My first taste of Ecuador was not a pleasant one with three hours waiting in one line at the first border I was not a happy camper. However once I got riding into the country, the roads were phenomenal. You would think that this country made for adventure riders, the mostly paved roads were excellent and the views spectacular, you just couldn’t stop as many times as you wanted to, as just about around every corner there was another fantastic view.
The country is a lot more advanced than most and with that came the dreaded road tolls, yes even motorbikes had to pay road tolls in this country. It seems the first thing a country does is tax road usage once it grows up and wants to be with the big boys. Even in advanced countries, it annoys me, the tax the fuel and then the roads! I would stay in this country for a few weeks driving through barren mountain ranges and then deeply forested mountains, then deserts, the landscape was ever changing. The country has some of the most spectacular vistas, and the food was exceptional, although they just love to cover their food in the batter!
I would spend New Year’s Eve here in Vilcabamba right near the Peru border and take in the local festivities before riding on a dirt road 200 miles to the frontier. The final days riding would also see me crash for the second time, this time around I just got too confident in my abilities and came unstuck on a slippery drizzle soaked road high up in the Andes. Luckily for me, nobody was around to witness my embarrassing slip! This taught me a few lessons I would carry with me for the rest of my journey; one is to respect the road and your abilities, the other is to be patient at all times. Crashing has a good side, as long as you do not get injured, and that it goes through the process of unpacking your bike and getting everything ready to ride again.
So come with me as I discover this country and all it has to offer.
From the north of this great country all the way through to the Eastern border, come with me as I take you with me on my motorbike through mountain ranges, deserts, and amazing landscapes.
After spending the New Years in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, I readied myself with the border crossing at La Balza on my way to Jaén, Peru. The trip would take me more than 10 hours and 200 miles (313 kilometers) across mostly on off-road dirt tracks through the Andes mountain ranges. A friend of mine, Chris, had taken this journey less than a week earlier.
After spending only one night in Cuenca, Ecuador, I had a long trip to Vilcabamba, Ecuador via Guayaquil.Vilcabamba is a small town nestled in a valley surrounded by gorgeous mountains. Vilcabamba is where I would spend New Year’s Eve and get myself ready for the border crossing to into Peru.
After spending 4 nights in Quito Ecuador, I needed to get back on the road and the 290+ miles (487 kilometres) to Cuenca, Ecuador. The ride would take me deep into the Andes Ranges and would take over 8 hours. It was so great to get on the road again and driving high up mountains and then deep into the valleys through some spectacular villages on my way to Cuenca was a treat I had been missing for a while.
From my base in Quito Ecuador, I spent the day visiting the Historic Centre and the Middle of the World – Manuel Cordova Galarza, Quito, Ecuador. I will tell you from the outset I am an in and out traveler in regards to major tourist attractions and both these are no exceptions. I would probably avoid these places on weekends.
After only 2 rain-soaked nights in Cali, my next destination would be Pasto, Colombia. Again I had an amazing riding day with lots of switchbacks (hairpin turns) and elevated riding. I also met a great guy from Cali, Luis who was traveling around Colombia on his moto. We chatted for about 20 minutes before a bridge. He is a bit of a base guitar rock guru in Colombia.
One night in Pasto got me ready for my border crossing heading to Quito, Ecuador. I left for Quito before first light, and I would reach the border crossing by around 8 am, for hopefully a fast border crossing. I only had 216 miles(348 kilometres) to travel, as I always do shorter trips for border crossing days, so I thought I would arrive in Quito by just after midday.
The galleries include all of my favorite photos in this country. I will continue to add to these galleries as I find images I feel are worth displaying for you.
I have a number of videos from my journey through this country. Most have commentary, expect for the 360-degree videos which are how they come directly, just slightly edited from the Samsung Gear Camera.
