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Thursday, January 30, 2020

January 26-29th 2020- Quito Arrival/ Misahualli Port/Banos/Cuenca

Arrived at 5:45 am Quito with a 2 Taxi waiting to take us to Hostel L'Auberge.........totally spent as no sleep on the plane and feeling the effects of the altitude....

Showered and off  to Sleipner to arrange the final paper work to pick up the bikes for the start of our trip Sunday.


 
 Sleipner's

 Healthy dinner 1st night 

 preparing our steeds


 BMW 700 my ride...David upgraded....unfortunately I would have an accident at the end of the day 400 metres from the lodge and crack the wind screen and scratch the guards....through a water hazard in a gully....stalled the bike after coming out of water.....then after starting it topped the crest slipping into the ditch....back up onto a rocky road...hit a rock deflecting the front wheel with the rear sliding out throwing me over the handle bars.....that is why we ride with armored clothing.....other than a scraped forarm I was ok.....Sorry David re the bike. I have already fessed up to David's Assistant who met us in Banos to swap out 2 batteries.


 If you look closely you will see a ribben of water in the distance  which is a water falls entering below 

 We arrive at the Misahualli Port Lodge late afternoon.....though the mileage is only 221k.....it is not possible to do it in less than 6 hours.However before arriving we pass Antisana Volcano which is the 4th highest Volcano in Ecuador and is heavily guarded as it is the main source of water for Quito

 Dinning room at the Eco Lodge

 Pool and bar 

 Christian and his girlfriend who quided us to the Eco Lodge as our Gps ran out of power and we were lost.

 My desert the 1st night...we would stay at this lodge for 2 nights ...river boating, visiting an animal zoo shelter where they rehabilitate exotic local species that have been pets....so they can be re introduced to the Amazon Forests...not an easy task....even includes Anaconda.   


More on the lodge and pics from my camera later....not having good internet is a problem so my posts may not be updated in a timely fashion...we have already been to Banos where we had our 1st flat......now in Cuenca and it is 3:30 am.........Met with my Russian friend and Mike as well as a young Hot Chick Biker...Chanel who is a Biologist and Motorcycle Magazine writer....a few pics from tonight at the Common Grounds Bar and Restaurant 









 We run the rapids several times...some of us getting wet.

 may be a monkey here

 We are served a shore Lunch...Spaggetti and fruit


 We all get multiple shots at a small head target with the long poison dart gun.......I hit the head on the 1st shot and don't require another 

 some of us in the water in undershorts...just I and the two Swiss 

 About 1/2 hour walk through a snake cayman infested jungle to the boat......no one was bit but we did see many cayman. Rick offers $100.00 for anyone to swim across a 50 foot streach of swamp ....the guide says they are not likely to bite....why are they gathering starring at us .....NO TAKERS 





We had an early start to Banos in clear and sunny weather....we encountered rain on the twisty road for about 20 minutes znd arrived in Banos early afternoon where the 4 amigos visited the famous Devils Cauldron Falls .....we had stopped there earlier for lunch and upon leaving found Kevin's bike had a flat front.....At this time we had no tools or tubes to fix...we had forgotten these items and David had them on route to us via Francisco but he was an hour out....so Ken set out to find a volcanizer in the village returning a short while later with a tire mechanic who removed the front wheel and took it back to his shop for repair.......returning and putting back on....we lost about an hour...then into Banos booking into a Spa Hotel........while I relaxed the amigos visited the falls by taxi. In the interim Francisco arrived and swapped out 2 defective batteries in the Hondas. He also carried the tools, tubes, compressors and rain gear left behind......all would be needed the next day when the 2nd flat occurred .....this time Ron's rear wheel as we rode through a small village...luck was with us....right in front of a tire repair shop.....new tube installed and old one repaired. It is fortunate that these puncture's were not on the road we had exited as no place  shoulders on these roads plus climbing or descending which makes it difficult to remove wheels.

I took Francisco out for dinner and soon we were joined by the 4 amigos......afterwords we all bar hopped except Ken who had found that the Dukeral he had taken wasn't working and he retired to his room. 



 We did attend church before the bars

 A few of at least nine different shooters












Departed for Cuenca after breakfast riding very  mountainous roads with Sharp turns......we entered the city in rain and were happy to get to the Hotel Felicia  very Chic in the old part of the city close to the central park.                                                      
 Meeting up with my Russian friend and her current travel companion Mike who start their journey through South America manana.

My travelling companions not the girls.....though I would abandon the others for the chick in leathers if I was 40 years younger....Chanel is a Biologist and Motorcycle Magazine Writer travelling on a new 1000cc Indian she purchased in Chile........she is from the Idaho area and travelling alone.....
 She bought in Chile...$18000 USD before all the mods...including LOUD PIPES....Julia's bike is the White one back behind the red car ...Mike is on the red African Twin


Thursday, January 9, 2020

January 9 2020- Colombia November 2020-Pre Play




Early stages of planning next major ride starting either October or November........working on having my friend John and his wife who is from Caracas Ven joining me.......May enter Ecuador if unable to cross Vene ......I know it is lawless at the moment but could hire security.....I believe Katys parents are well connected in Caracas....so will play it over the next few months.

The upcoming months could be busy as I have been asked to play in 2 USA Hockey Tournaments. One in Maryland and the other in Florida........of course this is not happenning until my return from Ecuador. Imagine a CANADIAN playing for a USA teams in an Old Timers Tournament....the Florida tourney is with retired NHL'ers....so should be fun. If I join will need to keep my mouth shut re politics.

My 650 VStrom....waiting for cop on other side to leave...then go around barrier.......

 Likely buy new in Bogata approx Canadian $5650.00 or $13,990,000. Colombian pesos. The Royal Enfield Himalayan......in Colombia the dealer will handle all the licencing if you buy new.....you can fly to Bogata from Toronto Canada for $500.00 return.....to cross from Colon Panama to Cartagena on the Stathrat is $1200 usd that alone pays a good portion of this bike ....so to ship my bike makes no sense 2 x 1200 plus getting there from Canada.....done that

 410cc...made in India

 would likely go for soft luggage....safer in a fall on the rider. 
Another Contender has entered the picture the AKT 450cc RX4 

in the USA sells for approx $ 5700.00...........CHINESE MAKE