another perfect day

after a few days of rest and medication I started feeling much better and was looking forward to getting back on the road, but not until after I celebrated the beginning of the new year.  grant and I welcomed in 2010 by having a big steak dinner and then wandering the streets of riobamba, ecuador.  by eleven thirty there were thousands of people lighting off fireworks, drinking, cheering, and dancing in circles.  there were also women dressed in costumes and some men dressed in drag stopping traffic to collect money for who knows what reason or cause.  it was pretty amusing to witness and pretty amazing to note that (judging by the complete absence of beeping horns) no one seemed to mind being stopped or to have their car grinded by ugly queens.  it is also a  tradition here to make effigies of people and things that remind you of the past and then burn them in order to move into the new year, so there were hundreds of fires raging in the streets ranging in size from small bonfire to gigantic blaze as people let go of 2009.  the most pleasantly remarkable aspect of all the festivities was the sheer absence of law enforcement.  we wandered around for hours covering a few miles worth of streets and saw only one cop who was merely directing traffic at a slightly busy intersection.  everyone was having a great time and really letting loose, but there was such a sense of peace and consideration that at no time did any of it seem out of control.  I snapped off a few good shots as people counted the seconds down to midnight, then was given countless hugs and a shot of whisky by a family congregated in front of their house.  as we continued further we were invited to join hands with a group of people who were dancing in a circle.  after a few dizzying loops I was smiling big and really soaking in the wonder of the experience. there were handshakes and hugs all around as grant and I bid everyone buenos ano and started heading back to the hotel.  at just half past midnight we in bed and well set for a good night’s sleep.  as I drifted off I couldn’t help but laugh as I thought about how the evening’s celebration would have ended up if it had happened in the states.  once again, it was such a bizarre blast to be somewhat shocked by witnessing people safely and happily enjoying simple liberties that would have resulted in lawsuits, property damage claims, fistfights, riot police and tear gas back home.

we woke up early this morning, cooked some eggs, made some coffee, packed the bikes up and hit the road.  we agreed on taking a secondary route instead of the pan am highway south out of riobamba and it really paid off.  it felt great to be back on the bike, but it was especially great to be treated to blue skies, warm air, smooth twisties and absolutely glorious scenery.  we started the day by getting a really great view of the snow capped chimborazo mountain, then headed off into the endless rolling hills which were covered with multicolored squares of various crops and dotted with stout white sheep.  as the day went on we climbed a bit higher and ran into some rough roads as well as some crazy cold fog which slowed us down quite a bit, but after a lunch break of pan fried pork and boiled corn on the cob we were recharged and ready for the curvy descent back down into the warmer air and clearer skies.  we quickly made our way down the pass and into the town of cuenca.

grant and I agreed to not push any limits after being sick and off the bike so long, so we called it a short day and stopped for the night.  we found a really nice hostel in the historic part of town, based down, grabbed a bite to eat and took a nice walk around the cobblestone streets and down to the tomebamba river.  I’m looking forward to getting a good night of sleep, getting on the bike early and making the push to the border of peru tomorrow.  away we go…….

happy new year.

xoxo

c