Rest Day - Loja

OK, so we’d had a rest day not all that long ago, but…. I'm not going to complain!

Loja is a beautiful little town, is apparently one of the oldest in Ecuador and was also one of the first to be wired for electric power provided by a hydroelectric dam in the 1890s. With a population of around 200,000 and situated at around 2000 metres above sea level, it’s got a mild climate and everything a modern day traveller / tourist desires in the way of scenery, some great restaurants and a rich tradition in the arts.

For me at least, I’m not sure how many else within the peleton, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore South America, albeit it on the back of a bike (in theory) and I am going to jump at every opportunity I can to learn about the culture, history and cuisine of the area, as well as take in as much of the geographical highlights as I can.

With this in mind, Carmen, Julia and I decided we’d take to the streets, enjoy the atmosphere and see if we could work out what living in South America felt like. As a consequence, we wandered through the markets, amazed at the abundance of fresh fruit & vegetables, the diversity of products on offer and the mix of stalls. Ice cream vendors selling their wares, right next door to butchers with the meat just hanging from the ceiling, florists next door to fish mongers and people selling all manner of clothing & so on.

I am led to believe that Loja is a great departure point for the Amazon Basin and the El Dorado region but for me, I was just pleased to be able to take in the sights and sounds of a South American country town at leisure.....

Ona to Loja

Knowing that today was to be the Queen Stage for Ecuador and after taking a quick look at the route profile I decided that whilst I'd head out with the intention of trying to get all the way through from Ona to Loja that I would in all probability want to retire at around the 50 - 60 KM mark. Seriously they don't believe in gentle gradients around here.

When that's combined with a bit of altitude, things become hard work quite quickly!

Whilst the first five to ten kilometres weren't too bad, I did have to revert to playing a bit of music through my headphones at this point, something that I would never do at home, but I needed a bit of something to distract me from the climb. 

A ten or fifteen kilometre climb with an 8% gradient first thing after breakfast and before you have virtually had time to leave your front door, really ain't a great deal of fun! On and on I slogged with the pace gradually getting ever slower, until I reached the summit. It was at this point or shortly before hand that I noticed that a colleague - Carmen - who I had ridden with the day before, was some distance behind, but slowly but surely getting ever closer. 

As a result and particularly given that I had enjoyed her the company the day before I decided to wait. Heck, it is far more enjoyable riding with a buddy, as opposed to riding on your own and yet only a matter of a couple of hundred metres or a few minutes ahead of someone else! 

We subsequently enjoyed the descent, taking care not to allow the speed to get ahead of us. I know that one of my compatriots who I rode with on the La Bella Italia last year - Annabel - would have been particularly pleased with my approach......

Once we hit the bottom however, the road quickly turned upward for what both Carmen and I knew would be a fair ole while! What we did not anticipate however is how exposed it was to the wind and as a result how cold it could / would be. Heck, whilst normally I would be one for ditching winter clothing for long hard climbs up hill, the temperature was such that was not a particularly feasible idea, particularly given the speeds at which we were riding.

By the time we achieved the first five kilometres of the climb, I think we had both decided to call it quits at lunch time, sooner if we were in the fortuitous position or not, as to be deemed as to being "too late" and hence thrown into the lunch truck come sag wagon!

Ultimately this was to occur and I have to say it was an enormous relief. 

I mean we had fun, talking, telling each other our respective life story and simply taking the mickey out of the situation, but our legs (well mine at least) were about to fall off I was in that much pain! Being able to board the lunch truck was a brilliant reprieve! 

As a means of celebrating our camaraderie once we got to our hotel, we did a bit of supermarket shopping - trying to get a few food supplies that have a bit more protein than what we are currently eating / getting, but also in an attempt to see if we can avoid the gastro bug that is working its way though the peleton. I'm not sure what is causing it, but I reckon at least half of my colleagues have been ill at some point or another during the course of the last week. 

Once we had attended to that and a few other domestic chores (they do not stop even when you are away on holiday), we along with Jules & Lucho (the bike mechanic), went out to dinner at a decent restaurant where I was able to score a nice bit of salmon. Score!!!!

Cuenca to Ona

The route out of Cuenca, looked horrendous and to be on a road that was going to be full of heavy tucks and long distance buses pumping out their billowing black smoke wasn't something I was looking forward to, so as a result I opted to take the easy option and to simply ride from the summit of today's route, which was also to be the spot the lunch truck was due to set up.

Whilst I'm glad I did, as the drive out wasn't particularly enjoyable and I can only imagine what it would have been like on a bike, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I did so. Not because of what any of my colleagues might have thought, but rather the father / daughter combination that we drove past as they made their way up to the summit, in the rain, on their bikes! I'd be surprised if she was ten and yet she just seemed to take the day's ride in her stride. Seriously, I think I've just spotted the next Marianne Vos, should she stick to enjoying going for a bike ride with her dad. My only regret, I didn't get  photo of her in action........

At any rate, once we got to the lunch spot, I donned my wet weather gear, it having been raining lightly for pretty much the last hour or so, and then headed off down the road with my Italian friend - Carmen - before we had the opportunity to change our minds......

It wasn't long before the rain eased and we were able to enjoy the roll into Ona. 

As Carmen is somewhat new to cycling the mountains or over substantial distances, I suspect, I was able to provide a few tips along the way, as well as insisting we stop regularly to take a million and one photos, to fully make the most of the leisurely route......

Just some of the scenery en-route!

Carmen

A Rest Day - Cuenca

Today, I've spent the day pretty much too myself, which I suspect is probably not a bad thing as it's given me a bit of time to put things into perspective. Tomorrow is a new beginning and hence my plan going forward is to try and encourage a few of the slower riders (such as myself) to work as a team and to also take the time to enjoy the some mid-ride stops whether it be between the start and the lunch van or the lunch van and the finish! IE: Make time for a coke / coffee stop, to take a bit of a breather and to do more than just worry about the odometer...... 

Smell the roses as it were! Not that I think we've passed too many!

So what exactly did I do with myself today, well essentially I took a bit of a wander through the old part of town and also had my bike repaired, not that it's been suffering from over use!

Carmen and Lucho (our mechanic) replace the rear brake rotor on my bike and so hopefully from now on I won't have a rubbing brake... which also means that there goes my excuses for being so slow up the hills!

Just one of the many impressive buildings in the old town and no it's not a photo I took the last time I was in Europe! 

A view of the modern half of the city, with a hint of the airstrip in the very background!

Ingapirca to Cuenca

Today like quite a number of other riders, I opted for the truck. Whilst my excuse is that I suffered severe cramp for most of the night, I think I managed two or three hours sleep in total, a number of my colleagues seem to have been struck down by some form of stomach bug.

I suspect I suffered last night, as a result of a rookie mistake - Not drinking sufficient water during the ride, the day before. Whilst I had a bidon with me and a half full Camelbak for the first half of the ride (I was empty by the time I got there) and had made the situation even worse than it needed be, by not taking some loose change, small denomination notes! I only had a USD $20 which could just about by half a milkbar not that I passed many! 

The wearing of bike helmets in the truck is not mandatory and I don't think this is quite what Rob or Wilbert would have envisaged occurring so early in the trip!

As a result I've made the mental note to myself to (A) Make 100% sure all my water containers are full and (B) That I've got some loose change for whatever situation may arise!

Chunchi to Ingapirca

As I write today's entry I've got to tell you, "I'm not happy Jan"! Sorry to any of my international readers, I've used an old Australian television slogan to diminish the profanity which may otherwise ensue as a result of my rooming / sleeping conditions tonight following what has been arguably one of the hardest days I've ever spent in the saddle of a bike.

Essentially today today's route which took us from Chunchi to Ingapirca involved some 2000 metres of climbing over the relatively shortish distance of 70 kilometres or thereabouts.

Whilst the map profile seemed to suggest the gradients wouldn't be too excessive, in reality there were some pretty serious climbs involved. Both in terms of the gradient, length and to top it all off the winds..... There was one point were I got really, really close to getting off and walking, the headwind being so strong that I had a hard time staying out of the gutter.

Whilst the scenery at times was breath taking, I've got to admit I didn't have a lot of breath to take given that I was gasping for air at times owing to some of the gradients. I think the last ten kilometres or so were the worst though. A few aggressive dogs, narrower roads and a climb that just never seemed to stop. Fortunately however I had an ally in Dave and we both slogged away at the last little bit together!

Once in town, a visit to the ancient Inca ruins, was called upon! At this point I should confess I would have stuck around and listened to the whole guided tour, but only being in my lycra gear once the wind struck up I made for a rather hasty exit!

Getting back to where I began, because there were insufficient beds in the original hostal that we'd been booked to stay, a number of us were transferred into some alternate accommodation and whilst some of my colleagues seemed to find themselves in reasonable (though hardly brilliant surroundings) I found myself in something more akin to a stable. 

The bathroom window was just a gap in the wall, the wall between the bathroom and the bedroom wouldn't shut (shoddy workmanship) and as a consequence I suspect I'm in for a rough night in terms of getting any sleep! Personally, I think I'd prefer it if we were camping, but whinging about it isn't going to change anything, so I'm just going to shut up now and go to bed!

Alausi to Chunchi

After yesterday's wonderful experience, albeit only half a day's riding I couldn't help but to feel enthusiastic about riding today, even if it was going to be sharp & steep ascent from the outset. Alausi is situated in a bowl as it were, which meant we had a gradient averaging somewhere close to double figures for the first 5-6 kilometres. Not the way I like to start the day, but hey, there was no getting out of this one, with our destination Chunchi being only some 35 kilometres away.

Whilst the climb had been a little tough, once we’d reached the summit of the bowl and got back onto the main road, from where the above photo was taken, it was all downhill from there. Whilst I took the descents a little more carefully than some, which I suppose is hardly surprising, I had a fun time nonetheless. 

Riobamba to Alausi

Feeling a better than I was yesterday, knowing I shouldn’t have any mechanical issues and then taking a look at the day’s route profile, I decided to take the truck to the lunch stop and go from there….

Once on the bike, having had a quick bite to eat, I set out toward the village of Alausi. 

In doing so, I rode past the inactive volcano Chimborzao, which I am led to believe is Ecuador's highest summit, peaking at 6268 metres. Fortunately, its last eruption is thought to have occurred sometime in the first millennium AD so I felt reasonably confident that I wasn’t going to have to peddle like nobody’s business away from a lava flow or what have you. 

Like Cotopaxi, the volcano near Quito, the summit was covered in cloud. Hence no photos….

Having spent an hour or so in the truck this morning, I read up about our destination, Alausi, and found out that apparently it got its name during the conquest of Ecuador.

At any rate, once I arrived in town on my bike, I found Hotel Europa, secured my bike, took my stuff to my rooms, tidied up and then with several colleagues went for a walk through the town. Ultimately finding a spot to sit down, have a drink and watch the world go by. Was great to enjoy the atmosphere of a small town, with all its people going about their daily lives. 

Latacunga to Riobamba

Still feeling a little shit following yesterday's ride (my knee was sore from riding with an improper cadence) along with a bit of breathlessness, a headache and a somewhat elevated heart rate I suspect from the altitude, I decided despite looks of disapproval from several of my colleagues to jump on the bus, from Latacunga to Riobamba. It's a little disheartening, to have spent 50% of the trip on the truck to date and certainly not the way I envisaged things to work out, but hey - Shit happens!

On the positive side though it did mean that I got to visit a local food market, the aromas of which were just terrific! Some of the fruit and vegetables on sale were things I'd never seen (or for that matter even heard about)!

As a result despite feeling a little disheartened / hollow at not riding, even part of the way, I really can't grumble because it enabled me to visit the market, and to experience another element of what life is like in South America! 

Quito - The journey begins!

Today was another tough day on the road!

Whilst the altitude was probably at least partly the cause, it wasn't helped by the fact that my rear derailleur wasn't working and hence I was unable to speed down hills which you can't do at any rate when you've got I knobbly tyres as I do). It also limited my ability to maintain a decent pace on the flat! Of course to top it all off, there was a constant & very strong head wind.

Some of the views along the way however were brilliant.

A view of Quito looking back from one of the first proper climbs of the tour. 

By the time I got to the halfway (and lunch) point I decided to call it quits and to take the truck to the hotel in Latacunga. It's not something that I wanted to do necessarily, but I figure it's a long trip, it's a holiday and there's no point punishing my body by pushing it to extremes.

Some of the kids who temporarily stopped playing volleyball when we offered up some watermelon.

The view of Cotopaxi (an active volcano) with a snowline at around 5000 metres!