I made a breakthrough recently. I decided to quit.
I was in Popayan longer than I should have been. I received the ok to return to my trip around the middle of January form the specialist that I was seeing, for my broken clavicle. I stuck around longer trying to deal with the usual hassle of paperwork and appointments at the district attorney's office for my claim from the company of the car that hit me.
I had planned on leaving town and arriving in Quito in time to watch the Superbowl, but that didn't pan out. The very night before I was supposed to leave, I became deathly ill. After walking around town, almost the very moment I returned to the house, I came down with a fever. Beneath 4 blankets, I had violently strong shakes. Checking my fever was about 39.8C which is about 104F. I knew I had to try and lower my fever and tried using wet clothes on my lymph glands to lower my body temp (only one other time in my life had to do this, when I was around 15 thanks mom ;) but didn't seem to help. Checking my temp every 15 minutes, nothing seemed to change and after trying to take a luke warm shower, it seemed I had to go to the hospital. Fortunately my friend Roxana was their, and took incredible care of me.
We went to the hospital and they gave me something that lowered my fever, and 3 bags of saline. Like I thought, was just the flu as it turns out. I felt better the next few days but not completely.
The Friday before the Superbowl (at this point I knew I was sticking around Popayan to watch it), I started feeling ill again this time. With only a mild fever compared to the one before, but with tremendous pain in my body and near immediate lack of energy (again after returning from a walk around town). Lying in bed, I felt as though I was going to die. I got up to go the bathroom later that night, and trying to leave, I fainted.
I have
never fainted in my life. This was the first time. I knew it was happening, and couldn't get the bathroom door open fast enough and race back to bed. I fell backward and smacked my head on the door handle (very fortunate it wasn't the bathroom sink). Lying on the floor dazed and confused, I finally got up and returned to bed.
For the next couple days, I was bed ridden. Like I mentioned when I was around 15, may have been the only other time I have felt this sick. I could not get out of bed, except to struggle to the bathroom. No appetite and no energy. I watched people walk around casually and was mesmerized and curious how they were able to do it. I remember thinking it seemed like some kind of phenomenon that they were able to do that. I felt like I was dying, and fortunately rounded the corner in a few days. Really thankful and glad that my friend Roxana was there to help.
Muchisimas gracias, agradezco Roxana.
I stuck around another week to make sure that I was good to ride, and tried to get things in order with Nuvia (muchas gracias por todo!) make sure I wasn't missing any paperwork for my claim.
The few days after leaving Popayan were
really tough. I crossed some of the most difficult sections of my trip.
I hadn't ridden my bike fully loaded in 3 months. It was the longest stretch of my trip that I had taken that amount of time off, and I was definitely out of shape (besides the short jaunts on the bike around town). I was still a bit weak from very debilitating pathogen that nearly took over. My shoulder and arm, although feel tremendously better, are not 100% and are still visibly smaller than my right arm, and weaker. The loneliness of the road hit me hard getting back to the trip too.
I'm a real nostalgic person and goodbyes haver never been easy for me. It was really difficult leaving Popayan.
I finally left and got on the road. The first day was hilly, and I was in no mood to ride. All day up and down. Later in the day it started raining, my front pannier rack was loose from a bolt that I had to tighten in the rain. All I kept thinking was how unhappy I was.
I found camp later in the evening and enjoyed some solitude down the trail a bit (asked at a nearby restaurant if it was alright). It rained more and in the morning had to scramble back up the muddy trail, mud all over everything.
After dropping down into the hot valley, I crossed through the dangerous section fine that everyone told me about, near Patia and Bordo. It was later in the day on a really hot section of endless hills that it hit me.
I decided to quit.
I was just unmotivated, not enjoying riding at all. It was so damn hot and I felt miserable. I just asked myself, "why are you doing this?" I mean why would I continue to subject myself to something I really didn't enjoy, that I'm losing money, etc. The goal, the finish, it meant so much less. I had decided to quit, was going to get the next bus back to Popayan and I instantly felt relieved. I kept riding, I kept thinking, the gears kept turning.
I finished the hot hilly section and had a reprieve dropping into a flat portion of the road and out of water was happy to find the "tienda oasis". As I sat sipping a cold coke, a police officer sat down and started chatting with me at the table. Asking me the usual questions about where I'm going and stuff and I told him how I was thinking of quitting. As I talked to him, he didn't offer any motivation, but I just started to feel a bit better. Before meeting him, I started thinking of the logistics of quitting. I started thinking about my return and how for the rest of my life I would think about that day... the day that I quit.
Finding camp on an open grassy area behind a gas station I started to feel better. Some nice guys that do construction at the gas station chatted with me, one brought over a bit of chi cha (fermented alcohol made from corn). A cup full of that, some dinner, I started thinking a bit optimistic and in the morning felt confident about tackling the hills I knew I had to climb to get to Pasto.
I had some real terrible sections of road to cross as I climbed the hill, and after dropping down a long one, had such a long hill to get to Pasto. I haven't had hills like this in a long time and I struggled. I suffered. It was nice and cool but I was weak, out of shape, pathetic... but I kept on. Gasping for each breath in the high altitude, oxygen-lacking air, it was a challenge. I stopped in Pasto, only for a coffee, and instead of jumping on a bus at the bus station, cycled on out of the city South and up that hill. After getting up and over an even bigger peak I had another.
long climb to get to Ipiales and the border (after a 20km downhill). In between I had a couple of lovely camping spots, that were really enjoyable. I actually enjoyed camping, something I haven't had in so long. Especially at the cute quaint log cabin pond of Alsyra at the top of the hill South of Pasto.
I could feel the excitement returning again, the will to continue rekindled.
I continued to meet some really nice people, that really helped me out. My first night in Ecuador, I met a really nice family at a restaurant where I inquired about camping on their grass around back. It was getting dark, and I could see a massive hill I had to start. They gave me a fabulous dinner, and even breakfast the following morning. So kind.
The next day, feeling good, I started up the hill. Not more than 5-8km up, I saw a traveling cyclist with a flat. We started to chat, and I quickly started to feel the itch to get back riding. I almost told him that I was going to take off, but I waited. Nigel, an Australian riding from Canada to Patagonia, is quite a champion. At nearly 60 years old, he just rode through the hills that I struggled through. Sure made me feel like a silly girl for having difficulty (even more so for thinking of quitting, so glad I didn't, imagine how that looks).
He finished his flat and we started up the hill at the top was 3,700 meters, highest I've gone so far at over 11,000ft. The rest of the day we rode together and enjoyed the
really nice smooth roads of Ecuador (smooth blacktop, although bad in the beginning near the border and some other short sections, the roads of Ecuador have been really nice for the most part) with some really nice open sections with views of the clouded mountains. It was such a nice day of riding, something that felt like I hadn't had in so long. Instead of trying to really do some distance, we did a shorter day, but enjoyed a lot of the sights along the way. Real pleasant riding.
Nigel was headed in the same direction for a while so we decided to ride together. He's camped quite a bit in other areas, but up until meeting me hadn't camped in a couple weeks and usually stays in hotels. Of course riding with me, I always camp, so over the course of the next few days, I found us some real nice spots. I got lucky a couple times with some of the places I found, with little trash, great views, and nobody around.
Having such nice camp spots with lovely cool weather, it was obvious the camping spirit was rekindled in Nigel (and for me for that matter). I hadn't enjoyed camping in so long, having to deal with the heat, sweating at night trying to sleep in my tent. With cold weather like this it's quite a pleasure to make camp, put some warm clothes on, cook up a proper meal and sleep soundly.
He was also impressed with some of the touches of camp that I have, things like my frying pan for cooking veggies or eggs, cutting board, things like that just make camping a little more enjoyable.
We caught up with the Japanese traveling cyclist I met going up the hill towards Ipiales, Hiro. Really nice guy but the three of us struggled to communicate with the language barrier. It really impressed me though since his Spanish is equally little. The three of us ended up riding together for a whole day, up to, and through Ibarra.
Each a solo cyclist, each from a different part of the Pacific Ocean, each with their own agenda but brought together by the road, forming a group of instant friends.
Nigel had the great idea of getting some rum to sip on for the night at camp, and since we had a short following day to Otavalo, seemed like a good idea (I just hoped to find another good camp spot). As we rode out of Ibarra we had a long climb and it was starting to get late in the day. Nigel was starting to ask about camp, and was obviously getting a little knuckered from the hills and heat we had. Looking at the 3-4 lane highway we were riding I figured we better start looking because it was real populated and was probably going to be all the to Otavalo. We stopped towards the top of the hill and I noticed some overgrown grass as well as what looked like an abadonded building, a ways up a drive way behind a building out front.. I talked with the owner or worker who said it was alright to camp around back.
Sure enough turned out to be a great spot considering how close it was to the city, only a few km. It was far enough away from the highway that the noise wasn't too bad. We ended up camping in in the abandoned building (the guys did, I camped on the grass out front). After setting up camp, there was even a nice open area of grass and dirt that I pulled out the frisbee and we threw it around for a while.
We had a real lovely evening, after enjoying some fine food. Nigel and I were showing Hiro lots of good pieces of equipment to get, he doesn't even carry a stove, and he's headed for Patagonia. We sipped on some real fine aged rum that was incredibly inexpensive for how smooth and tasty it was, while looking over photos and videos from the road.
In the morning we rode to Otavalo, Hiro parted ways and was headed for the city. Nigel and I stayed in really nice hostel that my friend Joey from Popayan had told me about. We ended up taking a day off, stayed a couple nights and enjoyed all the sights. Including a bird of prey sanctuary up the hill that has all sorts of eagles, hawks and falcons. We even took a bus out to a pueblo that we passed along the way to try Cuey.
After Otavalo, we had more climbing with some great views of some of the volcanoes. Only about 40km and we hit the Equator. Nigel had actually missed the monument, not seeing the sign, and road ahead. After getting him we came back and enjoyed the ceremonial picture taking of the special latitude. It was remarkable to think that I have ridden from a latitude of around 65 down to 0, and really tried to enjoy the thought of crossing into the Southern Hemisphere for the first time.
We rode on, with more hilly terrain. Passing through a couple towns, and loading up at one tienda, it was about that time to find camp. We started checking out places and as we coasted downhill on one section, I noticed a dirt road that went up behind a couple of houses near some farming kind of area on the hill. Nigel wanted to keep going but after rounding the corner and saw how populated it was, I knew our odds of finding a nice camp spot were probably slim, and got us turned around, to go check out the spot.
Sure enough, another great spot, and after talking (convincing) the woman with the house at the top of the hill) we found a great flat grassy road that paralleled a small river, with a great view. Our last evening camping together, we had some good laughs and of course more stories from the road. In the morning we had quite a downhill, with real nice smooth pavement, I hit a max speed of 80km/h, the fastest I've gone with my trailer (fastest speed ever was 57mph or 92kmh in Montana riding down to Helena). With a long climb up to Quito, we arrived at the city limits and the chaos ensued of the usual city riding - noisy trucks, loads of traffic, and clouds and clouds of black diesel exhaust getting spewed in my face.
Nigel and I parted ways, he was off to downtown to stay with somebody and I had a couchsurfer, Caro, lined up to stay with in the North of the city. After some quick directions/instructions (in Spanish) from Caro over the phone, I guess I understood because after climbing a longer hill, she was waiting at the gas station with another couchsurfer.
After a really nice hot shower, I relaxed, and she gave me some really delicious soup with biscuits. We were both kind of happy to have finally met, we had talked months previous when I was making my way towards Quito, but then the microbus hit me and I was stuck in Popayan. We went out that night, to a couple local pubs. One was a bicycle inspired place with furniture made from bicycle parts (the owner has cycled all over south america so we had quite a bit to talk about and even gave me a beer - gracias!), and the other had a great view from the mountains over the city.
I had some errands and things to catch up on the following day, was dead tired all day because after going to bed around 1, I'm back to being accustomed of getting up at sunrise - ~6:15. I went to the mitad del mundo museum with the other couchsurfer later in the day, that was kind of disappointing. We relaxed at the house, and I sat and chatted with Caro's dad Gallo for a while, enjoying some tea, then some really good "pata de baca" a type of alcohol distilled from sugar cane, that was really smooth and flavorful. In bed nice and early, I packed up the following morning, said goodbye, and made my way to downtown to see Nigel, Downtown, and get some other things down (stop by bike shop too).
So I arrived yesterday in Downtown and I'm staying at a cheap hotel off the strip. I really like the main downtown area, it's clean and seems real safe. Although some areas are over the top touristy, and there are actually a lot of tourists walking around, it's a pretty neat spot. There are loads of cicliovias, bike lanes with bumps even to keep the cagers out.
I walked around yesterday evening with Nigel, but we were both a bit tired and in bed early. Today I've spent the entire day catching up on emails, uploading photos and videos and stuff. The wifi at the hotel wasn't working so I had to go down a few blocks to a restaurant. I don't remember the last time I've seen wifi this fast and uploaded 350 pictures really fast.
Tomorrow I'm heading out again, keep moving, making progress, trying to get to Patagonia with enough time before winter. I've been talking to a lot of people and it sounds like I'm going to see temps between 10-15 (hopefully not a lot of rain, and even less snow), which apart from the moisture of course, is really pleasant riding. I prefer it to be much colder. The main difficulty for me in crossing Mexico, Central America, and parts of Colombia, was the heat. I'm sure I'll have some more warm days, especially on the coast of Peru that I'm going to ride through, but then hopefully dry and cold in the mountains and south from there.
I know that Ecuador is going to be real mountainous the whole way though, and the mountains of Peru may be some of the most difficult that I will have to cross, with some passes I will go over about 4,600 meters - the highest I will have been, not only on my bike, but ever hiking (only gone higher in an airplane of course). The mountains I'm going to cycle over will be higher than any peak in the contingent US, including Mt. Whitney. I've already bicycled, just since Popayan, higher than I've ever backpacked in the Sierra Nevada back home in California. I know that these next couple months will be some of the most difficult, but I'm ready. At least it won't be hot, and I'll take my time. I know that after that, a part from rough roads and maybe headwinds, I'll be covering ground faster and in the home stretch.
Now my confidence and riding legs are back. I'm looking ahead and thinking of the things to enjoy along the way before the trip is through. I'm motivated and ready to see this trip through the right way. I'm so proud of myself for having continued. I've had some real tough times and thoughts of quitting, but this was the first time I actually decided to do it. I changed my mind and I know when the next difficult section comes, I just have to remember like always: it will pass.
Some Thoughts While Riding:
The Southern end of Colombia, and into Ecuador has lots of real friendly people. Loads wave and smile at me.
Now, having experienced varying levels of different types of illness in my trip, from pathogens of all different kinds - parasites to viruses... I'm really rather paranoid. At the slightest sign of body aches (happen quite often) I start to get panicky thinking I'm coming down with something.
I've never been a wine person, but recently I have tried some various wines from Chile, a Cab and a Merlot and I'm very impressed. Very drinkable. Looking forward to getting to Santiago and trying more ;)
It's funny a lot of the cultural things that I always notice and find fascinating. Little things like the hand motion that people use to demonstrate when to eat something.
It's been really nice having some nice quiet camp spots to enjoy that I've found. It's been real chilly mostly since Popayan, and I love camping when it's nice and cool. Having to share a dorm room for so long in the hostel in Popayan was terrible. Smelly travelers, dumping their dirty clothes in the room leaves a stagnant smell that makes me feel like I'm going to suffocate. Not to mention when a whole other dorm room was entirely empty for more than a week and the people could have been split between them both.
There are lots of things that I will never get accustomed to in Latin America. Of course besides the drivers, tardiness is something of a surprise. Nearly everyone is late. Even when I got to the district attorney's office, they tell me 8am, and I'm there 10 to 8, and I have to wait around for a half hour. What's the point of even having appointments if everyone isn't there at that time?
It's funny sometimes how helpful people want to be sometimes. People always looking at me and my gear, curious... When I ask something, for instance the waiter at the coffee shop in Pasto, they are lots of times eager to jump in and offer advice.
It's been more than a year now since I've been in Latin America. I've been thinking a lot while riding where I was a year ago. Riding down Baja, enjoying lots of open spaces, great camp spots to myself, some surf, cool sunny weather.
Lot's has happened just in that year that I crossed the border into Tijuana with my bicycle.
Always gets me how many times I've checked the topo of the terrain before heading out and say to myself "eh, doesn't look that bad". Only until later kicking myself about so many hills I didn't even notice. It's not until you've actually cycled the hills is when you get a great appreciation for them.
With each Latin country I cross, I'm always reminded of the selflessness and generosity of the people with so little.
However, with people that have so little, naturally there is a greater occurrence of crime. Since being in Latin America, there have several people I know personally that I have been robbed. One instance recently was my friend's daughter Sofia. Some guy that saw her talking on the phone, came up behind her and pretended to have a knife to her throat and took her phone. The worst part about this is that there were people around that saw this happen.
Spineless people that sat and watched it happen, and did nothing. It's appalling to think that people wouldn't help someone, a child, in need. Even if I didn't know the person, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment. to help.
Driving times are very different here. Back home I'm used to a 6 hour drive and getting from San Diego to Mammoth; nearly half way across California. Here, it's like 6 hours just to go from the border to Quito - that's not that far.
I know it may sound racist, but I'm a scientist, I make observations. It's clearly evident (even according to the locals I speak with) that where there is a greater population of blacks, it's more of a dangerous area. Also interesting that they almost always live in the hotter climates.
I will continue to rant and rave about the bad drivers. I will never understand and will never become accustomed to the disrespect towards cyclists from the drivers. I mean, going up a hill, scumbags will mash on the throttle to emit more exhaust. I owned a diesel for 6 years, besides the obvious audible indication, it's always apparent when they stomp on the throttle near me, emitting a huge cloud of black nastiness. Then they let off the throtttle a short ways up the road and driver normally.
I really just don't understand it. It's like the people get behind the wheel of a car and turn into mindless animals that are completely dumb. I mean they do things that are
completely unintelligent, a 10 year old would know better. Things like a semi truck passing another, going up a hill, with a blind curve just ahead (something I've seen way too many times). The car of course coming around the corner (there's always a car coming) or even worse a motorcyclist, is forced out to the shoulder without sufficient time to brake. Without even knowing, I can guarantee you that the number 1 cause of death in these countries is motor related incidents. They drive so damn horribly.
Recently getting back to camping in colder temperatures is quite lovely. After a cold day on the road, finding camp, putting on warm clothes in the tent... It's like each layer I put on is higher level of satisfaction.
I've been really crossing some serious mountain terrain. I'll never forget when my cycling friend Felix told me when he was in Quito some time ago, "Devin, this is high altitude cycling" definitely right.
The food in Ecuador isn't terribly exciting and not very great. It's cheaper in general compared to Colombia but the food isn't as good. Fritadas are really popular (chicharon, or fried pig skin). I really don't like it.
Someting different about Ecuador I really enjoy, is that instead of playing annoying music or yelling, some propane trucks I've seen play some of the pleasant Andina music of the indigenous.
There is apparently a lot of political pressure to open the jungles of Ecuador to extract oil, and put a pipeline in to connect Venezuela. Ecuador is standing strong though and protecting the wild areas that would not only threaten lots of wild animals, but the indigenous inhabitants that live there as well.
I remember my friend John from Playa Gigante in Nicaragua saying about his year long bike trip around Asia, "after that, I can do anything..." - My sentiment exactly.
People sometimes are so excited to talk to the foreigners. The day I met Niegl even, a guy pulled over in his truck just to get out and talk to us, ask us where we're going and coming from. There was this really cool moment when the three of us were in Ibara. At the supermarket as I put away the food I just bought, into my panniers. A couple guys started asking us where were traveling to and stuff. A crowd started to actually gather listening to me explain what we're doing and where each of us is headed.
Being in the Southern Hemisphere is quite a cool thought. At the equator I was rather surprised to see still that my shadow still pointed North around midday (I think because it's not one of the solstice). I haven't seen the big dipper in so long, but the equivalent for those in the South, is the Southern Cross that points out where South is. Fortunately Nigel pointed it out to me our last night camping together.
I wrote this following section when I was thinking that I wanted to quit:
A trip like this is so much more difficult having to camp all the time. Find places to camp, set up the tent, cook dinner. Not like sleeping in a bed. Then in the morning having to pack up. Wearing dirty clothes for days, sometimes a week or two on end, same amount of time without a shower. It's getting really old. I want to go back to the simple life more and more as the trip goes on. Simple things like a shower and clean clothes to put on, sleep in a bed daily. Either way I'm just trying to remember that the end is near. I just try to remind myself it's not going to be like this forever.
I've had to say goodbye to friends I've made along the way, so many times, it's getting old. I want to have meaningful relationships again and enjoy them, instead of thinking about how I'm leaving soon. I'm so grateful and appreciate everyone I've met along the way, but it comes at a price and I can't help but think about each time the possibility that I may never see them again.
Sitting here on a Sunday watching loads of cyclists pass by in the street. It's always great to see in the major cities in Latin America, with a big cycling influence. Most have Sundays dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians.
Kilomerters ridden so far: 18, 670.1
