Gasp! Day 2 Lachuca, and day 3 Riobamba

Day 2 to Lachuca

We left Quito, bound for Lachuca. Getting out of the city wasn't bad despite the traffic. Once out of the main part of the city though it was many km's of up, up, UP!

The climb out left me breathless, both in the change in scenery and physically. I haven't been able to shake the lung infection I was lucky enough to gain before leaving home, and so it has been interfering with my breathing, so at altitude riding becomes a combination of ride a few hundred metres, stop to catch my breath, then cycle again.

After the first climb, there was a magnificent descent where I was passing traffic at a maximum of 76km/h. Really enjoyable, until turning for another climb.

I passed a toll gate, with perhaps 5km of climbing (distance, not altitude) to go until our lunch spot, and just didn't have anything left. No breath, no energy. Thanks to good organisation by Bike Dreams, I had the truck's number to call to check how much further ahead they were. They came back, and picked me up which was a huge relief.

We couldn't stay in the hotel that we were originally intended for in the middle of town, so we were diverted to a brand new hotel a little further from the centre. It was like a big house with many bedrooms. Really comfortable. We were the first people to stay there. I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of the shower. It had hot water (luxury), with multiple points from where the water came from. Brilliant. When I buy my house, I'm getting one of those showers!

Day 3 to Riobamba

After a night's hacking away coughing, and feeling rather poorly with a rattling chest and headache the next morning, I had to swallow my pride and allow some rest. I was always determined to ride 100% of the trip, and not see the inside of the truck! With the condition I was in, I was better off allowing recovery and hopefully riding the next day, rather than pushing and causing a week to be lost.

The day was no less enjoyable. I went in the truck with Richard who is one of the drivers and mechanic, and Kirsten who knows how to make just the right food for us. They're great characters to hang out with. They had the stereo playing with a mixture of I suppose you'd call it funk with jazz, and some similar music to what I recognise from Ministry of Sound whilst watching the Ecuadorian rural scenery go by. Kirsten pointed out that many houses have unfinished storeys, because if the house is unfinished, then the taxes don't have to be paid. So entire regions of houses all look unfinished.

We stopped at a local market to pick up some fresh food. Oh wow, so many people and smells of fresh fruit and vegetables. From a variety of corn, to things I don't recognise. Ok ok, for those who know me I can hear you laughing your arses off from here. I know nada about food. Zip, zilch, zero, less than bugger all. I also saw guinea pigs for sale (known as cuy), which are eaten. Along with a table full of fried pig's heads. Mmm...mmm!

We continued along up to a maximum altitude of 3610 metres (11843 feet) and saw the Chimborazo volcano. Thanks to the equatorial bulge, the volcano's peak is the furthest distance from the Earth's centre, as  opposed to Mt Everest which has the highest peak above sea level.

Chimborazo volcano, 6310m above sea level (20 702 feet)

After arrival at our hotel in Riobamba, I got some extra sleep along with instruction from Didier, who is the medic for the trip to take in some expectorant, to get all the junk out of my lungs which hopefully allow me to breathe better. This is going to be messy. As long as I get back on the bike and capable of climbing, I'll be happy. Let the splat fest begin.