Month: October 2021

Juan and Jose have done a great job on the racks and receiver for the bike rack. Next some tool boxes and waiting on some parts from the US so I can install the hack on the Africa Twin. It’s starting to come together and making me smile.

Today was the first time to load the bike rack and it looks like it needs an additional supporting brace but that an easy add. The gas can holder turned out very nice. Borigar thinks the hack is his. He likes to meet me in the driveway to jump in and take a short ride. If someone is in the hack he just jumps on their lap. He’s a happy dog!

So a few weeks ago I was out for a Sunday ride on the motorcycle and I happened to see a sign for Pambamarca Archeological Area. When I mentioned it to Daniela she said it was the the ruins that I had wanted to find when we did a road trip to La Quinche months ago. A professor from her university was involved in helping the local community clean up the ruins.

In this area there are many paracas (fortress) on top of the hills stretching for miles along the Qhapaq Nan road (Inca road).

She sent me a link to the website with many pictures one of which showed a small staircase. Last month we headed there to check out the area. We hiked up and visited to 3 or 4 sites but no staircase. I even went back and explored the one we did not hike up to and spent an hour looking for stairs but no luck.

On the way to harvest papas (potatoes) we drove past Quito Loma. This is where the stairs are and we were about 5 miles off from finding them first time. So last weekend we headed off to check it out.

There is a small what they called a museum but it is more like a visitors center. It cost two dollars to hike and visit the museum. There is a small area to camp for three dollars a night also.

So up we went and nearing the top I walked around the corner and there was Daniela on the staircase she had been looking for. Very cool place to check out if you get time and in the area. I really enjoyed it and I may go back to spend the night camping just for fun.

Afterwards we did a little 22 Kilometer bike cycle ride on the road heading to the hot springs. We were riding at somewhere around 12,000 to 13,000 feet. I am getting better at handling the altitude but still need some more training. We turned back at the top before it dropped down into the valley and the hot springs (my idea). We were back at the car in no time. I didn’t realize the two hours was mostly a slow up hill grind so we flew downhill. I really like this area of Ecuador.

David wanted to go to the skate park and Daniela needed to go to the university so I offered a ride. On the way to Quito It rained and hailed so they told me to turn around. Stopped for ice cream on the way home.

Elena, Edwin, Daniela , family and friends decided to head out to pick potatoes and invited me to come along. It was around a 3 hour drive in an area that I have been to before.

On the way we passed by Quito Loma ruins. It was something we had looked for before but didn’t find. Daniela and I went back a week later and I will post that trip soon. Super cool.

We stopped in the village of Canaghua on the way to the potato patch. Nice little village we had driven through before but had never stopped to look around.

Here is where stopped to meet up with everyone to go harvest. We picked chocos first which is a small yellow potato then headed to the main field. Interesting fact, I have been told that there are over 200 varieties of potatoes in Ecuador. Cool because I love potatoes. The stand is one they open on weekends to sell food, produce and wood carving to the people heading to and from the nearby hot springs. Going to the springs is something that I will do soon. Hopefully riding on the bike. Got to meet some new people and had a wonderful day. One of the highlights was when the clouds cleared on Cayambe volcano’s summit. I just sat and watched as it came into view. It is 18,996 ft. in elevation. Beautiful!