What a day

I snuk out of Cuenca in the dusk of day, and headed for the Peruvian border. I was slower than planned with morning routines, drove through the city and was sent in the wrong direction at one point(of course. 10 minutes gone). I realized at that point that "damn, I´m in a hurry". I didn´t want Victor to wait, as he stayed an extra night for me to meet up with him.
In the beginning, the roads were brilliant. Up in the highlands, there would be the "usual" rolling hills, farms with cows and colourful clothes hanging to dry on the wooden fences, and lots of children waiting for the schoolbus along the roads. I was also enjoying the sight of the traditional outfits that women wear here in Ecuador. Then I hit the descening roads that lead me to a big valley of morning sun, lighting up mountains curved and decorated no more logically than a little kids doodling. Still the roads were great.

Suddenly that changed as I rode upwards towards the rocky mountains. It turned to gravel. I mean Offroad gravel! In the beginning, I thought it would be short and good training for me to see how Tornado will perform on such terrain, which he is good for. Unfortunatly his chain is not good for it, and it fell of twice. There were roadworkers that helped me out in the terrible heat to put it back on and tighten it. I was so late. Reaching real roads again was divine, but I was Late, and it took me a long time to reach civilization with a phone so that I could call and tell Victor that I was late and that he should go ahead. He decided to wait. I rode fast on good roads. South of Machala, the roads are all flat and long, framed in mangrove palms. I made it before 11, and we went to Peru.. Oh, wait. The first time wasn´t legal!
The border is rediculously set up, and we had to go back to search for the different departments. I smiled to myself the third time I entered Ecuador, a country I know I´ll never go back too, even though it´s a great one. There was hardly traffic, but it all took us 1,5hour, before we could continue on along the desert(my first), and suddenly come across ocean after not seeing the ocean for 3 months!
Gorgeous! The little towns are very rural in the north. Always interesting to enter a new country. We were in Peru! Again.