Ambato to Babahoyo - 2 day ride

After hearing of my buddy Rick's death in a climbing accident....I thought I'd wander off for a few days on my bike, past Chimborazo, (views both days) that little bump of a mtn that's the closest point on earth to the sun. I had been encouraging him to come down and bag some Andean summits, culminating with this climb. Who me? The via flores (original route from Guayaquil to Quito) from Ambato...climbs up thru a tight canyon for 30km unrelenting kms, along the Rio Ambato and small pear orchards. Lots of river xings with single lane bridges built in 1946, then it opens up, connects to the main hiway and climbs up to 4200m at el arenal and the turnoff to Chimborazo. Don...you'd love this on a motorcycle! 1st views of Chimbo Spent the night just past Guaranda in San Miguel.....the following shots are of Chimbo from various perspectives as I climbed my way up and above San Miguel the following morning....thinking of Rick. Then on down out of the Andes....what a hoot! To the town of Balzapamba where I discovered a great little hotel, Mi Colombianita, owned and run by a lady from Bogota for the past 24 years. A huge water park out front....a great place to bring the kids in the near future. ....and then....almost instantly flat....usually there are more ups and downs, but not this route...the original route between Guayaquil and Quito. Soy in the foreground....rice further back. 100k the second day and rolled into Babahoyo at 11:30am And one more peak at Chimbo on the bus back.