Just when our fun-o-meter hits empty, then we are in Ecuador!

We had a couple of rough afternoons, having difficulty finding hotels or our way through towns but the people of Ecuador have filled our fun-o-meter!

Day 35 February 18, 2012 near Timbolo, Colombia to Ibarra, Ecuador
Miles: 264 with a border crossing
Exchange rate:  Ecuador uses USD currency
Gas: $1.43 per gallon
Lodging: Hotel Imperio del Sol  $54
The road did get somewhat better, less construction anyway and the turns were not quite as tight. We crossed the border into Ecuador without any problems.  Our plan was to make it to Quito but we did not get out of customs in Ecuador until 4pm or later.  Just as it got dark, the rain started so we decided it was best to stop for the night in Ibarra.  This was a very good decision but first we must find shelter there.  We do not have GPS maps with points of interest for Ecuador and the guide book listed nothing.  So, we went to our favorite place for information, the gas station.  We stopped and talked to a young gal and in my poor Spanish I said " Lo siento, mi Espanol es poquito y malo. Por favor, senorita, recommendaciones por bueno hotel en ciudad."   (my Spanish spelling may be the only thing worse than my Spanish speaking!)  She looked at me, like so many have the past 35 days with that "what the hell did she say" look on her face.  Now, the hand gestures and retrying goes on and then out come some directions from her and some pointing and off we go to the "good hotel" .  Well, there we go down the street, up the street and at the customs stop we ask for directions. We find the hotel and it looks very nice and very busy.  They did not have any room but the woman at the desk called another hotel and told us and drew us a map how to get there.  Off we go in the dark but at least, now, the rain has stopped.  Up the street and back down and we can not find this hotel, either.  So, Taxi time again.  We flag down a taxi driver and he leads us to the turn off for the hotel and we find it.  Hotel Imperio del Sol, right on the lake that we could not see in the dark.

We both thought we had died and gone to heaven when we laid down on the bed here.  It was grand!

 
Then the next morning while packing the bikes here comes this entire family over to talk with us and take our pictures.  A couple of them spoke very good English and translated for those that did not.  They wanted to know the usual, where are you from, where are you going, how long have you been on the road.  After talking with them for about a half hour the women presented me with a beautiful bracelet that they make and sell.  It is from an old tree that I did not get the name of and the material is ivory like and cream colored. After they left out comes the waiter to tell us to come in and have breakfast because it is included in hotel price.  We had a wonderful breakfast and by then our fun o meter was recharged.

family that we met in the parking lot, showing us the best way to go

the women that make the jewelry

Carl called and left a message with our son, Steve, that we need some sentences in Spanish to help us get around better. This is his email response: "Here are some sentences and their spanish translations: What is the best road to (blank)? Cual es el mejor camino para (blank)? What is the quickest way to (blank)? Cual es el camino mas rapido para (blank)? What are the towns along the way? Cuales son las ciudades que encontraremos en el camino? Where can I find coca leaves? Donde esta la coca hojas? Is this taco beef or donkey? Es este taco de carnes o un burro? Hope this helps. good luck" Thanks, Steve and Araceli   but I do not think that the last two questions will be asked much!!

The hotel was very nice, wonderful service and a great meal helped but the super comfortable bed, after last nights sleep on what felt like a boulder patch, the fun o meter was starting to go up a little.
We love Ecuador already and only have been here 12 hours!

Day 36 February 19, 2012 Ibarra, Ecuador to Sangolqui, Ecuador
Miles: 143 (30 of them looking for shelter)
Lodging: Hosteria del Rio $59

Today our goal is to make it to the equator and find the monument.  With some luck we found it. 
There also was a place that an organization has put together with sun dial and they then give a wonderful explanation of the equator, solar system and earth.  It was well worth the stop!

Carl to the north Jonnie on the south

GPS showing we ar at the equator

Well, we decide that today we are going to stop early enough for Carl to do some maintenance on the bikes and me to catch up on the blog.  Both bikes are in desperate need of front brake pads.  We were stopped at a gas station, reviewing the map and guide book when we noticed a KLR in the parking lot.  Carl went over to talk to him, remember his Spanish is worse than mine, about needing new brake pads.  The next thing I know they are walking up the street and are gone for what seemed like too long.  They came back with brake pads.  Note that today is Sunday afternoon and it is Carnival week, too. The guy goes and starts rattling the gate over a motorcycle shop until some little old lady comes out.  He talks to her and then they are inside the business, the guy goes back into the parts and starts pulling off of the shelf what we need. Carl paid the lady $12 for 2 sets of front brake pads.
While Carl was gone, I talked with a young family and they recommended we go to the next town, Sangolqui for a hotel. She said they have nice hotels but the town we were in did not. 
So, the next chapter of the "Where the hell are we going to sleep tonight" begins. It took us at least 3 hours to find the town and a hotel with the help from 2 taxi drivers, a lady on the street, a pork selling place, 2 gas stations and a military camp before we were settled in for the night! 
We had 2 nights in a row  trying to find shelter and our fun o meter was depleted, again!
The final taxi driver brought us to Hosteria del Rio and it was very nice.  They had us park the motorcycles inside by the pool.
Needless to say, we did not get maintainence done on the bikes nor did I work on the blog. 

Day 37 February 20, 2012 Sangolqui to Canan, Ecuador
Miles: 235
Gas: $1.43 per gallon
Lodging: Hotel los Canaris $24

Today it was cold and rainy most of the day.  The roads in Ecuador are very good.  The signage now that we are on the PanAmerican highway is pretty good. We did experience the longest, most jam packed traffic jam ever experienced by us.  The cars and trucks and buses were backed up for about 4 miles.  The 2 lane highway that is supposed to have 1 lane going in each direction had 4 lanes going in one directions except for one lone pickup with a very frustrated man sitting it.  We worked our way thru the pack, splitting lanes, passing on the right, weaving in and out at about 2 miles per hour.  When we crested the hill outside of Riobamba there we saw thousands of people on foot walking.  What in the heck is going on, there had been many people walking against the traffic jam and some had their faces painted purple, white foam in the hair and on them, some very intoxicated but all smiling and laughing.  Well, we found out at the hotel it is a 2 day national holiday for Carnival, similar to Mardi Gras.
We did not have problems with navigation or locating a hotel today.  Carl said "we are not going to have a three-peat"  I had to agree with him. We asked a gas station attendant just outside of Canan if there was a nice hotel nearby and he called over an older gentleman whose English was about equal to my Spanish.  We were both getting a little frustrated and a car pulled up and he went over to it and brought the woman with him.  She taught English and hers was pretty good.  We asked her if there was a nice hotel in Canan and she said yes and they led us to the Hotel los Canaris.  It had secure parking but it was too dark down there to do any work.


 Everything in town was closed because of the Carnival, but there was one restaurant open.  It was only the owner working, cooking, serving, busing and I noticed a sign for the need for help.  He was only serving a limited menu, we settled for rice and soup.

Day 38 February 21, 2012  Canan to Loja, Ecuador
Miles: 175
Lodging: Hotel Grand Loja  $54.90

It is still the holiday, kid are out on the streets in towns and in the countryside having a ball throwing water on people as they pass by.  Most do not lead quite enough but some of them are very good, like the ones that station themselves just before a curve or speed bump, knowing that people will be slowing down.  We both got doused  a couple of times. 
Well, that preventive maintenance that Carl keeps trying to do...  At the first gas station today, my bike would not start.  It had this problem earlier in  the trip and Carl added more water to it and it took off.  This time we bought a bottle of battery acid water
and replaced what was in the battery and Carl coasted it down hill and varroom it took off and has been starting fine since.  Then, his bike threw a chain.  We stopped alongside the road, I laid the branches in the road to notify other drivers of the danger ahead.

 Carl had replaced the chain and sprockets in Fairbanks, Alaska on our trip to Prudhoe Bay.  When he tried to take off the nut for the front sprocket it was on so tight that he broke his ratchet wrench.  So, we tightened the chain and decided that Loja was as far as we should go today. 
We pulled into town and flagged down a taxi right away and he led us to this very nice hotel.  It has a very good parking garage and the owners son has a BMW 1250 GS parked there.
We made a post on Horizons Unlimited that we needed a mechanic and about 10pm the phone rang.  It was Roberto who is a friend of the owner of the BMW and he will come pick us up in the morning to help us
Everything is closed in this town, also, because of the holiday.  The gal at the desk called and had a pizza delivered for us since we had not eaten since the night before when we had rice and soup! With the language barrier, I did not know what kind of pizza we would get.  It turned out to be a very good vegetarian pizza with carrots on it.

Day 39  February 22, 2012  Loja Ecuador
Miles: 4
Lodging: Hotel Grand Loja

Roberto was here at 8:30 as planned.  Off he and Carl went to purchase a new wrench and back to the hotel to pick up me and the bikes.  We went to the repair shop and the brake pads that we had bought were rear pad and our rear pads are fine. 

The motorcyle shop in Loja

So, off we go from one shop to another and bought new pads.  They are now on the bikes, Carl has new sprockets and chain and my bike is still starting without any problems.  Maybe we can make it to Cuzco now!

Roberto, who helped us in Loja

We need to thank Horizons Unlimited for the service they provide and to Roberto for helping us along.  He ended up spending the whole morning with us until we were completely taken care.  
We will stay here tonight and leave first thing in the morning or when our pantaloons are out of the laundry here. Peru is about 90 miles away!