| Location: | Chiclayo |
| Mileage: | 13,700 |
We have a bad border crossing into Ecuador. There is only one guy issuing bike permits, one computer and a bad internet connection. It sometimes takes him 45 minutes to do one permit and there are 20 bikes waiting. By the time he finishes, it is dark. We have 80 miles to ride to Otovalo and the final group does not make it in until 11pm. Everyone is pretty exhausted, but our hostess, Margaret is amazing, the fires are blazing and food and drink await. The difficulties do not dampen the smiles that we are now in our tenth country.
Ecuador is home to the Equator. This is a huge milestone for the group. There is much congratulation as the bikes line up on the equator line. We have all come so far and it is a very special time. This is our first time that we have led a group across the equator, thanks to riding in Colombia – now we are riding south over the mid-point of the earth and it feels different.
Ecuador is also tiny. It only takes us a few days to ride north to south, through Quito and down to Cuenca. From there we have some amazing mountain roads to get the border. For Nigel, it’s a bad day. He is caught out by a drifting vehicle, a tight bend and a little too much speed. Once again, we are lucky. He is hurting badly, is very bruised and his bike looks battered, but he manages to crawl into town. The next morning, he still climbs aboard the bike to continue the ride to the border. Riding all the miles is a non-negotiable for many.
Picture - The Equator: another milestone
