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 trip started beautifully, minimal traffic, beautiful mountains, and valleys and I were making a good time on my bike getting to the border. I stopped off a few times for a little break to admire some views.
Colombia was always going to be sad for me, after spending over a month here, the people, beautiful, the food, especially the soups, amazing and the riding, spectacular.
However, it was not to be, leaving Colombia took only 10 minutes, but entering Ecuador was over 3 hours. This was a mix of it being around Christmas and the fact they had only two people manning the booths and over 500 people in line. I expected it to be busier, but I arrived at 9 am and the ass on the front door, nearly ended my trip.
Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador’s capital, sits high in the Andean foothills at an altitude of 2,850m. Constructed on the foundations of an ancient Incan city, it’s known for its well-preserved colonial centre, rich with 16th- and 17th-century churches and other structures blending European, Moorish and indigenous styles. These include the cathedral, in the Plaza Grande square, and ultra-ornate Compañia de Jesús Jesuit church. From Wikipedia
Freedom Bike Rentals and Tours, Quito Ecuador
Freedom Bike Rental and Tours in Quito, Ecuador was a place a previous rider told me about. These guys had my bike for 2 days and fixed the leak in my front tire by sealing it correctly.
The guys at Ecuador Freedom Tours are fantastic and really know their stuff, everything you could want from a multi-day tour on really great bikes is there for you at very reasonable prices. They are only too happy to help out a fellow Adventure seeker.