Febr 23/24 2020-Chillan in Canoa

The annual Fiesta which is Carnival in Latin America is equivalent to Marti Gras and celebrates the end of winter/darkness to Spring. The Catholic version is from excess & abundance before sobriety & prudence.

 Flowering...the rains bring on this.....

Johnny and I decided on visiting the fiesta last night ..........earlier we had drink with Carol & Jeff at the Canoa Beach Hotel......though Jeff had to leave to solve a parking dilemma in front of their B&B.

 At the Hotel before venturing into Canoa via taxi

 waiting for a cab with Hotel Staff 

Dinner at Bambu not healthy but good...a hamburgesa  con queso which included a fried egg.........seems to be normal here. 

While having dinner I message Yulia who is in Lima Peru and ask if her bike is still available...she thinks so but will contact the mechanic she left it with in Cuenca....Johnny is interested if the price is Right....she names a price...Johnny counters it...still waiting for the outcome.... 

Missed getting a pic with Carol and Jeff

We discussed Carol's correspondence with David of Sleipner......hopefully David will return with me after we do the registration of the bike in March to review their B&B.

We walked along the street fronting the beach which is lined with small restaurants, hostels and bars...in front of those are the street vendors....music from a band on the beach is blairing so loud that removing my hearing aid makes little difference.

The Surf Shack is our first stop, then The Sushi Bar followed by Charlie Bar. 

We hail a cab about 10pm and head back calling it a night.... 

Today I ride into San Vicente hoping to get my bike cleaned but the wash guys are off enjoying Carnival...so I go into Bahia stocking up on some food.......returning soaked as it pours .

  

February 19th to 21st 2020-Back in Ecuador

It is great to have friends who have your back and go out of their way to help you....though I had many options to get to Toronto to catch my flight.....my friends Vickie and Doug insisted they drive me the 150k to Toronto.....

 We are at Tucker's Market near the Airport

The flight leaves about 1130pm arriving in Quito early at 530am......A light dinner is served about 1230am which I miss as I have fallen asleep....followed by breakfast at 4am.....Immigration goes smoothly ....I retrieve my checked luggage and get a taxi to Sleipner. The altitude takes some adjusting and on the ride in I feel like I'm suffering from a hang over. Francisco is waiting at the gate with my moto.......we go inside and finish up the paper work (payment for the bike and modes)...

the bike will stay in Sleipner's name until David returns from Africa ....around March 10th...at this time I will make a trip back to Quito. David estimates it will take 4 days for the process including new licencing and insurance.

The plan had been to go straight to Canoa but I am knackered from the flight and in no condition to ride.....Francisco gets me a room at the Blue House a $1.50 taxi ride from Sleipner. I go and have a nap for a couple hours and return to Sleipner and pack the bike....Francisco invites me to the annual    bike night but it is at the airport and I am to fatigue to ride 29k. Francisco shows me the way to the hostel.

 I take a much needed shower and go out for dinner...walking around the neighborhood noting a number of bars and restaurants before picking an Indian Diner...

 A city square which seems to be an entertainment district....

 

 Chicken on a stick...with a coffee so thick I am unable to drink...

 A parade through the square...not a clue as to the occasion.... 

The bike is packed and ready to leave for 630am . My gps is set to get me to Chone which is the route I have chosen to get me to Canoa....the gps will not accept Canoa or San Vicente so I am on my own after that.....the route I take making a wrong turn at Chone as my GPS has run out of juice and I am winging it......I know I am on the wrong route when I see a sign for Portoviejo....so I see a municipal truck parked at the side of the road and stop and ask in Spanish direction for  Bahia.....he responds in Spanish.....I let on I know what he is saying and follow his hand directions and by the grace of God  make my way without any problems...

A few pics along the way

The vegetation is thick and lush...

 stop for a break and get approached by friendly Ecuadorians wanting to know of my travels and admiring the bike.....another talked to me earlier who had a VSTROM at home and explained he to was an Adventure Rider.....

 I am very fortunate to get a room....I think Juan Carlos bumped someone who hadn't arrived yet because his nephew had been apologetic earlier that they were fully booked for Carnival.....but Carlos said he had a room for me....... 

 Dinner at the surf shack.......then there I run into people I've met before .......and we trade a few stories.....on my return to Sundown I overtake a bike I recognise and pull him over...it is Bob White from Chelmsford Ontario....I met 2 years ago and he knew my uncle.....we agree to meet up later for a ride.

Spelling mistakes here...Spell check is now absent for some reason on blogger. 

February 9 2020-Returning to Ecuador

Arrived home on the 6th and unpacked only to repack today as I am returning to pay for my new to me BMW f700GS........David who is now in Africa advised me that he would see that the new Aluminum Side Bags would be installed before I arrive.

Thursday, the 20th I will be in Quito and go directly to David's new location.........pay the balance and resume my journey..........more on that later.....I was to return this week but my son just advised me he and Lara are getting married Friday .....cancelled my ticket for the 12th and re-booked.

David contacted me from Africa to advise that new 50/50 Mitas e70 tires installed and bike in shop for service...will send pic when Aluminum panniers installed.....I didn't order the new windscreen or signals as they would not arrive until March....I will bring them next trip in the late fall..........

https://ridermagazine.com/2018/11/09/mitas-e-07-adventure-tires-gear-review/       

February 4th to February 6th 2020-Canoa/Puerto Lopez-Quilotoa-Chug-Quito-Mitad de Mundo

I was on the road by 7am on the 4th taking a route to meet the amigos that Yulia(Julia) had taken me on last year. I had no Gps so was relying on my faulty memory to get to Comedor Milady which I presumed to be a restaurant on routa 30. This was the arranged meet and I had sent maps which are on a previous post to myfriends.

Leaving in cloudy conditions......I soon encountered light rain and about 1 hour into the ride the washboard pot holed road I recalled from last year.....so I knew I was on the correct route. Right at the turkey farm Julia and I had stopped to take pictures I swerved to avoid a mud slide and gently layed the bike down while still on it in the mud.......one of the young men cleaning the slide ran over and helped me upright the bike and push it out of its predicament and mud splattered we where on our way......I gave him Canada Flag pins for his help.

 this was last year....the hole has been filled in with gravel 

 another slide which has been removed...this pic from last year.

meeting spot

I arrive at 10.30 ....I am in a small village and after waiting for 1 1/2 hours. I am a curiosity to the locals as well as my bike..we both get a lot of attention...so a number of pins are  given out.....  I ask in broken Spanish for wifi...I am directed across the street to some young men hanging out at the corner.....again in poor Spanish I ask for wifi....one of the boys takes my phone and hooks me up with wifi....another gets me a chair to sit in the shade....they had been watching me earlier as I sat waiting.....likely wondering what's he up to....while I am trying to contact the amigos one of the young men taps me on the shoulder and points out that the amigos have arrived......I am happy as I thought I might have missed them.....I give out pins to the boys and thank them for their help...in Spanish...they laugh....  

We greet with hand bumps and after a light meal of chicken soup which is the only option offered we continue on....

We make our way through the mountains encountering heavy fog and rain....may have been a cloud...visibility is poor and I fall behind the others...cold and wet we finally arrive at our final night at 11000 feet above see level.

 Stop for chicken soup

 This canyon is over 200 feet deep in sections...near Quilotoa Cauldron

 Near Chugchilan our last night of the Sleipner Adventure....great dinner and breakfast at 11000 feet above sea level

 finally some straight road

 entrance to the cauldron.....it is over 1/2 hour hike to the lake and more than an hour back up.....or you can hire a donkey to take you both ways...we are already having to take deep breaths as the oxygen levels are low at this elevation 

 long way down ....a trail winds it's way spiraling downwards......

 the village around Quilotoa

 at the centre of the earth(  circumference...)

 Ken questioning the validity of that yellow line with his GPS

 As we enter the city Sleipner contacts us to advise that one of the bikes was not allowed to drive in the city on this day.....apparently to control traffic licence plate numbers have designated off days.....turns out Ken ends the trip in a pick up  

  David hands out Sleipner shirts...nice

On another note while initially entering the city Kevin took a wrong turn and we lost him....after 1/2 hour had elapsed we contact Sleipner to learn of his where about's as each bike has a tracker....we learn that he is only 1/2 hour from our position and pulled off the road....Sleipner cuts the engine remotely and we send out Rick to locate him...soon we are all reunited.....and guided in by following the pickup with Ken's ride.....

Without a doubt it was a great trip by all accounts from the amigos..

We go out for dinner at, of all places Kentucky Fried Chicken and hit the sack early as we have a 4:30 wake up to catch a taxi and our plane back to Canada......