Equador Trip Day 4

 Day 4

This was by far the most challenging riding I have ever done. Todays mileage was only 90 miles yet took us 8hours to complete and we skipped lunch!!

We left Quevedo around 8:15, leaving the city was a challenge even with the quiet morning traffic. We jumped right into a palm plantation and then a Dole banana operation. As we gained elevation we went into the clouds and we couldnt see 10 feet in front of you. The road was super curvy and wet!

Finally we climbed above the clouds but still couldnt see what Im sure were epic views. We stopped for another shitshow gas stop (the poor attendants having to deal with us stupid Americans!! ) We needed water too, the attendant sent us across the street to a tienda (store) but really just looked like someones shack. We fumbled our way through and bought water and snacks. Its always an adventure when the locals have to deal with us. Lots of laughing and giggles and smiles. We headed further to a town called El Corazon. We managed to go down many one way streets the wrong way trying to figure out where to go or park. We found the city center and then left Bob with the bikes in search of moonshine, which the town is known for. We went to one store, asked the owner if he had any, he couldn’t understand us but between body language (me doing a shot and him pretending to hold his head) he understood what we were looking for and walked us out to the street and pointed us in the right direction. When we got all the way up the hill and to where we thought he said, Senora Alba waved us down. (He had called ahead and told her to watch for us) Her store had no signs or anything that indicated it was a store. People here are awesome! She poured us some samples and then we purchased some coco loco, in real coconuts!!! We got back to Bob who has having his own adventure talking to a local using Apple Translate, which works really great for a conversation. We left there and headed further into the Andes Mountains. The road turned into winding, narrow, steep, dirt, rocks, gullies, mud, crazy drop-offs, buses, chickens, cows, sheep, dogs chasing us, people walking, you name it! At one point there was a horse in the road but he was tied up to a tree on the other side of the road so had we not seen it, we would have been clotheslined!! Minna has a video of Bob trying to pull the horse back across. He didn’t get him to cross back but at least the rope was on the ground so we could cross. BUT THE VIEWS were st-unn-ing!!! The highest point today was 13,200 feet. It was 50 miles of this and took us many hours but we made it safely through. We arrived in the remote village of Salinas De Bolivar at 11564 feet elevation, which is on the steepest hill a village can be on. The guys at Freedom said they routed us into town where we’d have a straight shot at our driveway, if we followed the GPS properly, which we did not. So Minna and I ended up stuck on a dirt road so steep that our front brakes wouldnt hold the bikes from sliding backwards. Luckily, I took a dirt training course with @dragoo a couple summers ago and learned that if you let the clutch out and stall the bike, the engine will keep you from sliding back. So I did that until Bob saved me and we (the hostel owner, Bob and I) pushed my bike into the driveway, then we did Minna’s bike. What a way to end a crazy day! We got to give away lots of toys and candy to the local children and the hostel owners 2 year old son sat on all of our bikes. We had a yummy dinner, watched some locals play a volleyball looking game with a really tall net, and did some shopping at the village co-op. We are all exhausted and ready for bed!!