Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Cycling east from Quito, towards the Amazon
In order to process-register my work visa, I have to wait for 5 working days. This means I can´t leave the country to get back to Pasto to be with Maria and the kids! I sure do miss them! Rather than hang out in the city, I chose to bike down to the Amazon. A 100km ride east, gets me to the town of Baeza at 1800, but to get there one has to cross a 4000m pass! Met a family with 2 teenagers, from Victoria on the way up and down....they are doing hike-bike holiday with a guide....great to see a family taking an active, adventure holiday!
This is Volcan Antisana...about 5752m. A challenging technical climb.
And this is what it looks like, most days, after 8am....can just barely make out the snowline around 5000m.
Looking back and down to Quito, which is at 2800m and Volcan Pichincha, 4784m above the city. A walk up.
Cotopaxi ......5897m....3rd highest in the country. A glacier ¨walk up¨
The road down to the Amazon. 160km ride from Quito will get me down to 500m in Amazon. This sign is just past the summit at 4000m. Took me 6 hours from Quito.
Never mind the smell eminating from your computer screen. Yes....it does get a we bit chilly up here. Not helped by poor circulation from years of skiing in -25 at Lake Louise.
But the hotsprings at 3300m at Papallacta sure help! Will be returning here for staff orientation next month.
Some more fun to be had in the near future. Says Amazonia...which to me means flat!
Lots of waterfalls on the decent.
This road is paved all the way into the jungle now! So I can drive to a jungle lodge in about 4 hours!
Tiny town of Baeza, even has a restaurant with veggie options! I´m impressed. Interesting English translation....they are trying say lentils. Yes that´s USD.
This is Volcan Antisana...about 5752m. A challenging technical climb.
And this is what it looks like, most days, after 8am....can just barely make out the snowline around 5000m.
Looking back and down to Quito, which is at 2800m and Volcan Pichincha, 4784m above the city. A walk up.
Cotopaxi ......5897m....3rd highest in the country. A glacier ¨walk up¨
The road down to the Amazon. 160km ride from Quito will get me down to 500m in Amazon. This sign is just past the summit at 4000m. Took me 6 hours from Quito.
Never mind the smell eminating from your computer screen. Yes....it does get a we bit chilly up here. Not helped by poor circulation from years of skiing in -25 at Lake Louise.
But the hotsprings at 3300m at Papallacta sure help! Will be returning here for staff orientation next month.
Some more fun to be had in the near future. Says Amazonia...which to me means flat!
Lots of waterfalls on the decent.
This road is paved all the way into the jungle now! So I can drive to a jungle lodge in about 4 hours!
Tiny town of Baeza, even has a restaurant with veggie options! I´m impressed. Interesting English translation....they are trying say lentils. Yes that´s USD.
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