January 1 /enero uno Sua, Ecuador

Happy New Year / Feliz Anos!

 The morning ushered a new year, my 61st on the planet, a glorious, sunny day in beautiful Sua, Ecuador. Securing a room late afternoon in a beachfront hotel was a priority, taking the first vacancy found, our fourth floor room facing the Pacific ocean, truly fortunate considering date, time and location.  It should be added, all rooms faced the ocean...

Last evening we walked the beach, stopped at Rider's, Paulas' beach bar and celebrated the eve of the Anos drinking cervesas', sampling pina coladas' and eating shrimp in a tasty coconut curry sauce, delicioso, muy rico!  Truly a fitting and well deserved end to the trials and tribulations of the lengthy dia.

We decided to suspend travel for a few days, relax in the sun, swim, eat and drink like a pair of turistas'.

View from our balcony overlooking Sua, la playa y el pacifico.

Brunch at Riders, the seafood delivered from the restaurant across the road, the beer from Paula.  Lulu is regular sized the bottles are huge, allowing us to keep to a limit of six per day.. or so....   Introduced to a musician called Romeo Santos, our theme music for the trip.  Muy romantico y mucho tranquila.

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Shot from Paulas' bar, the much busier beach town a few miles north of us.  Beaches in Ecuador tend to be sandy yet a darker colour that others we've had the opportunity to sample in South America, particularly those on the carribe coast of Colombia.

Later that day we walked the beachside road to the southern end, with much fortune found a cabana available to house us for the next two days.  The owner, a typical costano (pronounced costahnyo) remained in his hammock the entire time during our stay, it's assumed he rose for bed and night for a well deserved rest...

Would like to point out this trip is very inexpensive if anyone is considering a vacation to Ecuador.  The flight to Quito is likely the largest expense, bus travel widely available and the buses have nice seating can be optioned with super recliners including leg support all the while most reasonable in cost. One can travel from Quito to the Coast for around 7.00 per person.  Food, like the shrimp dinners pictured above 12.00 for both plates (combined), our beer, 500mls or so cost us 1.50 ea, served mucho frio. Dinner in a town such as Tulcan can be had for 4.00 per plate, lunch around 3.oo USD. Accomodation varied throughout the trip, from 20.00 USD to 50.00 USD one day.  Safety, a concern in Peru (freekin scary), Bogota, Colombia merely cautious, was never a problem in Ecuador.  Shopping is a downright bargain in Tulcan, the woolen, leather and handmade crafts of excellent quality.  

My only qualification is el idioma (the language).  Highly recommend taking a Spanish language course prior to travelling here (yes, i'm still in Ecuador),  it can only enhance the experience, you'll love the people in Ecuador, their smiles beautiful and genuine.  The roadways are excellent, put other S/A countries to shame, the current Presidente has done wonders with Ecuador.  From mountains like the snow topped volcano Cocopaxi (19341 ft elevation), to the Amazona, La costa and beautiful scenery between it's a paradise.

This will not be my last visit to Ecuador.  Seriously considering retiring here, with gas at 1.48, diesel 1.04, beach front property in Mompiche utterly cheap (more on Mompiche soon, the coolest town on the pacific, no people,  awesome surfing, totally laid back locals, this, for me is the hidden gem of ecuador.  I could spend months at a time there interspersed with jaunts to the snow topped mountains hiking and enjoying amazing views.  Oh Dios Mio, el pais es perfecto!

 

December 31 2014

Up at 6:00 am, quick breakfast consisting of fresh tomatoes, apples and avocado...

We headed of in the Spark, exiting Tulcan and heading westward to La costa de Ecuador, there was almost half a tank of fuel in the carro so we had previously decided to fill at the gas station that had refused to exchange our larger bills a few days earlier.  Approaching the filling stop noticed quite a long line up and, being from North America where there's gasoline available at almost every street corner decided to forge westward.

Hit the toll booth (peaje), this time armed with a 1.00 coin passed through with no problem.  We finally has overcome the obstacle that thwarted us a few day earlier, the Spark railed onward.  Soon entering a small Pueblo that had the required fuel and drove up to the pumps.  The agent, shaking his head ignored us and turned to the vehicle behind.  What the hey?  Finally, and armed police officer walked over, told us we can't buy fuel this close to the border and with hand on holster sent us onward.  Uh oh.

Driving to the next town, we received similar treatment and were advised to try the next town. How far did they expect us to go?  The tank continued to drop until finally a police officer advised turning at the next intersection and head west.  Off the spark went, climbing higher and railing through the narrow secondary road, Great for motocycleta's by the bye.  Ears clogging, scenery changing and no gasoline in sight.  Climbing ever higher we stopped at a byway, ate a small snack and rehydrated.  Beautiful, mountains, with cattle, few trees and absolutely no humans.  Hmmmm.

Continuing onward we summited a huge mountain, by now the fuel gauge was well into the last quarter, still no respite...   I was becoming somewhat concerned, hoping Lulu had not noticed our dwindling resources and wishing for a cure.  I decided coasting down this massive mountain was the answer, for the next 10.6 kms we free ran the little car, tires protesting, attempting to maintain speed on near hairpin curves and running ever slower on the few straight sections.  The gauge, nearing empty found us as the bottom of aforementioned mountain, the roadsign, the first sighted since the police official sent us on this backroad, had us turning onto a dirt road.  Looking at my seatside companion, confessing we had, at best, 20 to 30 clicks remaining in the tank.  She mentioned there was a small village down the hill from our turnoff, it was decided to try the locals in search of the elusive fuel.

OMG, it was tiny, a few dilapidated shacks, populated by obviously dirt poor Negritos.  I want to point out, calling black people negritos is not a slander by any stretch, I am a blanco and other people in South America are called by names we might find offensive in Canada but certainly not here.   Approaching a group of young men, Lulu asked:  por favor, gasolina?  They pointed to a light green house, obviously a home not a business but desperate, we stopped by the front door.  "Tres dolares" was the reply from an older gentleman with a gold star adorning one of his from teeth.  Gladly reaching to my pocket for money Lulu motioned for me to wait "espero, mi amor" and wait I did.  The man entered his abode and returned with three containers filled with a blue liquid, they make gas that colour?  Anyway a deal struck, he filled our tank with the 3 gallons of precious fluid, advising it was the only fuel in the entire village and that we were fortunate to receive any as the authorities frowned on the reselling of gasolina, particularly to Colombianos'.

Colombian plated Spark in foreground and our savior (literally) on his stoop.  He is a man of obvious wealth in the village, notice the sattelite mounted on his roof.  I don't know his name, only tipped him one dollar, but he helped us avert a serious problem, thank you, sir!

Later, many kilometers on and still without a fueling station, we needed to duplicate the request at an outdoor juice stand, once again, the locals helped us out, the people of Ecuador are amazing and so helpful, without them lulu and I would still stuck in the Andies, kind of hungry... 

The picture below are the group of youths who assisted us finding fuel, thank you.

Shortly after purchasing gasoline from our second "fueling station"  we entered La costa, found a

 Lulu, much relieved after finding gas..

 The majestic Andies, they are so tall, green and not a person in sight.

 Lulu above and El Gato below quaffing a cool one, or two, or...

government station, and filled the Spark to the brim.

Pics of our first stop in Sua, the beach where we were staying for a day or two.  That's out amiga Paulas' bar, named Rider after her son.  Me enjoying a cervesa...  wots new?

Return to Ecuador... Dec 30 2014

We awoke this morning in Pasto...

Personally I felt uneasy about the way we left Ecuador, somewhat pissed about Colombian border personnel and downright angry having spent 160,000 pesos without having at least two cerveras in the mix.

So, I suggested to Lulu we attempt, once again, a re entry on the frontier.  Since the date was the 30th day in December and, knowing how absolutely nothing ever gets done in Colombia during the holidays we decided to take advantage of our limited vehicular pass, head to the Ecuador coast and enjoy the seaside.  We still had the problem about our USD's, and thought perhaps the bank at the border would assist us in exchanging our crisp 100.00 bills with a few soiled well used smaller denomination notes.

Off we went, venturing the curved roads (totally a motorcyclist dream but, well, that for another time..),  of Southern Colombia in the fastest Spark this side of the Equator.  In a few hours we entered the border zone,  noticed a line up at a gas station near the border all the while thinking "not for me, I'm heading to Ecuador where fuel is only 1.48 US per gallon, jajaja suckers"!

We stopped on the Colombian side first, receiving our exit stamps from a decidedly smug border agent, obviously in the knowledge I'd paid my entry fee only 1 day prior.   Hmmmmm.  Thank goodness for Taurine.  Crossing the border on foot we stopped at the state controlled bank, asking if they could exchange money.  Not really sure why there's a bank there...   Anyway, fortunately there is a surprisingly large commerce going on with money exchangers literally outnumbering border crossing traffic,  perhaps I exaggerate somewhat.  Nevertheless, after walking the entire gauntlet of men waving USD's for Colombian Pesos' we chose the least likely one to exchange real for counterfeit money.  He was a decent guy, charging us 2%, on the greenback.

Success!  Then to the border officials, this time speaking Ecuadorian (?).  Filling out the usual entry request forms, waiting in line, (si senora, soy turisto,  visitan trenta dias) and finally receiving the required stamp to our passports headed to Tulcan.  Seconds later stopped by the Military who were checking all Colombian plated vehicles for contraband.  Since I was driving, the guy with the gun wanted my paperwork...  Additional clarification for those uninitiated with the politics in South America.  Colombia, a longtime ally of the USA has a somewhat tenuous relationship with neighbouring Countries, in particular Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and I believe also Peru.  Our Spark, aka the speediest one on the continent, was adorned with Colombian issued plates, even worse Bogota to be specific.  To compound the problem, he was speaking Ecuadorian (?), to me!  Rapidly I flashed, in order, my Colombian D/L (he was suitable unimpressed), my Passport (why, oh why, is it the same colour as the US one is beyond my comprehension), (still unimpressed by the way), finally my dearest Lulu said "open the rear hatch".  Oh.  It should be duly noted, whilst i have a decent command of SPEAKING en espanol, usually  haven't a clue what el gente are saying in return...

Off we went, driving the speed limit like NEVER before.  Have done my homework, well, some homework, and after reading the law could throw speeders in the local version of a turkish prison for 1km over, we crawled onward to Tulcan.  To me the traffic signs were a little confusing, first we'd see a sign denoting 90km then a hundred metres on another stating 70km.  Addition clarification required:  My darling Lulu, a University Professor among many other achievements is a believer in learning by ones own mistakes.  Either that or perhaps there's a hidden sadistic side of her, previously unbeknowst to me, lo no se.  All I know is the locally plated denzions were flying past the previously fastest Spark on the Planet with reckless abandon, brandishing hand signals and pointing with the middle finger that reminded me of a human who didn't use Taurine on a regular schedule.

Finally we reached Tulcan, parked in a parquierdo and headed out to explore our first stop.  This is a pretty cool Country, they rely on tourist traffic and the hard working people really try to make you feel at home.  While I'm an obvious blanco gringo, to a person received only pleasant smiles, courtesy and friendliness, I was sure ecuador was for me.  After a delicious lunch, we stopped at a bakery for some goodies and was blown away by the cost, it's very inexpensive here and that means i'm gonna become el gordo in short order.

 The Spark, previously known as the fastest flame in the universe outside our hotel,  si, claro.

 Downtown Tulcan, early morning.

Town centre, Tulcan,  6:00 am
We purchased a bottle of Ecuadors' finest Scotch Whiskey for 10.00 USD.  I am sad to say (being from  Scotland) it was damn good, as smooth as the heather...  Considering the last sentence, it's amazing to be up at six am and, finally heading to the la costa, la playa en mucho cervesa!

Ipiales, Colombia December 29th

Woke up in Ipiales after reaching the  southern Colombian border town last night.  People are gearing up for the new year, parties and celebrations everywhere made for a less than perfect sleep.  Today we travelled to Las Lajas Sanctuary to view the setting of the aforementioned church.  Here's a picture of the church from about 2km away taken from a viewpoint well above.

It's an impressive structure, built into the side of a cliff with huge stone arches that extend to the valley floor.  It's a fair hike down to the structure but certainly worth the energy taken.  By the bye, there are a few eateries at the top, one of these proudly displaying a delicacy of the area - Guinea pig.  To make matters worse, they cook them with head attached on skewers, eewww!  I'm not going to offer any pics...

Instead, here's a pic of Librams' Yamaha, he's travelling from Alaska to Patagonia.  Rubber side down, good luck man!

The morning was rather cloudy so there's not a lot of contrast.  In the foreground to the right there are a number of testaments to the milagros (miracles) granted by the edifice.

Frontal view.  Lulu really enjoyed the Church, for her it was a first time visit and to me it was special to share the experience together.

For me, being Agnostic, the best part was the hike to the valley floor for this view.  After about a zillion steps and a slippery walk down the trail we were afforded this great viewpoint, cool eh?  The return to the car included the slippery path, a zillion steps (up..) and a strenuous trek uphill .  Ate breakfast consisting of eggs not.. guinea pig.

Then we drove a few kms to the frontier of Colombia / Ecuador.  It took a couple of hours getting passports and exit stamps but for the most part getting ourselves through was relatively simple, the border officials were courteous, even tempered and fair.  Getting the vehicle into Ecuador was another matter, the registration had a discrepancy and we were allowed a restricted pass to travel only a portion of the country.  I really wanted to sample La Costa en la playas' of Ecuador so we forged onward.

First stop was the town of Tulcan, told by other travellers temporary insurance was a requirement of Ecuador we went to in search the elusive paperwork.  Tulcan is a small city, busy, old and crowded yet, the people were nice, goods and food very inexpensive, parking downright cheap and a safe environment for tourists.  

I should mention, the currency in Ecuador is US dollars, knowing this we carried greenbacks after hearing the exchange method was a street business operated by less than honest dealers.  Departing Tulcan without insurance and hoping to purchase it on the way off we went heading to the coast.  Our first stop was at a viaje (toll booth).  I should mention that roadways in South America are tolled at regular intervals, it's assumed the fee is for road upkeep but in Colombia I suspect it's designed to line the pockets of someone.  Anyway, the toll fee was only one US dollar which while very reasonable presented a definite issue.  Not having correct change, nor possessing even one 20.00 US banknote, the  maximum accepted, the toll person refused passage.  Undaunted, at least at this stage, we turned around and headed to a fuelling station passed earlier.  At the gas station we were refused exchange and had no choice but to return to Tulcan in the hope of a local bank offering this service.  

Once again I need to qualify...  It was getting late, our status of undauntedness seriously in jeopardy and frustration level on the increase.  After a short discussion and, considering our vehicle with the limited access we decided to return to Colombia, rectify issues and reenter Ecuador the following day armed with knowledge, smaller denomination currency and a vehicular registration that would satisfy Ecuador.  We'd also have an early start on the day to the coast which was quite a drive.

Arriving at the busy border we parked, walked to the exit office and received our release stamps and then walked across the foot bridge that divided the two nations.  Waited in the line and finally spoke to a Colombian customs agent who informed me there was an new policy requiring a 160,000 peso fee to reenter the Country.  Uh, excuse me?  Another qualifying point.. I had been taking an amino acid called Taurine, it's primary benefit is to calm and relax and frankly it's an amazing product.  My reaction to this form of highway robbery was at first calm and collected, Lulus' response perhaps not quite as much...   Needless to say entry fee paid and once again in Colombia.  I may have mentioned to the Customs agent I'd never again travel to Colombia, perhaps even voiced other unstated policy changes to the Country and might have suggested a change of President was in order but hopefully no one noticed...

We travelled to Pasto, Colombia that evening,  After consultation were advised rectifying the vehicle status need a return to Bogota ( a two day drive) it was decide a holiday in Colombia wasn't such a bad idea.  Found accommodation in a very nice hotel, dined out treating our badly damaged egos to a fine meal with the addition of a few cervesas to sooth the soul. 

Sunday 28 th December Popayan, colombia

We reached Popayan, Colombia last night, toured the "White City" early in the morning and took many pics.  Enclosing a few of this well preserved Spanish colonial town.  Ate a lovely meal, and started the trek to Ipiales, Colombia where we hope to see the Las Lajas santuary, a Church built on a cliff side.

Also added a pic of the Colombian Andies, you can see the winding road we travelled.  While beautiful, it takes forever to pile on the kilometers.