Mindo...Rest Day January 31st 2022

Today was a day to rest after a picturesque but difficult ride yesterday.....both riders and motos needed a day off.

We did walk about the village visiting the chocolate factory....rain prevented us from being more adventurous. We could have visited the water falls and swam in its pool, zip lined, taken a cable car above the jungle, river tubed or visited the Butterfly Farm..called Mariposas de Mindo with over 1000 species at all stages of the life cycle.

Tomorrow we ride back to our starting point....for me a 4 hour ride but trailing a 125cc Honda likely 6 hours. 

Yesterday we had originally planned on a Northern route home from Otavalo to Esmeralda...a few days at the beach in the area then ride down the coast to Canoa. A good thing we didn't as a large landslide closed that route.....Bruce and Myrna changed their route due to this and stopped in Mindo and caught up with us having pizza for lunch.

   

Otavalo to Mindo January 30 2022

 The ride to Mindo turned out to be an Adventure....again Asphalt turned to stone and gravel...washouts and landslides....google said 4 1/2 hours to do 180 k......not at an average sppeed of 25k for most of the way.

 This looks relatively straight...not so....check google maps....they don't even show it turn back on itself

Amost 10 hours

Assessing if I should attempt it

I did...... no way I wanted  to cover 4 1/2 hours back where we started 

we  needed a wash and soon we got one having to go through a waterfall flowing over the road...hoping not be swept over the edge.

 Athir through the mud

 Looking for a way through this....

Athir dropped his bike trying to go around the mud

 They wanted a photo with the crazy gringo who tried to get through a landslide....someone had taken a picture and forwarded down the road

 Made it to Mindo at 7pm.....   staying here to rest for another day then Canoa

Puerto Francisco de Orellana to Otavalo January 29 2022

 Up early for a 4 hour ride on E35 to Otavalo........nice smooth trip unlike yesterday.

 Our hotel in Otavalo...Myrna y Bruce dropped over to take us on a tour of the Market/Local Volcanos and their home 

Myrna and Bruce's home

Volcano Cotopaxi

Coca to Puerta Francisco de Orellana

Our route started at 630am as we had planned on reaching Otavalo by 4pm.....seems google sometimes measures distance as the crow flies.....we took a short cut....100k took 4 hours as we went from Asphalt to course gravel and stone...then mud in places and numerous washouts.....the pictures don't tell the story. 

 landslides

 

Misahualli to Coca January 27 2022

 Early start worried about the rain forcast......slight light rain but nothing that soaked us......another great breakfast which was included in our stay.

Random pictures of the Day

 Off the main hwy 2k a farm settlement and access to a waterfall which we didn't see as it was a 20 minute walk.....not easy in Motorcycle boots....the road in here wa all stone.

River boat to the Amazon?

Watching Brazil y Ecuador Soccer