Othalan's Travels

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othalan — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:59:25 +0000

A feature was suggested that I want to run by you, my readers, for comments.

Grant mentioned frequently forgetting to subscribe to comments and wondered if it is possible to enable this by default (at least for replies to one’s own comment).

This is indeed possible, but I am very hesitant to enable this feature because it makes the emails “opt-out” instead of “opt-in”. “Opt-out” emails are typically considered spam because you are now receiving something you never deliberately asked for. Thus I am very hesitant to enable such automatic comment subscriptions. However, if there is overwhelming support for this I can enable the functionality very easily.

What I would like to do is to allow registered users (with an account at this site) be able to control the setting themselves, but this is not available at this time. Someday in the future it may be possible….I will send a feature request to the plugin author.

Another option, again not perfect, is the RSS subscription built into WordPress. This is an RSS feed of all recent comments on the blog.

http://othalan.net/comments/feed/

You can view this feed using any RSS news reader (such as Google Reader), or you can use a service that sends you daily updates by email (such as Feed My Inbox). This has the drawback that you get notified of all comments for all posts, even if you are not interested in comments from that post. However, I do not get very many comments (as of now) so this shouldn’t be much of a burden.

Thoughts?

Peru: First Impressions

othalan — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:00:28 +0000

The border to Peru was wonderfully simple, if not fast. This is a tiny border crossing in the middle of nowhere, consisting of a few houses, Migration & Customs offices, a restaurant and three places to buy beer. The biggest challenge is tracking down the border officials. With just a few people a day (at most?) passing through, they are frequently not at the office. The Peru computerized customs system is also offline so the official must laboriously hand-write a full page of data (in duplicate) for my bike paperwork. I really felt sorry for the guy!

At the border, I see the tuk-tuk has returned! The three-wheeled, colorful, practical and frequently amusing moto-taxis. It is worth noting that these are powered by 150cc engines. Amazing what those little engines will do….

The difference to Ecuador is instant and drastic. The roads were already getting drier in Ecuador near the border, but still twisty and tiring. The Peru side is still dirt, but far better quality, a lot straighter, and clearly has not seen a lot of rain recently. Though there are an amazing number of landslides, attesting to the harsh treatment this area gets during the rainy season. Luckily, that rainy season is nearing its end….

The road is normally closed until dusk, but I luck out and they open it early just as I arrive. So yet again I get to wander around construction equipment as I ride to San Ignacio.

Here is a sight in San Ignacio that will fascinate some and sicken others (you have been warned!): A full cow carcass hanging in an open-air meat vendor. Stands selling raw meat out in the open is a common sight through Latin America, but this is the first time I’ve seen the full carcass hanging around!

Note to motorcycle travelers: “Hospedaje Santa Rosa II” has a parking area and comfortable beds (though tiny and dark rooms) and is cheap. Best place I could find in town by far. See the photo below for their sign. The hotel down the hill also has parking, but was almost three times the cost.

San Ignacio doesn’t have much to offer it without someplace more comfortable than I could find to relax at in the evening. So I press on to Chachapoyas.

I get lots of pavement today, and by far the best I’ve seen since the USA. It doesn’t look as good as that in Ecuador or some places in Central America, but it is smoother, better routed for quick travel, and a more comfortable width. Personally I could do without it, but I’m certain this sight has been a huge relief to more than one traveler not as fond of dirt roads as I am.

The general feel I get these first two days through the country are that I love the countryside, but the people are not nearly as friendly as in Ecuador. The living conditions and shops are more along the lines of what I found in Mexico than what I’ve seen in the past few countries, but there is lots of construction improving infrastructure. Roads are torn up everywhere to put in new services, and as with Ecuador they seem to work very fast. I’m guessing this says good things about the direction the country is headed as a whole.

One unique difference: Construction seems to be a spectator sport in Peru. Everywhere I found construction in Chachapoyas (many places) there is also a crowd of people watching it happen with great interest! Perhaps because it is all to improve the infrastructure of the city?

Ecuador: Final Thoughts

othalan — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:00:27 +0000

Alternate Title: 200km of Mud and Chickens
Alternate Title: Paving The World

The last stretch of road from Vilcabamba out of Ecuador to the Peru border (south of Zumba) is an epic stretch of road in every possible sense. The scenery is beautiful. The people are friendly. The mud and construction seem almost endless. And the chickens seem thicker than a swarm locusts! It took me five hours just to ride the 200km to border making it one of the slowest and most difficult days of the entire trip.

I can’t help but think of the Dempster Highway in Canada. Such a bad reputation for such a tame road. I’ll take the Dempster highway at its worst over this road on what is probably an average day. I wonder what some of those people I met up north would have thought of this road…..

Lots of fun that road, but no pictures. Rain, construction, mud, and sheer fatigue got in the way.

Ecuador. Not much I can say that I haven’t covered already in the previous posts. This is an overlooked country that most people rush through on the way to another destination. I include the Galapagos Islands in that statement; they might technically be Ecuador, but they still are a reason people rush by other amazing locations. Even the people who are coming just to visit Ecuador typically to ignore some of the best places, either by planning or because of limitations of bus travel. My time at Isinlivi and the Quilotoa Loop area was one of my best times on this whole trip, yet everyone I met in the area is rushing through with barely time to glance at the scenery and no time to explore the towns. The route from Riobamba to Macas is spectacular, but almost completely deserted; even the bus I saw was almost empty. Chimborazu and Salinas were both amazing yet most people don’t seem to go there at all. So many amazing roads, I can’t even begin to describe them and the fantastic scenery I saw, yet the people on buses are huddled miserable in their seats and frequently don’t eve know its there.

The common traveler’s wisdom is that Colombia has the friendliest people in South America, but I do not quite agree. Colombia has the most helpful people, sometimes to a fault, but I found those in Ecuador to be friendlier, more relaxed, and more open with travelers. It does certainly help that the Spanish accent in Ecuador is so easy to understand. Slow, clear, polite, and almost completely devoid of slang. Lots of patience with me learning the language!

Depending on your point of view, one of the most fascinating, depressing, or exciting features of the country is the road construction. I think most of the paved roads I rode were less than two years old and most of the dirt roads will be fully paved in another two years. The rate of construction is amazing, but they do not skimp on quality. The foundation for these roads in places is more than four feet thick, rivaling even the roads of northern Canada and Alaska. The surface is not as smooth as that found in the USA, but the quality is top notch otherwise.

Riding through construction zones was fascinating. The skill of the workers in the large construction vehicles is amazing and unquestionably better than anything I’ve seen in the USA. They dive into the task at hand with a precision and speed I’ve never seen before. It was a beautiful to watch. I suspect such people have a far more elite status than in the USA.

The economy, however, felt a bit strangled compared to Colombia. It is nothing I can specify in exact terms. Just an impression I cannot shake that something isn’t quite right. However, general living conditions seem to be better than most countries I’ve through Latin America so perhaps I’m mistaken.

There are many places I could still explore in Ecuador. For such a small country I feel I have not even remotely begun to scratch the surface of what it has to offer. But as always, I must balance my travels. My trip is not done so I continue on to Peru.

Yet I have a feeling I will be back here someday….

Adventures in Gringoland

othalan — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:00:46 +0000

The past few days of riding have been fun (in spire of hardships), but it is time to relax a bit. Vilcabamba is a small town in the mountains and there is a hostel in a couple of kilometers outside of town. Quiet and relaxing. But the whole area is best described as “Gringo-land”.

Vilcabamba has (I think) the largest expat community in Ecuador. The hostel is run by a German. Restaurants around town are run by people from Belgium, Italy, the USA, and others. I paid for lunch and it took three tries asking the price before I realized my problem: He was speaking English, not Spanish! There is even a private school just for the foreigners living in town.

Views from the hostel

Lots of hiking opportunities, but I limit myself to the easiest routes as I don’t want to risk any more problems after my (relatively) recent hikes at Isinlivi. I feel back to normal, but I know I’ll need to wait several more weeks (at least) before my endurance is back up to what passes for normal these days.

I hate knee injuries!

This brings me to one aspect of travel I truly detest: haircuts. You can specify in exact detail what is desired, have complete agreement with the stylist, and get something in return that is completely random. Hard enough to stop a problem when there is a mirror to watch what is happening, but without a mirror (as was the case here) you have about half a millisecond (or less) to react. So instead of relatively long hair and a good start on a beard to keep me warm through the winter months high in the Andes, I’m left with no beard and hair almost as short as when I was in the tropics. That alpaca wool scarf will get a bit more use than I expected….

Two other overland travelers pass through the hostel at the same time as I’m there, but traveling in 4×4′s. Modified Land Rover’s, one from Germany the other from New Zealand, each taking a very different approach to the modifications (Germany is the nearer vehicle):

I encountered the Germans in the parking lot, and seeing the German license plate I asked if they were from Germany….using German. Not what I expected to come out when I started speaking! I guess a bit more of that language stuck around than I thought. Though not too much apparently as they instantly switched to English for the reply….

New Site Features

othalan — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:30:26 +0000

I’ve been wanting to make a few changes to the site based on feedback I’ve received. Today has been a rest day, so I spent the time implementing some of them. Let me know what you think:

New feature: Email notification of new posts. So you do not need to check back at the site to see if I have posted something. If you try out this feature, please let me know of any problems!
New entries in the menu across the top of the page (see new pages below) and removed old stuff that is is very outdated and will never be updated.
New page: About (small page that links to other menu pages)
New page: About Me
New page: About The Bike (was bike preparation)
New page: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), a work in progress
New page: Subscribe! Information on how to “subscribe” to this site.

Let me know what you think of the changes….

Children

othalan — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:21:09 +0000

One of the more striking differences I’ve seen in the countries I’ve traveled through is children. I can’t help but think we’ve lost something in the USA when I see how children are raised in places like Ecuador…

The first time I payed attention to the children I saw was in Guatemala. Traveling with Nick and Quinn, we stopped at a scenic overlook and ended up spending an hour with a group of kids as they took turns sitting on my bike and taking pictures of us.

Their parents were fifty feet or more away from us the whole time, watching amused at our antics. No apparent concern over the strangers playing with their children. No worries about that kid climbing the building in the picture.

I’m not certain when I started seeing women carrying around children in a blanket on their back like this, but I didn’t realize its full significance until I stayed at the Llullu Llama in Isinlivi, Ecuador. The cook, Gladis (spelling?), would cook and clean for hours like this, carrying around her youngest child. This is normal. The kids go everywhere with mom, including work, in a sling when appropriate. That blanket is used to carry them, to cover up when nursing, for warmth on cold days, and spread out as a place to play. Nothing else carried around most of the time.

I see children out playing more or less unsupervised constantly. Parents might be fifty feet away relaxing as the kids run around. Or the parents might be nowhere to be found, especially in small towns where everyone knows everyone else.

Thinking back on it now, there are many other sights I wish I had taken pictures of….

Just yesterday I rode through a town and saw group of three children waiting to cross the road. Unlike in the USA, I was completely unconcerned by this. The oldest (perhaps ten?) had his arms out to ensure the younger kids didn’t head into the street too soon, though it looked like that warning was not needed as they too were carefully watching traffic. No parents in sight. This again is normal everywhere I travel.

Children have a lot more responsibilities. I’ve been greeted at hostels by teenagers (perhaps fifteen at the oldest). I’ve seen kids carrying home bread or vegetables for dinner. I’ve watched horses and mules loaded with stuff, herded along by kids perhaps ten years old, maybe younger. All without apparent adult supervision.

I’ve passed herds of sheep, cows and other livestock where the whole family was helping herd them along. Around the house, they will help out with chores as a regular fact of life.

Yet all this work doesn’t dampen the spirits of these children. They are typically happier and friendlier than any I’ve met in the USA or Canada on my travels. They are a lot more mature for their age, but seemingly without loosing anything for it. Perhaps there is a better understanding of the balance between work and play?

The differences to what I see in the USA are striking. Many parents I can think of would be horrified by this type of upbringing. Some others nostalgic. Personally, I can’t help but think we might have lost something important along the way….

The Road to Vilcabamba

othalan — Sun, 13 May 2012 05:00:14 +0000

Time to head towards Peru. I could explore Ecuador a bit more, but as always I must balance sights I see now compared to what I will encounter later. I feel I’ve done Ecuador justice, perhaps more so than any country I’ve seen so far, and I want to start exploring Peru. But first, I will spend a few days in Vilcabamba where I hear there is a fantastic hostel for relaxing….

It is a blessedly quiet day with a mix of cruising along the Pan American Highway and exploring dirt roads. Nothing exciting, just pretty views.

The streets of Cuenca on the rainy morning before I leave.

One Of Those Days

othalan — Sat, 12 May 2012 05:00:16 +0000

Alternate Title: Not If, When
Alternate Title: Why I Prefer Dirt

You’ve all had days like this. One of those days where you wish you’d never gotten out of bed. When everything seems to go wrong. You know the type I’m talking about. One of those days.

Macas is an unremarkable city so I decide to head out early and ride south, probably to Cuenca. I get the bike from the parking area only to find the front tire is flat.

Sigh

Half an hour later, I’ve put in the spare tube. I could possibly have patched the old tube, but it looked a bit worn in places and I would rather not take any chances, especially with the front tube. I will just have to buy a new spare on the way out of town.

While fixing the front tire, I notice the left-side fork seal (front suspension) is weeping oil. These need to be cleaned periodically, or else replaced. Another twenty minutes and I’ve cleaned it out, but only time will tell if that is sufficient or if I need to replace the seal entirely somewhere in Peru.

Sigh

Finally getting on the road I head south along a freshly paved highway. It amazes me how many brand new roads there are in Ecuador. Two years ago, I know this road was dirt and now it is beautiful pavement with almost no traffic. It is a fantastic winding road, but not without its dangers. I come around a sharp bend and see a strip of paint as I approach a bridge. I’m not certain exactly what I did wrong, but my back wheel slides out and I end up skidding along the road about 10-15 feet.

Sigh

This is the type of accident I’ve prepared for obsessively. Ride long enough and it will happen to you, so best to be prepared for it. I am, so I walked away with no injuries at all. The bike was mostly unharmed, but not completely. The engine guard I added that was supposed to protect the engine from rocks has bent a little bit, bending the front engine mount bracket. Looks minor, so for now I’ll just ignore it. The shift lever (left foot for you non-motorcyclists) was bent out. It bends back with relative ease, but is twisted up a little bit. I find this is actually better than original because I can shift easier in my motocross boots. I could never quite get the correct angle before. Finally, my luggage has been a bit brutalized. Where it slid along the pavement, there are holes:

The design of this luggage is brilliant. Most soft luggage, I would have stuff falling out right now. But this stuff has two layers. On the outside is cordura, the same material riding gear is made of, inside that is the waterproof liner. The theory (which worked) is that the cordura can be easily repaired by any tailor.

Walking back to the paint spot that caused the problem, I find it is unbelievably slick. It is fresh paint, perfectly smooth, and slightly damp from recent rain. I’ve ridden through spilled diesel fuel (one of the most dangerous road hazards in existence) which had more traction than this! No wonder I went down….

Incidentally, this is one reason I prefer dirt roads to paved. On dirt roads, everything is more or less uniformly uncertain and I would likely have stayed upright. But on pavement, you get mostly a perfect gripping surface with patches of uncertainty that can cause all sorts of problems ranging from brief puckering slips to the dreaded high-side.

Oh well, I am unharmed (barely even shaken) and the bike has only minor damage so I just continue on.

No long after, I reach construction. They are paving a 100km stretch of canyon that requires the road be closed while the actual paving occurs. Normally this means only minor delays, but this time I am told I will have to wait three hours. I’m told it is then four hours to Cuenca, the next place I’d be able to find a hotel. Giving my arrival at 8:00 PM.

Sigh

I hate riding at night. Very dangerous. Especially in construction areas where hazards can be random and unpredictable. Even if the four hour estimate is for trucks, it could easily take me 3 hours, which still puts my arrival after dark.

So instead, I just turn around. My GPS shows another road south of here that adds just 100km to the ride to Cuenca, though not many possibilities to stop along the way. Even if I hit the worst possible conditions I’ve found in Ecuador, I should arrive no later than waiting on this construction…..

I should know better than to tempt fate by even thinking things like that!

I arrive on that road to find more construction. This time, they let me through on my motorcycle (but cars had to wait. Hah!). This is another 100km stretch of road being paved, but much earlier on and I can just weave through the construction equipment. Perfectly safe, but I’d like to see you try that in the USA!

The road is all dirt. Or more accurately, mud. 100km of mud. Thin mud with lots of traction available for my tires designed for these conditions, but still mud. It makes for a very slow, very tiring few hours. The bike and I both end up coated in a thin layer of mud even though I never go down. Lots of fun. At least this day had something to redeem it.

I don’t even get many pictures because of a light rain most of the day. But there are a few clear spots….

Unfortunately, all that mud means I arrive in Cuenca after sunset. By the time I find a hostel with motorcycle parking it is long past dark.

Sigh. I hate riding at night, even through cities.

I eventually find an affordable hostel/cafe with motorcycle parking and settle in. El Cafecito. Same as the one in Quito I enjoyed. But this is a very different atmosphere that ends up being the worst hostel I’ve found on this entire trip. The beds are rock hard (almost as bad as those at the Cloud Forest in Chugchilan, Ecuador). They play nightclub type music until 3:00AM, increasing the volume about once an hour. The staff is helpful only in the rudest possible way.

Sigh.

Any other day I would have left and found somewhere else, but I was so tired from the long day I just didn’t have the energy. I’d wanted to stay in Cuenca a day or to so I could repair my luggage, but instead I flee the hostel and the city for somewhere more relaxing.

One of those days. I’m just glad its done!

Sangay National Park

othalan — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:00:31 +0000

On the map I see a major road leading through Sangay National Park. Normally motorcycles are barred from national parks in Ecuador, so this seems a perfect opportunity. With a bit of luck the road will even be dirt, but I do not hold much hope of this given how many newly paved roads I’ve seen….

The road is freshly paved and looks like something from the USA. But the scenery is beautiful and I see only a handful of cars…..

Turn Left At The Parrot

othalan — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:00:21 +0000

Alternate Title: Lou the Legless Llama
Alternate Title: The Universe Has a Sense of Humor

It occurs to me that I might have issues. Baños, as nice a city as it is, still feels confining. Beautiful scenery, great people, juicy hamburgers, and a wonderful dark beer (first I’ve had in over six months!). But it still feels confining. So I head off to find the point furthest from the center of the earth….

My goal for the night is Salinas. A sleepy mountain village on the slopes of Chimborazo with commune-style factories for cheese, chocolate, wool clothing, etc. As always I want to avoid main highways on my way, so I ask around for back roads. I’m told I can reach Riobamba (halfway to Salinas) by turning left at the parrot.

Umm…Turn left. At the parrot.

Riiiight.

Huh, what do you know. Turn left at the parrot!

Salinas, Ecuador

Just as peaceful and relaxing a village as I expected. Just what I needed after the “tourist infested metropolis” of Baños (Not really either of those, it was a great town).

Salinas has the same simple but good food served in all small towns in Ecuador. But this time I get a surprise in the bottom of the soup bowl:

Chicken Soup, chicken foot included…

While admiring Lou the Legless Llama (no, he is not actually legless), I encounter a couple traveling from Ireland. In a first ever for this trip, he is a musician, traveling with a fiddle, and plays traditional Irish music! Huzzah, I’m not the only one on the road!

We both delay our departure for the chance to share some tunes. I knew there was a reason I was itching to get out of Baños! But the day is passing by all too fast and we both have places to go. But they are headed the same direction so we hope to meet up again somewhere in Peru.

Chimborazo. At 6,268 meters (20,564 feet), the volcano Chimborazo is the tallest mountain in Ecuador and the point furthest from the center of the earth. Mt. Everest may have a higher elevation, but thanks to the equatorial bulge as the earth rotates about its axis, Chimborazo is further from the center of the earth. I can ride my motorcycle up to a hut at 4,850 meters (15,912 feet) then hike up to another at 5,000 meters (16,404 feet). The hike up those last 150 meters was surprising easy, though it left me exhausted at the end of the day. The beauty up there is absolutely amazing….

Those are vicuña, a wild relative of the llama.

Refugio Edward Whymper at 5,000m!

The clouds here change fast as they push over the peak. One minute the peak is hidden by clouds, the next the sky is clear with only a few wisps of interesting clouds remaining.

This picture is to give you an idea of scale. Can you spot the people hiking up the snow field?

Eventually I leave for Riobamba, but not until I’ve gotten a thorough sunburn across my face. After all the time I’ve spent in the Colorado mountains, I really have remembered how harsh the high altitude sun can be….

I did not really want to go to Riobamba as it is a big city with nothing to recommend it, but my next journey is across the Sangay National Park using a remote dirt road that could take five hours or more. I want to leave early and Riobamba is the best place to do that from. I spend about an hour searching out a hotel with motorcycle parking and only confirm what I have heard: There is nothing to recommend Riobamba as a destination. I think I’d prefer almost any other big city I’ve been to, except for one unexpected surprise:

Shortly after I check in, the same couple I met this morning in Salinas walks in the door. I spend more than six months in Latin America without meeting anyone to share Irish tunes with, then I meet the same person twice in one day? The universe definitely has a sense of humor….

Othalan's Travels

Anyone interested in Automatic Post Subscriptions?

Peru: First Impressions

Ecuador: Final Thoughts

Adventures in Gringoland

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Children

The Road to Vilcabamba

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One Of Those Days

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