Distance: 117.87 km
Ride time: 6.34.06
Average: 17.94 km/h
Max speed: 56.35 km/h
Total: 32449 km
Usually the mornings are clear in this part of Ecuador but today the low clouds were hanging over the mountains right from the beginning of the day. The landscape had a melancholic feeling to it which I kind of liked – mostly because I have experienced plenty of grand views covered in sunshine lately.
Even though the road was descending I took plenty of breaks – lazy cycling; rolling downhill for an hour, then stop for a cup of coffee. I was almost feeling guilty.
The easiness stopped soon enough – this is Ecuador after all! After a right turn the next steep climb started. I was passing some rather dodgy villages where the whole population was black. It didn’t felt like a completely safe place to me, so I continued up the mountain.
Now, riding up a mountain as the sun sets can be tricky as there is usually no flat space to put up the tent. I thought I could see another village further up the climb, so that was what I was aiming for.
The village I had seen from below turned out to be only a couple of houses. No hotel in sight, another camping night then. Luckily this village seemed a lot friendlier than the ones I had passed earlier. By now it was completely dark which means you can put up your tent pretty much anywhere. I found a field outside the village.
