South American tour

Where you've been and what you done
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ErikGustav2
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South American tour

Post by ErikGustav2 »

Disclaimer: I have no spell checker when writing this. Is it possible to activate some?
And my fingers tend to make a lot of typo errors.
But you have to live with that

Edit 2023-04-01
I have now done my best to remove spelling mistakes and type errors. With help of spell checking.


I started my tour in Bogota/Colombia, I am going south. How long? I have a dream (and it is not Ushuaia) but I do not want to put up unrealistic goals, And press, I turn when i feel that it is time, And will later return to Colombia. Where I plan to sell my bike.
Exploring Colombia, I save that until I return. Based on energy, time money... It can be this time or another time.

It looked easy to do Ecuador. But it has gone worse and worse, Nothing has gone as expected. But it has worked out to something else.

My plan for Ecuador was
Laguna Cuicocha, A wonderful place, Still not destroyed by tourism,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuicocha

Otavalo (to buy a sweater of alpaca wool for cold mountains, I have two at home, But I did not bring any of them.

Chimborazo
The top of Chimborazo is ad far as you can get from the center of the earth,
There is a park one the way up. There is a road going to 4 800 m alt. There was just a parking place earlier. And you needed to climb to 5 000m, to get to a refugio. But now they have built a refugio also at the parking lot. Test to sleep on 4 800 m ?
Cotopaxi The most perfect shaped volcano, Visible from far away
Cuenca A city that had a lot left from the original culture, I hope that is still has,

There are mainly two choices for Ecuador, Avenida de los Vulcanos or to keep to the east of Andes, Where the Amazonas ends, El oriente is what the Ecuatorians call the Amazonas area,
But both routes goes via Quito Where the fork is,
Border crossing is planned at Ipiales.´, Colombia is the way to get there

I looked at Base Camp
11 hours riding to the border
I scheduled 3 days. 4 + 4+ 3h
And next day, some hours to Otavalo.

I booked hotel in all 4 places.

But. Reality was completely different
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 10:37 am, edited 11 times in total.
ErikGustav2
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Getting out of Bogota

Post by ErikGustav2 »

Now there are some posts that are more about the riding itself.
My intention is to concentrate more on the places that I see.
But the last days have been what they have been.
===

The traffic is crazy in Bogota. So I made an early start, Leaving at 6,
But the traffic was already crazy. Very slow. And everybody pressing and filtering. Very stressing.
After 2 hours, I was leaving Bogota central. Than I came to a road with roadwork. Files merging Traffic lights. Flag men... 2 more hours of almost not moving. It is very good that MC does not have to pay toll. And can pass the queues in a separate line.

After 5 hours, I was out in a more normal area. Open fire with chickens prepared, at the road.
Lunch stop, What a wonderful place. Compared to rest places on European highways.

Lunch in Colombia is rice, beans and chicken/meat/pork. Often with a soup before. That is fine for me.

Last part of the trip was rather OK. I found the hotel at around 16.
10 hours after the start. And that was the easy day...

The hotel was at a street where everything along a 200 m long section was about bikes.
Separate market, separate technology (Electric, seats....)
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:27 am, edited 4 times in total.
ErikGustav2
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More pictures

Post by ErikGustav2 »

A nice view and the MC street
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ErikGustav2
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Colombia day 2

Post by ErikGustav2 »

Another looooong day
The numbers in the GPS has nothing to do with reality.
Of course, you always have to add something (30% ?)

But time was running. And I did not come much closer to the end.
I found a nice plays to take a break, Fantastic view. And some kind of Hindu place. Hari Chrischna.

A road side restaurant for lunch. During the lunch, the heaven opened. Rainsuit on, And moving on slowly.
Very much road work. With flag men letting vehicles pass in one direction at the time. Time was running. Rain changed to 30 degree heat and baking sun,
At the top of a mountain pass, the Colombian military had a check point. I just had to open the tank cap. They looked and knocked. (Peter Fonda ?) Then I could go.
When I finally came to Mocao, I was supposed to find a hotel Samai.
But in some mails called Samay
My google maps did not work any longer. SIM card had expired, So I had to ask around. And I was sent here and there.
I found a Hotel Sanaii. No reservation one 'i' to much. They sent me into the town. And than back 6 km outside. Where I found what I think was the place where I had reservation. But all I could find was a locked gate. And a dark building. It was dark outside.
Back into town and look for anything. I found a room. 10 PM. Around 14 hours after start,

I looked at the GPS and google maps. They estimated next day's rid to 7 hours. Not 3. Over difficult and very dangerous roads over the mountains. Not an easy trip before lunch to reach the boarder in Ipiales

Picture 3: Colombian bikers waiting for the sign to change from Para to Siga. So that the race can begin
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:30 am, edited 3 times in total.
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To the Ecuadorian border

Post by ErikGustav2 »

This is the day when everything went wrong, Things were solved, I though. But a new hammer¨¨

So I expected 7 hours riding on dangerous mountain roads, The locals told me that is was very steep and a lot of fog. I had no clue that this was the trampoline of Diablo.

There was very heavy rain in the morning, But forecast looked better, Only och thing to do, Start as early as possible, To do not get stuck in the dark in the mountains.
What I did not realized was that the GPS had selected a route around, the instead of st right over the mountains. Thanks God for that. The GPS said 6,5 h until arrival. (No obras included)
It was raining very heavy At one point I was close to bringing up the camera, and take pictures of how the water was washing the road away, And the result that I needed to pass, The rain stopped and the GPS showed 4 h. And a large sign says "Welcome to Ecuador" What ?? I have 4 hours left to the boarder town, The loop around the worst mountains resulted in that I entered Ecuador much more to the east than I expected. OK lets do the boarder crossing. And forget the hotel in Ipinales.

Boarder crossing. You here all kind of stories, Very easy. Smile and patient, Or endless bureaucracy.
For myself it was easy. Stamp out of Colombia, Meet Ecuadorian doctor. Fill in a form that I could have done on net. Show my Covid pass, And back to get the Ecuadorian stamp in the passport
For my bike it was worse. Colombian side did nothing since it is a Colombian bike. But the Ecuadorian customs needed copy of my passport. Including the page with the VISA I got 5 min earlier. And copy of the bikes matricula. Copy machine in the building ? Of course not. So I had to return into Colombia. (But I g´had already stamped out from Colombia !) And find a village. with a papeleria with a copy machine. Back to customs. He put the copies on the desk. And scanned all the documents , using the computer och printer !! He needed drivers licence, E-mail, Swedish passport, Portuguese driver licence, Colombian matricula.....
When all that was done, we went outside. He took pictures of engine number, frame number and licence plate. After returning inside again, I could finally get my TVIP.

I was getting afternoon. ATM to get dollars. Late lunch and doing a new plan.
Now when I was in Ecuador, Otavalo was the destination. GPS said 5,5 h. I decided to ride 1,5 h. And then have 4 h to reach Otavalo next day.

Another biker flagged my down after a few kilometers, He said that I could not use the road with the bike. Only for pedestrians. He tried to help me. But I could not get it.

I found a hotel after 1,5 h. Talked about the normal. Where did you come from, where are you headed, Quito/Otavalo. Than came the next hammer. The road to Quito is closed, (That was what the person on the road had tried to tell me)

We sat down and looked at the map. The detour started with backtracking the last 1,5 hours I had been riding . Going south and then NW up to Quito. 300 km. Partly very bad roads. Min 10 hours, maybe 12. So instead of 4 hours it would take me 12 hours to Quito. It did not take me long to decide that I will not do that. So Ecuadorian plans cancelled, due to this closed road. Shit happens. at least it was not my fault this time.

But the first 4 hours of riding was the same, wherever I wanted to go later. Quito or south all the way or cross Andes via Banos.

Decision made: 4 hours to Loreto tomorrow. Stay there 2 nights. Get oil change of the bike and reload myself, And decide on which route to take south.

Since it was so rainy in the beginning and than waiting at road works, I do not have pictures. But when backtracking next day, I took these pictures
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Day 1 in Ecuador

Post by ErikGustav2 »

Time to backtrack.
And then ride south.
After around 4,5 h arrived in Loreto.
After landing at the hotel, I went for an MC workshop.
To change oil in my bike. Filter I had with me.
The Hole in the Wall made it.
And the owner wanted to have a picture taken with my bike.

I tried to buy a SIM card. So that I could use Goggle maps live. But no. I needed an Ecuadorian ID to activate the SIM card,
I asked the person in the shop if he could use his ID to activate it. But no.

I will head for Loja.
I estimate 4 days (700 km)

I tested the same route with the same setting. Results:
Base Camp: 8 h (700 km in 8h Almost 100 km/h on jungle roads.
Same file moved to the GSP device: 11 h
Google maps: 13 h
OSMAND 16 h,

Now, I will not decide end of each day in advance.

I plan to do not make this a diary. Maybe more like a weekly update with focus pictures.
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
ErikGustav2
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El oriente

Post by ErikGustav2 »

This is the new plan for Ecuador
First Puyo. No alternative.


In Puyo, I can ride over the Andes to Banos.
Or continue east of the mountains

Later I can decide about Cuenca or not.

I do not think that many traveler have used the road east of the mountains,
Ecuador seems to be passed fast on Pan American. In most cases
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El oriente.png
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
johnnyboy
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Re: South American tour

Post by johnnyboy »

great stuff,keep it coming, :D
ErikGustav2
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El Oriente

Post by ErikGustav2 »

The decision was easy.
Amazonas. Even it is just in at the boarder... it is so fantastic and diffferent.
So I kept as far as I could to the east.
(I will use the road over to Banos going back north)

I arrived today at my exit point of Ecuador Macará.
I will do the border crossing into Peru tomorrow. (I hope)
Pictures and some more from the Ecuadorian part will come.
But for now, only the map.
Blue == my way
Red == Gringo Trail == Pan American
Väg genom Ecuador karta.png
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Normal map
Väg genom Ecuador sattelite.png
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Sattelite view. That makes the Andes and the Amazonas more visible
Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
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From Loreto Toward Puyo

Post by ErikGustav2 »

The fuel meter on the RE fools me. It lowers very slowly in the beginning. I can drive very far, and still have 50% of the fuel left. According to the meter. Then after passing half point, it drops fast to warning for low fuel level. I had not checked the fuel gague versus trip meter so..
I started with almost half tank ( I thought) But after 45 km I got the warning for low fuel level. The closest official gas station was 45 km back tracking. I asked around instead, Only 5 km to next village. No station. Asking again. At the end of the village was the answer, No station. I asked again. And finally got clear information. The Vulcanisador and the Comedor sell gas (black market). He even pointed me the the house of the Vulcanisador, But he was not home. So I returned back 500 m to the restaurant. And I asked if they sold gasoline. Yes, just ride the bike to the back side. Where a man met up and asked how much I wanted. He went to a shed an returned with a plastic can of one US gallon.
Toledo 01.jpg
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Three of them and my tank was full. He charged 3.5 versus normal 2.4 USD per Gallon. I that was a very fare price. Bike done.
Lesson learned: 1) Use trip meter. not fuel gauge. 2) Never pass a gas station without topping up. Even if you have 3/4 of the tank. You never know when the next gasolinera will show up, (Add some extra fuel tank?)

Taking the bike back to the front side, Large cup of coffee to charge me. (Ecuadorian coffee is a disaster compared to Colombian, Colombian coffee was a high quality product, But ECU has been more US, Instant coffee !! Not what it used to be.

The trip continued on nice roads with no issues to Puyo. Actually to easy, So I continued to Maccas.
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Last edited by ErikGustav2 on Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
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