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
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
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......
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