December 5th: An Adventure to Quito
Panoramic views of Quito, Ecuador
Since my last post we have not had WiFi access, which is why I haven't been posting. Today's post is quite long, as a lot has happened in the last 5 days!
After a day's rest, we left Rollindo on Dec 1st. From there we rode to Patía in the most breathtaking mountain views. Jason has an altimeter on his watch, and at times we were up well above 9,000 ft. My ears have been popping and the air is extremely dry, so we have been drinking a ton of water.
After dinner in Patía, we walked to the town center and hung out in the park for a while and met a fellow traveler named Reece. He is from Colombia but currently lives in Brazil. We chatted for a while in a mix of English and Spanish (Spanglish) and learned more about Colombia and he was extremely helpful in teaching us some Spanish phrases. Thankfully the country is experiencing a peaceful time, but apparently, 5 years ago, this area was impacted by civil war. You would never know from looking around town.
The next morning (Dec 2nd), we woke early and grabbed a café and pan (bread) from the bakery across from our hotel. Here, we met Nadine. She is a young girl with Down Syndrome who has a fondness for Jay. She wanted to clean our bikes but only had a dry rag so we kindly asked her not to. She looked disappointed, but Jason quickly changed her focus to taking selfies on his phone. She must have taken 50 in only a few minutes. Her eyes lit up with delight, and then she directed us into poses. We all were laughing, and you could see in the eyes of the adult locals that they were extremely appreciative of our kindness and fun.
Everywhere we go, people are mesmerized by bikes, especially Jay's with that big fairing. They all ask the same questions: how much do the bikes cost, how many cc's, where are we from, where are we going, etc. Several people have tried to lift my bike off the kickstand, and when they realize how heavy it is they look at me in awe. Everyone wants pictures of us and the bikes, but Jay's bike is by far the most popular one.
From Patía, we headed towards the border (Dec 3rd). We stopped around 2 pm in Las Lajas, which is very close to the Ecuador border. We didn't want to cross the border that late in the day, as you never know how long a border crossing can take. At the recommendation of our friend, John, we went and toured the Las Lajas sanctuary. The photos do not do it justice!
Las Lajas cathedral in southern Colombia
The Shrine of Our Lady of Las Lajas is a Roman Catholic cathedral and basilica church dedicated to the veneration of Our Lady of Las Lajas Ipiales. The current church was built between January 1, 1916, and August 20, 1949, with donations from local churchgoers. It rises 100 meters (330 ft) high from the bottom of the canyon and is connected to the opposite side of the canyon by 50 meters (160 ft) tall bridge. (Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Lajas_Sanctuary)
Yesterday (Dec 4th), we woke at 5:30 am and were on the road to the border by 7 am. This was one of the easiest border crossings yet! From there, we headed towards Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
About 100 miles from Quito, Dirty Larry started to have issues. As I downshifted coming into a turn, I heard a clunk and I knew there was a problem. We stopped in Mira, which is a town in the middle of nowhere. Our team decided to not run the bike any further and get it towed to the Harley dealer in Quito. We met our new friend Thomas on the side of the road, and he graciously offered to help us get the bike to the next town where we could get a tow truck to take us the rest of the way.
Dirty Larry and I hitch a ride while the guys follow behind.
Then, we met Gustavo, who after seeing the issues we were having with the tow truck driver not tying the bike down properly, graciously offered to take the bike the 2.5-hour drive to Quito. He rides motor cross and has a deep appreciation for our bikes and our journey. Without the kindness of Thomas and Gustavo, two strangers who went above and beyond to help out three dirty bikers from far away, I don't know what we would have done.
Roger, Gabriella and the staff at the Quinto Harley dealer stayed late knowing we were coming, and were so welcoming and accommodating! Today (Dec 5th), we got the diagnosis of Dirty Larry. The compensating nut on the primary sprocket loosened and tore up the stator rotor, a bearing, and the chain tensioner. And, thanks to our friends at home, we have made arrangements to get the parts here to Quito as fast as possible. So, for the next few days, we chill in the capital city of Ecuador.
Tomorrow is Fiestas de Quito, the anniversary of the city’s founding in 1534. During this trip, we have met so many good people. There is a lot of good in the world and a lot of good we all can offer our fellow man. You just have to look for it. The last few days have taught me to fully embrace life and all the experiences that come your way. 529 miles from Rollindo to Quito.
A border crossing, a bike breakdown, and new friendships all gained during the last 5 days.
