Ecuador 1

Ecuador is about the same size as New Zealand and is just as interesting. Needless to say my week and a bit over here is not going to do the place justice but I don´t have much choice.

Why do people grow beards? They are way too itchy, especially in a helmet..
I forget the name of this mountain but its claim to fame is that the top of this mountain is the furthest piont from the earth´s centre - more than to the top of Mt Everest.. Figure that one out!!

Down at sea level the weather is quite warm, humid and tropical. I enjoyed the warm change but soon headed off for the cooler mountainous regions. Here the slopes are steep and patchworked with different crops and fields. I´ve seen a lot of mountains on this trip but each time I am glad to be there. The scenery is always breathtaking and the roads are always interesting..

Baños

Baños means Bathroom or Toilet in English so I thought I´d check it out...

Actually it is a bit of a tourist destination with volcanoes, deep green valleys, hot springs, water falls and close proximation to the Amazon Basin.

I stayed here for a while and the highlight for me was going Canyoning. Now I enjoy a bit of Rock Climbing back home and do mind abseiling down a rope but abseiling down these waterfalls in these lush green valleys/ravines was something else..

The Quilotoan Loop

A fantastic journey through Andean villages and valleys past the amazing Quilotoan Lake, an extinct volcanic crater.

This 150 odd kms of road consisted of all different types of surfaces from good pavement to washed out dirt tracks. The surrounding valleys were green, the locals friendly and an overall peaceful atmosphere. These two days of riding where an absolute pleasure.