26/2/2013 Tuesday Quito to Tandapi
D89, 5.18 (8), Av16.85, Max76, Tot11624, 1404
One thing about hotels, you tend to get a bit too comfortable. It is easy to forget what one is doing. Four days in Quito was great but it was time to move on.
Breakfast was enjoyed at the hotel and the road was entered at about 0830. Getting out of town was one big ordeal, I was looking for the old road to Santo Domingo on the way west to the coast.
Riding solo again was enjoyable, though company of the right kind is great, as was experienced with Devin. For me doing this with someone who had different ideals and is not prepared to live outside the norm, would just be hard work. Though some may think it a little selfish, being responsible to no one and waking up totally free of any commitment is for me something to behold, especially in today's society. We all have our ideals, this is mine at present.
This freedom, laced with challenge, new experiences, a new language and a little bit of risk, is fulfilling the little I need in life right now.
Anyway 16km and still in the urban area, getting many directions, many totally different, the way to the road was found.
For about 2 hours all was good. Dropping down a huge hill and stopping to ask someone were San Juan was. I had somehow ended up on the Pan Am missing a turn somewhere. All was good, as I was heading south.
So, I had to leave the Pan Am south of Tambillo and head west.
It was fairly flat to Alóag, where lunch was had. Then a slow climb took me out of the town to a corner where a truck coming down had just left the highway and was separated from its load of ckicken bones of all things.
The cab was upside down with the driver trapped inside, he was ok. There was a fair crowd watching the whole thing. No emergency services were there at the time..
My lunch stop was good timing, no stop may have put me near this corner.
From here the road went further up, it was now very cold. Once at the top it was all downhill. Traffic was heavy. This road was described as dangerous for cyclists by a few people, I now know why. That accident seen, was the first major mishap observed since International Falls on the Canadian border in Minnesota.
Then the cloud set in, visibility was down to 80m. My lights were put on .This was potentially fairly dodgy riding.
It was a bad timing as the views would have been magic, all one could see over the edges was cloud.
Then the rain started and the temp got down to 12°. I was soaked from sweat, so changing into my Alpaca jumper and raincoat, some warmth was generated and retained.
My hands were cold though, especially the forefingers which toggle the brake levers.
It was concentration all the way down on the wet, busy, barely visible road.
Five km before Tandapi, three coffees, chichiron and pork pieces were enjoyed at a roadside stall. It seems to be the norm here to serve a cup of hot water and you add the instant coffee. I asked them what their problem was, they laughed.
Heading off from here the rain really started coming down. Though warmth was still present inside my coat, however, below that my body was wet and dirty from the road debris, both water and dirt.
Having ridden through so much of this debris on the shoulder today, it was surprising a flat tyre was not experienced.
Arriving in Tandapi wetter than a shag, a hostel, the only one was found, it was ground level luckily.
Wheeling the bike straight in, getting unpacked , a shower was enjoyed.
I got my stove going in the room and had a cup of tea.
By now the rain was torrential with some thunder claps rocking the place. The hostel is the España on the west end of town.On the left side of the main road, it is more than adequate.
D89, 5.18 (8), Av16.85, Max76, Tot11624, 1404
One thing about hotels, you tend to get a bit too comfortable. It is easy to forget what one is doing. Four days in Quito was great but it was time to move on.
Breakfast was enjoyed at the hotel and the road was entered at about 0830. Getting out of town was one big ordeal, I was looking for the old road to Santo Domingo on the way west to the coast.
Riding solo again was enjoyable, though company of the right kind is great, as was experienced with Devin. For me doing this with someone who had different ideals and is not prepared to live outside the norm, would just be hard work. Though some may think it a little selfish, being responsible to no one and waking up totally free of any commitment is for me something to behold, especially in today's society. We all have our ideals, this is mine at present.
This freedom, laced with challenge, new experiences, a new language and a little bit of risk, is fulfilling the little I need in life right now.
Anyway 16km and still in the urban area, getting many directions, many totally different, the way to the road was found.
For about 2 hours all was good. Dropping down a huge hill and stopping to ask someone were San Juan was. I had somehow ended up on the Pan Am missing a turn somewhere. All was good, as I was heading south.
So, I had to leave the Pan Am south of Tambillo and head west.
It was fairly flat to Alóag, where lunch was had. Then a slow climb took me out of the town to a corner where a truck coming down had just left the highway and was separated from its load of ckicken bones of all things.
The cab was upside down with the driver trapped inside, he was ok. There was a fair crowd watching the whole thing. No emergency services were there at the time..
My lunch stop was good timing, no stop may have put me near this corner.
From here the road went further up, it was now very cold. Once at the top it was all downhill. Traffic was heavy. This road was described as dangerous for cyclists by a few people, I now know why. That accident seen, was the first major mishap observed since International Falls on the Canadian border in Minnesota.
Then the cloud set in, visibility was down to 80m. My lights were put on .This was potentially fairly dodgy riding.
It was a bad timing as the views would have been magic, all one could see over the edges was cloud.
Then the rain started and the temp got down to 12°. I was soaked from sweat, so changing into my Alpaca jumper and raincoat, some warmth was generated and retained.
My hands were cold though, especially the forefingers which toggle the brake levers.
It was concentration all the way down on the wet, busy, barely visible road.
Five km before Tandapi, three coffees, chichiron and pork pieces were enjoyed at a roadside stall. It seems to be the norm here to serve a cup of hot water and you add the instant coffee. I asked them what their problem was, they laughed.
Heading off from here the rain really started coming down. Though warmth was still present inside my coat, however, below that my body was wet and dirty from the road debris, both water and dirt.
Having ridden through so much of this debris on the shoulder today, it was surprising a flat tyre was not experienced.
Arriving in Tandapi wetter than a shag, a hostel, the only one was found, it was ground level luckily.
Wheeling the bike straight in, getting unpacked , a shower was enjoyed.
I got my stove going in the room and had a cup of tea.
By now the rain was torrential with some thunder claps rocking the place. The hostel is the España on the west end of town.On the left side of the main road, it is more than adequate.
The first major accident, witnessed, the driver though trapped was ok. The load was chicken bones, mayhem would have described the scene had they been chooks
Thessilver leafed trees were scattered through the landscape, their local name is, Guarumo, though not getting up close they appeared the same as those in Yuramal, north of Medellín
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A break in the cloud on the way down
A constant companion during the latter stages of the descent, the Rio Tauchi, always increasing in size with the many tributaries finding anonymity in it's waters.
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