Latacunga - Riobamba
Last night I had a perfect sleep, tired from cycling and being outside the whole day. The bed in the hotel was also perfect, better then the bed we had in Quito !! So fresh, awake and ready to go for the next stage, that would bring us to Riobamba, a trip of 97 kilometers, and a total climb of 1741 meters, so again a lot of climbing during this day.
We left around 8 in the morning after a musli breakfast. We dont cycle in a group anymore, so you can leave whenever you like and do the stages on your own speed. After packing the bike, and getting fresh water and some food I was on my way. Again the Pan-Am highway for the next 97 kilometers. Mmmm, not nice but we have deal with that.
eveything went fine, but in Ambato we have made a mistake at a junction, so we got a bit lost. Rob, Peter and I decided to continue to Quero, and follow the road to Mocha where we picked up the original route again, a slight detour of about 15 kilometers, with a lot of climbs and decents, but there was no traffic at all, so that was perfect !! very nice scenery. In Quero we had lunch, chicken, soup, rice and fries with a drink for only two dollar, so that was very cheap, especiall because it was Peters birthday, and he bought us lunch ... it costed him 6 dollars in total, so cheap !!
After lunch and refilling the water bottles we continued to Mocha and joined some other cyclists. There was abig climb to reach the 3500 meters, but from there there was a long decent into Riobamba... very nice ...
At night we had a nice pepper steak, and I went to bed pretty early, tired... But again a very nice day ... This is it for today because people are waiting in line for the computer ...
Michiel
Quito - Latacunga
Today we left Quito, on our way to Latacunga. Finally we got out of the smelly city, but we were going to take the Pan-Am highway, so still a lot of trucks, busses and other polution...
Total ascent will ber around 1291 meters, so some work needs to be done by the legs. The weather was good, some sunshine and clouds, so perfect weather to cycle. We left Quito as a group, and after 7 kilometers when we reached the Pan-Am highway, you can go as fast as you like. 72 kilometers straight on, no turns, nothing, just follow the road. the road was about three lanes wide, but cars and busses were using this road as it was 6 lanes wide... overtaking where it is not possible, sometimes busses just stop in front of you, loading and unloading passangers, so it is important to keep your eyes open, not to get run over by a car or bus ... Nice ...
There were two big climbs today, long exhausting climbs, especially when there are trucks driving on the left side of you and blowing all these exhaust fumes in your face ... they were climbing sometimes with the same speed, so we were getting poisioned all the way to the top. In a couple of days the Pan-Am highway is done, and we will take smaller roads ... much better !!
The last 20 kilometers were flat, however there was a pretty strong wind, almost headwind, and together with Rob were managed to reach the hotel. In Latacunga there was a very nice night market, big mess, food and stuff everywhere, just a bit like in Taiwan, but over here it was even more dirty, and smelly ...
It was a very nice day !!
Michiel
Start of the Andes Trail 2010 !!
Today is THE day !!!
We will start with our first kilometers of our 11.000 kilometer journey... Finally, everybody was looking forward to this moment, and happy that we could start. The last days were really nessesary to get used to the altitude and the climate. It will probably take a week or so till the body is used to cycling on this altitude, so the next days will be tough anyway.
I got up this morning at 6, again pain in the lower back, beds are not that great I guess, so again the hot shower, and it helps pretty well. after the shower getting dressed in out Andres Trail shirt. It is white light-blue shirt, just like the flag of Argentina. Size is ok now, after swapping a Medium for a Large.
Breakfast was good, some bread, scrambled egg, strawberry-jam, and some Nesquick chocolade powder on bread is ok. Filling up the water bottles, and and 9 o´clock we went North to the Mittad del Mundo, or the Middle of the World, or just the equator. It is about 27 kilometer to get there, and a big part is down-hill ... nice but we have to get back uphill again, ... mmmm... we will see how we are going to do that later ...
The Monument of the Mittad del Mudo is a kind of piramid, without a top, and a big globe on it. Look at the map, and switch to satalite, then you will see this monument from the top. Inside there is a museum about the Ecology of Ecuador. First we took a lot of pictures at the base of the monument. I checked if the GPS was really showing 0 degrees, and it did, so we were really at the equator! After taking hunderds of pictures of the bike and me at the 0 degrees sign, we went inside and up to the top of the monument. Our bikes were still at the bottom and flat on the floor on top of the line of the equator, frontwheel on the nothern hamisphere, and the backwheel on the southern hemisphere. Of cause we took a group picture, and after all this was done, we had a long tour in the monument and explanations about the ecology of Ecuador... Nice, but it took a bit long...
Climb uphill was tough, it was getting better then before, but still I got problems with breathing, it was just like you got a strap around your chest that prevents you from breating... overall it went ok I guess. Back at the hotel we had bread with cheese and vegetables, and that tasted very good.
Now I am downtown, and getting the last thingts before we hit the road south tomorrow.
So, a very good first day, and start of the journey !!
Michiel
Last day before we start ...
Today will be the last day before we will start our tour. So time to check the bike one more time and do some cycling in Quito.
I got up pretty early, couldn´t sleep very well. Every morning I wake up with pain in the lower back, probably because the bed is to soft. A hot shower will help quite well, and the shower we have in our room is very good. Lots and lots of hot water, and enough pressure to sandblast the teint of your back.
Anyway, after the shower, got some breakfast and together with Dirk, my Belgium roommate, we took off to explore Quito by bike. first we went to the Jardin Botanico, this is situated in a parc, called Parque La Carolina. After cycling this parc twice we headed for Parque Metropolitano. After some searching, and asking the direction, we found it. It started with a pretty long and steep climb. At this moment I realised that we were at a high altitude. Breathying was difficult, and it took a while before I was at the top. Dirk was much faster and didn´t seem to have problems. After getting my breath back, I was doing better, till the next climb ... It is unbelievable how fast you ran out of breath, and it is completely different then at sealevel or in the Ardennes. Anyway, I have to get used to it, many climbs will follow the next months, just a matter of training...
After some cycling in the parc, we cycled back to the hotel, and around noon we were back, quick shower and out again, explore Quito now by feet. Went to a big shopping Mall, whick could be located in the USA also, a lot of expensive shops, so after a quick look, I decided to go out again and walk back to La Carolina Parc. It is a bit like Central Parc in New York, in the middle of the city, people are jogging, cycling playing soccer and so on, a nice place to relax en get away from ther hectic life on the streets.
Walking back to hotel took longer then expected, and I had to back at 4, for the first meeting the the Bike-Dreams Staff, so jumped in a Taxi, and went back to hotel. Taxi is cheap here, and the only problem is that I don´t speak Spanish, so good conversations with the driver are not possible. (also in NY sometimes it wasn´t possible, the taxi that Peggy an I took, the driver didn´t say anything, also not when we asked him something ...
After arriving at the hotel, I went to the meeting. Wilbert, from Bike-Dreams introduced himself and the Crew. Also there was some explanation about the trip, the ¨rules and regulations¨, and some practical info. We got our Andes Trail shirt, mine was a bit to small, no not at the belly, but at the sholders ...
After the meeting, riders checked there bikes, I had checked mine this morning, so I knew that the bike was ok.
That is for now, tomorrow at 9 o´clock we will start with the first stage, Quito to Mittad del Mundo, and back. not that far, about 600 meter climb in there, so a good start of the Andes Trail. We received also a book with an overview of the trip, and ... pffffff.... there will be some serious climbing in there.
We will see !!!
Michiel
Cable-car to the top (Teleferico in Quito)
Hi,
Today it is Wednesday the 4th of August, and I am now three days in Quito. I am already getting used to the trafic, the noise, the polution and the spanish language, I still can´t say anything, and also don´t understand all of it, but there is a slight improvement ...
Today we went to with a cable-car to the top of one the mountains that are surrounding Quito. All the way up to 4160 meter, pretty high. They have warned us already about the altitude sickness symptoms. drink enough water, take it easy and don´t hurry ...
First we took two taxis to the start of the cable car, the road to get there was already pretty steep, and our driver had to shift to the lowest gear to keep the taxi moving on the slope, there were 4 Westerners in there, and not the smallest ones, so no wonder that it didn´t go very smooth... Finally with a boiling engine we arrived at the top, where we were going to take the cable-car up.
it was just the same like the ski-lifts which are everywhere around the world, so it looked decent and reliable. after getting a ticket and paying 2 dollar more than the lokal people, yes they take good care of the tourists, we went up. nice smooth ride, with a very nice overview of Quito. It was worth every penny of the 8,50 US$ we had to pay.
Once up at the top, there was a hiking path which took you further up the mountain, so we did that also, because maybe the view was even better from there ... and it was !!
After spending some time over there, and realising that we didn´t bring any food and not enough water we decided to go back down and get something to eat. They had a nice hamburger, double with cheese, with some pattatas fritas, which tatsed like a 2 Michelin Star menu after the hike up and down.
After that we took a taxi back, and it was around 4 in the afternoon that we were back, time to relax and update the website, this time also with some pictures.
Tonight there is nothing on the program, just have some dinner and relex a bit, tomorrow I will start cycling on my own, and at 4 pm we have a group meeting in the hotel, to get to know eachother, and get more information about the trip ... Friday we start to cycle to Mittad Del Mundo, the Ecuator, where the official start will be of The Andes Trail 2010 !!
I will keep you updated as much as possible, however now I am in a big city, and I am not shure how that will be for the rest of the trip .. we will see !!!
Michiel
Arrival in Quito
Yiehaaa,
After a long trip, with two unexpected stops in Bonaire and Guayaquil, the plane landed right on time in Quito at Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre. The customs were no problems, no questions asked, no issues ...
After getting my passport back with an ugly visa, some kind of printed stamp, I headed to the luggage belt, where hopefully my bike and bags will appear. The bag was no problem, only it took a while before my bike showed up.
The box was still intact, no damage visable, so I was hoping that my bike survied the trip without any damage. On the airport I met Francine, Patrick and Riggo, members and fellow cyclist of the Andes tour.
In a bus with three bikes, on our way to the hotel. We arrived there around half past nine, and all went very fine, good start of the holiday.
So ... I am in Quito, the bike is there, the other stuff is there ... let´s get going !!!!
Later more !!
The Andes Trail 2010 begins !!
Finally ....
Today, actually tonight I will goto Schiphol Airport to fly to Quitto where the start is in a couple of days of the Andes Trail 2010.
The last couple of days I´ve spend many hours in checking checking and again checking I have all the things that I need for this trip. I still had to buy stuff, but in general I think I was and still am pretty prepared... only this blog, where I will keep you guys updated with stories and pictues about this trip was still not online...
I have tried the blogger site, but if you want to react on a story or a picture, you must have a Gmail account otherwise you are not able to write a comment .... not nice, so I have checked many ´blog´sites, and one was not clear enough, the other wasn´t free, another one was packed with commercials, so finally I ended up with this site ... I hope it is clear, and you can comment on the stories and pictures ...
So ... my father drove me to Schiphol Airport, where I took the KL753 flight to Quito. Checking in was no problem, the bike wasn´t a problem at all, only it was a bit heavy, just about 28 kilos. The lady at the counter didn´t have any problem with that, only the old woman next to her started to complain about these 5 kilos to much ... Grrrr, I didn´t want to open the box again and remove 5 kilos, and put it in the other bag that was only 19 kilos. Finally she didn´t made a big deal of it and I got my boarding pass and I was on my way to the gate F3 !!
After a short drink with my Father, and spilling orange juice all of the floor and the table in the juice-bar during a toast on the trip, he also went back home.
I was on my way to Quito ... long flight ahead, but I was pretty tired, so sleeping should not be a big problem !!
Michiel