Cuenca - Puyo / Cordillera de Ecuador

After having enjoyed the cultural atmosphere and the gastronomy of Cuenca, we continue our road by the mountains. Ondulating and verdant, Ecuadorian hills are more quiet than deep valleys, steep slopes ans arid peruvian ones. Once arrived in Riobamba, at the Bottom of the hazy Chimborazo volcano (Culminant point of Ecuador, 6310m), we go down by a humid valley along the Rio Pastaza, to reach the Amazon.



Cuenca

                                                            The imposing Inmaculada Conceptión cathedral,
                                                                             architectural melting pot

brochettes in small markets

The historic center, highlighted by numerous
illuminated steeples

Ecuadorian hills

Some times, the sun shine over the mist
which form a cover above the litoral

Other times, the cover goes up...
Like here, before arriving in Alausi

The Inti Sisa in guamote is a nonprofit foundation

organising workshops for indigeneous children of the surrounding area.

To fund the project, they hold a confortable, quiet and welcoming hostel.

Remarkable initiative.

Marnee and David:
"the less we have, the more free we feel"

After a long quiet period, without encountering any other cyclists, we met the pack of cyclists going south, toward austral latitudes. Indeed, it is the good period to be in Equador, in order to arrive in Tierra del fuego before the next winter. And as our trip is touching the end... we give you some good adventuring web pages. With different starting points, they all have the same destination: the southern most city of the world, Ushuaia.

- From Seattle, Marie and Olivier, french couple

- From Fairbanks, Wim, deutch 

- From Canada, Xinan and Emilien, chinese and french couple, in tandem with a trailer (good job!)

- From Mexico, Sarah and Geoff, british couple loving ecuadorian ice creams!.

- From  Quito, Jennifer and Rémi, french couple (the same itinerary than us, but on the other way. We feel   the enthusiasm of the departure, the same we had in Tierra del fuego...)

- From Mexico, Marnee and David, really light australian couple

Going down to Amazon

Just after Riobamba, the last part of blue sky disappear behind huge gray clouds. After three months of sunny weather, we are happy to get out our GoreTex, and to find agin the pleasure of mud on our faces...

Riding around the Tunguragua volcano, on several meters of solidified lava rocks, 
signs advertize us:
"In case of lava flowa, do not cross the dip", hum...Ok!

On the same dirt road, we met five tanks, with the sign:
"Caution, driving student" !
And, if he push a wrong button...

After Baños, a pretty thermal city, we snake along the Rio Pastaza and its 12 water falls.
Signs prove that lot of cyclist might ride this awesome descent, but we don't met 
any of them during this rainy day...