Febr 5-2017-Canoa Ecuador

I will update a little from the beginning of our trip, as I was quite ill the 1st couple days. Leaving Quito following in the slow lane so around noon on the 3rd put us in heavy traffic similar to Toronto after  3pm but without the same rules of right away....motorcycle lane splitting is a past time here but we have not mastered the art of moving between cars and end up for our own safety in the slow lanes.....not so much to avoid cars but the motos......lol.

We find the Equator Monument on the outskirts  but we are unable to get into the park do to a private function.. We stop at the Pululahue Crator which is dormant but heavy cloud cover prevents seeing into it. Back out onto the pavement, it has started to rain. we pull over and I put my rain jacket on but not the pants....mistake....Ken has a GEO cache site heading en route.....I mentioned it in the 1st post and Ken gets plenty of exercise in the climb. He is gone about an hour and returns disappointed, soaked from perspiration plus rain. We move on and take our 1st off road excursion, Ecourta del Quinde or "Hummingbird Road" into the Cloud Forest. The road is basically a forest trail along a ridge and climbs steadily....it is raining hard, Ken is having difficulty seeing as our visors are fogged up. It is a wild road but very doable on our small bikes which seem to relish the challenge. We stop at the Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve. Here, their is a lodge with what we are told is an amazing restaurant which sets you amongst all kinds of colourful birds. We stop only to take a photo of the entry....can hardly see, we are drenched and decide to press on to Mindo, our stop for the night at The Septimo Paraiso Cloudforest Reserve....we miss the turn and end up at The Chocolate Factory in Mindo...The Quetzal Chocolate Factory, which we have mistaken, following a pre programed Gps, for our accommodations...we get help from an American Lass who is working here. The road to the factory was MUD...we are soaked and covered in the stuff....waterproof boots.....no so....you can pour the water out.

Feb 5th Canoa to BahiaHow do I get in...ring the Bell, KenHappy, GEO 2 found wrong way Ken

1K Bridge over the Rio Chone which empties into the Pacific on the left.....This pic taken at mid section....the tall white structure about middle of picture is a lookout tower....pics to follow show the devastation the 7.8 Quake April 16th 2016 had on Bahia. People near the tower are still living in tents or under pieces of corrugated steel...no hydro, no water.....basically little shelter.

no luck at GEO 3

near the tower at top of hill

Damaged Firehall

going down the steep hill from the tower

Bottom of Tower........................................................We leave and go to The El Paseo Mall at the end of the Bridge where we dine on KFC......the mall which is fairly new.....withstood the quake but the buildings nearby are mostly vacant.

From here we return to our hotel in Canoa about 20 miles away and relax. We are back on the road tomorrow.