The old fortress of the chachapoya, now the name of the district and its capital, derived from the culture of andean people which thrived in this area from the 6th century until they were conquered and subsequently integrated into the inca empire, shortly before the arrival of the spanish conquistadores. Since i started late from san… Continue reading Kuelap
Author: mat
gocta falls
Until recently i was cycling through a cold or mild climate, that had changed to decidedly warm since coming into peru and being at an altitude of around thousand meters by now. When i found the immigration office, it was devoid of personal. like on the ecuadorian side, the officials are acustomed to a relaxed day… Continue reading gocta falls
Dedication to camping
It was a hard time leaving the relaxed vibe of the guesthouse. The climbing was getting harder towards the border, and for the last kilometers, the dirt road with its steep inclination was a real struggle. It was the campspots and the atmosphere in the evening that made this stretch worthwile. On the first night from Vilcabamba… Continue reading Dedication to camping
Vilcabamba
Having heard a bit about Vilcabamba beforehand, i approached the town with mixed feelings. There are a lot of ‘gringos’ staying long-term and half of the businesses are owned by ‘extranjeros’. I arrived on a sunday, while the market was on. The central square was filled with people and as the sun was out, two… Continue reading Vilcabamba
The pilgrimage to Loja
Cycling out of Cuenca, i met Maggie and Bryan, a canadian couple cycling south as well. We met again on top of the first climb out of town where i had stopped for lunch. While eating, a guy came scrambling out of the bushes from the other side of the road and from what i… Continue reading The pilgrimage to Loja
Cuenca y Las Cajas
Like in Quito, i stayed at ‘el cafecito’ hostal, which has a relaxed atmosphere, superb breakfast and came this time with a glass covered court yard complete with bicycle themed art on the walls. After the Chimborazo round, the first days were spent solely relaxing until new arrivals were luring me out to see something… Continue reading Cuenca y Las Cajas
Riobamba
The downhill continued and by the time i reached Riobamba, it was time to peel off some more layers of clothes. Jo, a friend from France whom i had met in Indonesia, sent me the contact details of Borja, a friend of his in town. I ventured through town to find a place that could… Continue reading Riobamba
Around Chimborazo
After the Quilotoa lagoon, it was only a small downhill to Zumbahua, where i arrived during the busy saturday market. Hats are a must there and the streets were filled with people in their tradional clothes, mostly colourful while young and old wearing a fitting headpiece. I changed my brake pads which was drawing a… Continue reading Around Chimborazo
Quilotoa lagoon
Starting from the panamericana at Lasso, i followed the paved road to Sigchos. After being a bit boring for the first ten kilometers, this changed luckily soon. The second part to the lagoon is also popular with hikers. But as the road is taking a rather long way around the mountain ridges with the views… Continue reading Quilotoa lagoon
Cotopaxi
It was another cobblestone road, worse than the one leading to the Laguna de Mojanda, and steeper in parts. I didn’t make it to the park’s entrance that day and set up camp, from where i had no views of the vulcan yet, but a nice sunset with the valley filled with clouds beneath. The… Continue reading Cotopaxi