Lobsters to Llamas, Maritimes to Argentina

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by OldPete

Fantasti string of pictars Dwight! Thanks for the up-date.

Thanks

Our Hong Kong friends Frankie and Tony have arrived back in Cali and needed some repairs done so we have delayed our departure until tomorrow. I'll miss Cali. I could live here, no problem. Wonderful people and an amazing city.

Kedgi

[Yellow Rider]

Enjoyed the RR so far. I have an 08 KLR looks just like that, except yours is were I'd like mine to be.

[r.h.stinson]

Fellow Maritime'r here , and following your adventure,big thumbs up to you
.
My wife and I both have Gen 1 KLR's and love them...
All the best on your continued journey and we have subscribed to the thread and look forward to your updates!

Cheers
R n H

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by Yellow Rider

Enjoyed the RR so far. I have an 08 KLR looks just like that, except yours is were I'd like mine to be.

Just point it south and ride! They are a great bike.

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Originally Posted by r.h.stinson

Fellow Maritime'r here , and following your adventure,big thumbs up to you
.
My wife and I both have Gen 1 KLR's and love them...
All the best on your continued journey and we have subscribed to the thread and look forward to your updates!

Cheers
R n H

Thanks for following along. Good to have you aboard!

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

We finally tore ourselves away from Cali this morning at 8:30. Frankie, Tony, Steve and I rode together to Pasto. What an excellent day. Nice weather, mountain road that rates a 10 + Stunning scenery! Absolutely excellent. It's a long ride, we got to Pasto just before dark, searched for a hotel or Hostal, thought we had one then realized our bikes would not fit in the room they had for parking

We did meet some local, women, walking down the street, at the first hotel who asked if they could take a picture with our bikes. Then they wanted us in the picture with them too. They even sat on the bikes. It was very funny but neat that they thought the bikes were so cool. They were very nice and welcomed us to their town. People have been unbelieveably kind in Colombia, every where we've gone.

As we were driving around town, still searching, a young lady in a car asked what we were looking for and when we said a cheap hotel, with parking, she called her husband who spoke excellent English, he suggested a place and then she lead us there. How nice is that? Not like she was doing anything, just taking her aunt to hospital to she if she had a broken wrist
Turns out the husband has a 1200 GS BMW and he showed up at the hotel to welcome us to town.. Very nice guy.

Today we had a lunch at a restaurant that was built on a cliff with absolutely stunning views of the valley below. Today is also some sort of festival where everyone throws water at each other. We started getting hit by people standing at the roadside about halfway through the day. It used to be a Pasto area celebration but it seems to have spread up into the mountains. They throw water balloons, pails of water, use hoses, whatever it takes to get you wet. It felt good in the afternoon sun but was pretty chilly by the time we got here. Pasto is at and elevation of 2500 meters or about 7500 feet. It's cool here tonight even though we are very close to the Equator

We met up with our German friends, Jana, Lawerence and Nikko, from the hostel in Cali. they took the bus here last night leaving at (9:30 PM and arriving at 5:00AM), then they slept until two. Jana said that the bus was going so fast and passing that she was afraid all night and couldn't sleep. I don't think I would want to ride in a bus over the mountains. Lawrence had accidentally left his passport and wallet at the hostel in Cali. He called me last night, I found it and we returned it too him today. He was glad to see us! They came to supper with us and we went for 1 beer but we came home early after a very long day. I took lots of pictures today. I will try and post them tomorrow.

Manana Ecuador!

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Pasto to Ecuador yesterday. This morning we are in Tulcan Ecuador.

We had a good ride yesterday, left pasto fairly early and rode to Lajas Cathedral which is just north of the Ecuador border. It is a stunning building built at the bottom of a steep canyon. The story goes that someone saw the face of Mary in the rocks there so they built a cathedral in this very unlikely spot.

We are at a high elevation here, some 9000ft or 3000mts. The walk back up the hill after seeing the cathedral takes a toll on you. I was feeling the effects of high elevation and thin air after sleeping in Pasto. It feels like really bad heartburn combined with shortness of breath. Tony has it real bad and may have it combined with a cold. He went to bed as soon as we got here yesterday and hasn't got up yet.

We had a long day crossing the border and only made it as far as Tulcan

Here are my photos Pasto to Ecuador, well, having said that I guess I have to keep you in suspense a while longer. The internet here is painfully slow and it is taking forever to download pictures. I'll try and post them tonight if we have internet. We are leaving shortly for the Equator.

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

Lots of pictures

First a few from Cali


From the Chipachape Mall









The rink at Chipichape (it's plastic in the tropical heat)




Outside the round hotel attached to the Mall. It is a huge mall




Outside the mall there were always people selling or giving away puppies. I liked this little guy. He had 5 or 6 brothers and sisters, all looked alike.




Steve and I checked out a market next to the mall. It was about twice the size of a super sized Wal-Mart





Not sure what this was in the produce section





Tons of rice. People eat rice here with nearly every meal







A little truck made by Vespa, the scooter people







Frankie and Steve




Tony




Carlos, a rider from Panama, awesome guy! He was so helpful in Cartagena and Cali and even invited all of us to his Lake House near Cali. Tony and Franki took him up on the offer and had a great time





Lady, who worked at the Casa Blanca hostel in Cali and Jean my South Korean friend who lives in Stockholm





A better picture of Jean. He had come to Cali for a huge Salsa Dancing festival. Wonderful guy.




Taken as Steve, Franki, Tony and I were getting ready to leave Cali





Colombia between Cali and Ecuador

Beautiful! Outstanding!











Restaurant with a million dollar view where we had lunch on the way to Pasto

















No words I have can describe how beautiful Colombia is.

Today we crossed the equator. I am sending this from the Southern Hemisphere. It has taken me 55 years to get here but what a way to arrive.

I have more pictures of the beautiful Hacienda we are staying in and I'll post them tomorrow, stayed tuned!

Kedgi

[Kedgi]

I almost forgot a few pictures by mistake but here they are.

When you ride through Colombia your GPS looks like this or twistier most of the time. In the really twisty stuff with some of the best scenery it can be tough to find a spot to take a picture.







What can I say?




At the top of a pass near Pasto, Colombia









Hotel in Pasto the wonderful Colombian rider and his wife led us to




Here he is


I met him so briefly at the end of a long day I have forgotten his name




A Pasto street





The amazing Lajas Cathedral


It was bulit in a Valley where someone saw an image of Mary on the rocks. Walking down to this and then back up at 9000ft elevation was a challenge ( we didn't walk from this spot but we still walked a long way)






Llamas

My ride report was titled Lobsters to Llamas




Lots of souvenir sellers on the way down to the cathedral











Lots of thank you's for favors received













This river runs right under the Cathedral






They were having Mass












Bikes at the Ecuador Border





At the border we ran into our German friends Jana, Lawerence and Nikko. They hope to join us for a New Years Eve Party tomorrow at the Middle of the World

[Kedgi]

We waited in this line on the Ecuador side, for an hour and a half, for our Migration stamp before we even started the process of importing the bikes.





When the border process was finally over we stopped in Tulcan Ecuador, the first available place.


A street in Tulcan




I had a great meal there in a restaurant a police officer recommended




Tulcan







Franki's meal




When we left Tulcan for the Equator we had a great ride. About halfway to the Equator the E35, the main highway to Quito takes a winding plunge into a desert valley, you drop from 3300 meters to 1600 meters stunning scenery, smooth pavement, little traffic, wide enough we used the "third lane" we could pass even in blind corners by riding the yellow line. It was like the best roller coaster ride even with four bikes all in a line, flying low. Outstanding riding! Died and gone to motorcycle heaven kind of riding! Sorry I don't have pictures, we looked for a place to stop and it just wasn't available. We finally came to this lake where the kids were enjoying boat rides.




and renting quads to ride on this track











A Dad asked me if his kids could sit on my Moto







They were so cute! All three, very politely, shook my hand afterward and said Gratias!


We left the lake and made the last dash to the Hacienda Guachala where we satyed last night. It is a great spot recommended by another rider, RTW Paul and Paul was right. Quiet, peaceful, and luxuries like hot showers which are just not available in most places we stay.

On the way we stopped at the Equator Monunment, We Had crossed the Equator!

Pointing at Ecuador!






School Kids balancing eggs on end




We found out later that the monument we were at has been replaced by a new monument, almost across the street that we hadn't seen. Turns out the old monument determined before the days of GPS was 200 meters out. The new one is exactly on the Equator and is a more fitting monument, so Franki and I got up early this morning and rode over there before anyone was there and took these photos.

[Nice_Rumble]

My wife and I and our grandson will be flying into Quito on February 12th. Headed out to the Galapagos. Nice to begin to see the lay of the land in Ecuador. I'll be especially interested in your pix of Quito. I understand Quito is at an altitude of 9350 ft on the side of a volcano.

[Kedgi]

I have to show you around this great Hacienda.

I tried to explain to Angele what this place was like and couldn't think of what to compare it to. Franki said it is like living in a Museum of a working Hacienda and that describes it very well. It is luxury compared to the kind of affordable places we normally stay, and even this place is not expensive at about $30/night each.

The view from my room




Nice flowers outside my door




Llamas




Horses




A goose that was determined to show Franki and I he wasn't afraid of us




This place dates back to the 1500's






We went for a ride on their riding trail this morning. I crashed trying to get over a big berm up to the road. Franki had stopped and was just getting off his bike to check it out when I went flying up the steep trail only to discover a big ditch at the top. We were both laughing so hard we forgot to take a picture. When we finally made it to the top. We had this great backdrop for a photo.





Franki





It was cool this morning, we are so high in the mountains so I had a fire in my room




Check out the snow capped mountains in the distance. It's cold up here



My friend Boris, who rode through Panama with me is joining up with us today and there may be a couple others. Steve rode on to Quito to meet his wife, who flies in tomorrow. They are going to tour Ecuador, two up for a month before he continues south. I really enjoyed his company.

We are in a great spot for a New Years Eve Party at the Middle of the World.

Happy New Year everyone!

Kedgi

[OldPete]

Happy New Year Dwight!

Good string of pics. Geese do make good watch dogs.

[rtwpaul]

glad you found the place Ok and are enjoying it...happy new year

[bESS]

Dwight:

Happy New Year to you. I follow along daily, it's my morning routine.

ride safe and keep snapping photos for us. It's freezing here with snow flurries forecast

wished we were there with you

bob