here. She said in the days of Pablo Escobar that all the trouble was farther away, nearer Cali. She said that this place is different from Cali. People just went about their everyday lives here.

The atmosphere in this region of small family farms is charming. Today marks the second time, the first time being in Panama, we have ventured off the beaten path and been rewarded with pastoral tranquility. The elevation is 1900m. The night air is fresh. The hypnotic sound of rain gently falling outside the open window is all we hear tonight. This place really is a world away from Cali.

Day 63 Pasto

The city of Pasto sits at 2700m and the climate is wonderfully cool. The ride from Popayan to Pasto is mountainous. Isabelle is getting much better at sharp turns and is putting some actual wear on the sides of her tires now! We saw a few different ecosystems along the way. Some of the differences in ecosystems are caused by local rainfall or the lack of it. Rain seems to fall mostly on one side of the mountains. Crossing from one side of a mountain to the other can bring you from desert cacti in 38 degrees to lush cultivated land a few degrees cooler. Pasto is a city with about 800,000 people nestled in a shallow valley.

View from Elizabeth's back porch

News of landslides, flooding and the terrible loss of life in Peru and southern Colombia this past and difficult rainy season reached us at home on the TV news. Our trip planning puts us in the mountains during dry season. Tomorrow we will cross the frontier into Ecuador.  Up until now it has felt like a mad dash that started with the first clear roads at home (04 Apr) and will end tomorrow with our arrival in the high Andes at the beginning of dry season.

Breaktime in southern Colombia

We have made our two deadlines: the pre-booked sailing to Cartagena and Ecuador at the beginning of dry season. Things can slow down now as we spend the next four months in the three countries of the high Andes, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.