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Saturday, December 1, 2018

Montanita Ecuador Nov 30 -Dec 1 2018 Day 2/ 3

Last evening while having dinner the gentleman I met earlier walked up and asked if I found my bike...turns out the Bar his son owns and I spent the afternoon looking for The Quebecois is across the street....4 buildings from my residence.
I invite myself to join Michel Robichand for a drink at the bar. He orders a double rum straight up...I'll have the same.....needless to say after having a quart of beer with dinner, I would sleep through the night despite  the blasting music from all the bars which likely lasted until 2 am...even then from the previous night's experience the party goes all night....it's Friday and the streets are packed......here their are street vendor bars in front of bars.
 vendor bars next to bars and across the street from bars. There are actually 3, another set up after I took this shot......
 pescado y papa fritos doble con cerveza grande.....$6.50
 Michel and son Zachary

I also had the pleasure of meeting Zachs beautiful Ecuadorian girlfriend but was not bold enough to take a pic

Zac has been here for 11 years and owns this upscale bar/restaurant and in the process of completing a complete make over of a hotel he purchased. Thank you Michel/Zac for the drink......
  A group of Old Timers from Quito and Guayaquil....one odd bike in the pack a Yamaha Adventure moto 
 Should I show them a pic of my 250cc moto...not...lol
 Breakfast $4.50

 a stroll along the board walk

 Should click on this one to get a better perspective of those boats

The Harleys' and 1 lone Yamaha have left the house

Ishia contacted me with a pic of my bike's arrival last evening...he is installing the rack today and will be down in the morning to bring me up to Olon so we can install my Gps.

Friday, November 30, 2018

Ecuador bound via Peru-Nov 28 to Nov 29 2018

Never again via this route.....bus to Pearson Airport from home arriving 10:30am, plane leaves at 6 pm...arrives in Lima Peru 2:30am next morning.....go through customs....go to baggage pick up to see if my bag is there...yep it is ...why...I was told in Toronto it would transfer to the flight to Ecuador...ok I take it and wonder about the airport until I can check the luggage to Ecuador...I present my ticket for Ecuador and they issue me a new one?????I wonder for 5 more Hours and when I go to check through for my flight to Guyaquil I am told no can go unless I go and pay some sort of TAX as I entered Peru at the airport instead of staying in some neutral zone and being bused to wherever to wait for flight toEcuador 10:40am.....must have missed that sign but good thing as I would not have arrived here with my checked luggage. So God must have been looking after me as when we arrived in Guyaquil the taxi wanted 120.00 Us to take me to Montanita....settled for 4.00 to take me to Bus terminal which was huge with about 25 different bus lines selling tickets...after wondering from booth to booth looking for ticket to Montanita I happened upon a fellow who took me up a floor to CLP bus lines where for $6.00 I purchased  my Ticket for Montanita....bus was leaving immediately....how was that for timing.....arrived in town 3 hours later......only 5 people on the bus...how can they make any $.......taxi to the Hotel 2.00 ......met by young senorita who new who I was right away and then a young fellow comes up as I am checking in to say he will take me to see Ishia at Montanitours where my bike is suppose to be....well I was much to exhausted to meet him and asked if it could wait until manana....no problem. Today I went looking for the place...asked in my poor Spanish without success until I met a man from Quebec who sent me to a bicycle rental shop who knew Ishia  telling me Montanitours closed some time ago. Shocked, I said couldn't be I just bought a moto from him.....he said Ishia was in Olon the next town and asked if he wanted him to call...I said please and it turns out Montanitours is operating from Olon but has not changed it's on line info....bike is not in ....hopefully today but Ishia wants to go over it before letting it out....some problems with paper work: as well....you think what I might be  Thi......o well life goes on. Did have a great conversation with Xavier Villegas who operates BIKESPONDYLUS...www.bikespondylus.com....he is the fellow who called Ishia for me. Turns out he lived in New York for 7 years having fled Ecuador when the Government closed all the banks in a coo a number years back and learned his English by reading at New York Libraries......a great guy who is the only one of his family to return to Ecuador from The USA.
I know a long ramble but just had to express myself in Welcome to South America Bob so Happy to Have You Back...How's Your Spanish...lol

 The view from my room at I love Montanita Hotel 
 
 The Tiki Limbo where I had dinner

 from my room

 my room is directly behind that teletron which covers 3/4 of my windows....with the music vibrating my room...lol 




 Compliment drink with my meal  

 Chicken Sandwich Supreme ...Great Presentation...all on wood accessories except for the hand cut fries...$8.50 
 







Monday, November 26, 2018

Ecuador via Peru-November 26th 2018

Flying out in the evening of November 28th from this...lol
 with my son and his girlfriend setting up wildlife cameras'

 Winter has begun....time to find warmer weather.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Ecuador Bound-November 12th 2018

Tickets have been purchased and a new motorcycle sorted.....I will travel via Lima Peru to Guayaquil Ecuador. I leave on the 28th but arrive in the wee hours of the 29th with a 9 hour wait in Lima for the flight to Ecuador. I will bus from Guayaquil to the beach town of Montanita where I pick up a new moto.

This is my new ride but will soon be modified to add the rack which Toby at Around the Block Tours in Huanuco Peru fabricated on my X terra last season.........bike is at Toby's looking for a new owner. Hopefully it will be purchased soon as I could use the $ to finance this trip. 

My X-Terra in Peru
 Updates will follow ........... 

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Killaloe Camping-September15th 2018

Summer is almost over and it was time to get the camper out on the road......been almost 2 years since I used it. When Ken invited me to join he and his wife I accepted. Saturday we left early with me following through Algonquin Park past the Polish settlements of Barry's Bay and Wilno where in 1864 300 polish immigrants set up camp and established a thriving village, Farming and logging which continues to this day.

Arriving at Covered Bridge Campground...little concerned that my rig would fit through.

here we ARE ALL SET UP shielding our eyes from the bright sunlight..................




 Ken looking for a spot to set up his Sat Receiver for TV.......after all you need the comforts of home....

that is until you get out for some exercise and sight seeing on the river.....

Ken and Carol caught up in the weeds...


Ken examining a Beaver run and hut.

On the edge of Round Lake with a shallow sandy beach....I see my camera has a flaw in the inside of the lense.

 Entering Round Lake from the river...

 I am falling behind the two seasoned kayakers....

A couple creatures enjoying the sun


Returning to camp


Day 1 we paddled almost 15k.....this is day 2 going down the river and covering about 12k.....Ken uses a GPS tracker which records our route. Day 2 required maneuvering through a rapid section....the return was harder through a short section but we managed

This evening we would enjoy sitting around the camp fire gazing at the stars as we would for the next two.....

My friends happy after a GEO cache find about a k off the road .........this day #3 saw us covering close to 14k with me lagging behind again...I think due to a sticky brake

 Day# 4 involved about 100k in Ken's truck Geo Caching in the area where we completed the day with a meal out at the famous Wilno Tavern which has been continuously operated for over 100 years. Though I have eaten lunches passing through here on motorcycle trips , I had not previously tried the traditional polish meal. So this night I enjoyed Polish sausage, perogy, cabbage roll and mashed potatoes on a bed of sauerkraut . Wednesday we packed up and headed home......  






  

Friday, September 7, 2018

Reminiscing-September 07 2018


It was January 2017 looking back after shoveling the walk......what am I doing here......

 Shortly after I was on my laptop looking at bike tours in South America and stumbled upon FREEDOM TOURS Quito Ecuador. Emailed the info to Ken and Don with whom I would do a 2 week tour come summer....hey you guys interested in a 9 day tour.........Ken responded and 2 weeks later we boarded a flight to Quito.  

 Travelling in the Andes Feb 2017


2nd day out.....Officer is there a PROBLEM





 Things to do near Banos. Prior to Banos we had spent 2 nights at The Canoa Beach Hotel outside the small fishing/surf village of Canoa....something beckoned me back and after our Quebec Trip I looked for a place to buy a bike and return to Ecuador...thoughit turned out that I would purchase a bike in Peru and at the last minute Ken would join me for two weeks prior to Xmas.......I then headed for Ecuador when Ken returned to Canada. Spending the winter until March 26th in the warmth of the Pacific 



 Summer 2017....river flowing into the St Lawrence Quebec Canada



 The St Lawrence 

 Fall 2017 at a HORIZON UNLIMITED Meeting

I am at the meet with bike and Trailer....roughing it...lol

 some people pack lightly...this chap is travelling around the World

I am booked for 4 months at the Sundown Resort....looking forward to my return...and meeting up with new acquaintances made earlier