Follow The White Rabbit

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!

So I have started to think about putting the expedition rig together. I have ordered some parts from the USA and have found a small shop in Tumbaco to do some fabrication work.

Juan has a fabrication shop with most of the tooling needed. Between him and Jose I am very confident in their work. The front bumper, nose rack, truck rack, and fender rack are ready to be sent out for powder coating. Next is to figure out some tool boxes. When taking off the chrome truck rack a painting was underneath. I like it but I don’t think it will stay when repainting the sidecar. It is cool though.

I am in a quandary of what to do. You see Juan gave me a sidecar that has been laying around his shop for over 5 years. He said “if you want, take it”. So I brought it back to the casa. So do I restore it and put it on the Yamaha. I can build a new frame for the Africa Twin which would be cool because it would be exactly what I would want. I really think restored the new sidecar would look classy on the Yamaha. I think it would sell for around 10k here if done right. Or I can try to sell the Yamaha without the sidecar which I think would bring 7k-8k pretty easily. It would be fun to see how the rig would look. Hmmmmm……….what to do.

Until next time “ya all have a wonderful day”!

It was almost two weeks ago when Daniela and I visited the Pambamarca ruins. While there we visited 3 or 4 sites but not all. She was looking for some steps she had seen in one of the pictures but we never found them.

Yesterday I jumped in the car for a little road trip not really knowing where to go. After going over the pass the weather looked good so I thought I could check out one of the ruins we had missed.

I really like the area for it is very peaceful and not many people. I had a good day but never found any steps. I spent an hour looking around what is the biggest Pucara (fortress) in the area. On the peaks the wind was blowing hard and very cold. I left the tallest peak for another day. I took a different route home and a couple of times thought I was lost but it all worked out. Meet a few locals and enjoyed the weather.

I was at over 12,000 feet and in the one picture beyond my feet is Cayambe Volcano at over 18,000 feet in the distance. In one picture you see the volcano in the distance and a mound on the left. That mound is the ruins of the Pucara.

After the Pambamarca ruins we headed for Cayambe-Coca National park to visit the Cayambe volcano. I have been to the park before but from the southern side so this was all new to me. Actually new for Daniela also for she had never been to this part of the park.

From the town of Cayambe it is less than an hour to the park entrance. the road was mostly cobble and not to bad. They are doing a lot of road work that looks like it has many years to go before finished. Some locals said the single lane tunnel was going to remain. Apparently it has been there for a long time.

Arriving to the gate for the park we were informed the next 13km of road was is horrible shape. He was truthful for it is 4 wheel drive only in many places. Not Rubicon like with any challenge but 4 wheeling.

We stopped where a few other cars had stopped thinking we had to walk the last 3k but were mistaken. We could have made it all the way to the camp in 4 wheel drive. Very beautiful as we started hiking up. When I last checked we started hiking a 4482m (14,704 feet). We never did make it to the base camp because we were running out of time since they want you out of the park by 5pm unless you are camping. So guess what, I have to go back again darn all the luck.

Cayambe volcano is the third highest in Ecuador with the summit a 5790m (18,996 feet). We did see some trekkers coming down the snow. Again my kind of place. not many people and I bet even less during the week. Awesome

As we reached the Pambamarca ruins we pass onto the Qhapaq-Nan road. Daniela noticed the sign and told me that it was one of the most important roads for the Inca Empire. She explained the it runs the length of Inca Empire along the Andes and through multiple countries. Very cool. I’m sure I will pass it again in my travels.

Howdy, I thought time for a little update. I haven’t been up to to much the last few weeks. Finally got the 4Runner registered and inspected. Glad that one is done with. This week I hope to get both the Yamaha and the Africa twin done also. It has been a pain in the butt.

Since the paper work on the motorcycles is almost done I have started planning on switching the sidecar over to the Africa Twin. It is going to be an interesting project but it will be cool when done. Biggest pain is to import the parts I need. Thank you JD for your much needed help.

So two weeks ago I took a ride to watch the sunrise. I just headed out with no real plans on where I was going. Ended up in the town of Cayambe and passed the equator on the way. What was really cool is while passing through the village of Oton I spotted a sign for the Pambamarca Ruins by accident. I had seen them on the map and had wanted to visit them before but did not know how to get there. I sent a picture of the sign to Daniela and she told me what I had found. A professor that she knows from the University helped the locals learn about what was in their backyard. So last weekend she had time to go and we headed out.

The Parmbamarca ruins is just part of a series of hilltop fortresses that was used by the Inca’s and maybe other indigenous people and date back to the 1300/1400’s. I visited Coshasqui earlier this year which is to the south but also part of the system of fortresses. Pucara is the Ecuadorian name for fortress.

In Oton you turn off the highway and travel for 12km to the ruins. This area of ruins consist of 6 hilltop Pucara’s. We did lose the path once and had to get directions in a small village. The road is mostly cobble and would be a nice pedal on bike. As we near the ruins we asked some local farmers where the trail was which they replied that were none they knew of. Just start walking across the pastures. The elevation was around 4000 meters (13,100 feet) give or take a little. The weather was perfect and the hike was easy so we visited 4 Pucara’s. We never did see the exact ruins that Daniela was looking for but I will go back and check out the other Pucara’s soon. They best thing for me was no other people doing what we were doing. I love off the beaten path stuff.

The reason we cut the hike short is that I wanted to visit Cayambe Volcano before the day was out. So off we went and our timing was perfect for it had started to lightly rain just as we were leaving.

Very interesting place and I plan on returning soon since it is less than 3 hours from the house.

So we went for a hike, played on swings and a zip line and just had fun after the race. Stopped by a greenhouse full of roses the Edwin’s brother has on the way back into town also.