ExploringRTW
Registered user
We both slept ok in the new Country ! 
, although Phil had been aware of his breathing during the night as a result of the altitude. We got breakfast and set off in the direction of the airport to start the process of getting our bikes through customs.
We’d read that it could take up to a week on your own to clear customs and so headed straight for a broker, that had been recommended on the Horizons unlimited web-site, who was only a few hundred meters from the airport. We found the offices and explained what we wanted to do. We were told the price was $50 per bike which is what we we’d expected. We agreed and the process began.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622968.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Bertha, our broker in Quito..
The first step was to go to Giraigs offices to obtain a document confirming arrival of the bikes in Ecuador….which is where we fell at the first hurdle. The bikes were in Columbia. Whilst I tried to find out what happened we were getting nowhere fast and were told that they would arrive tomorrow, two days later than arranged. The brokers took all the paper work they required and asked us to ring the following morning, leaving us with the implication that we would do all that was necessary for us (which they did) and we should be able to collect the bikes the following afternoon. We both decide to go for a huge Internet session and catch up on our e-mails. In the evening, and despite some protests from me, we visit the “English Pub”, which was more like an English country club. Very elegant and the Shepherds pie could have been made in England. The Pilsner was excellent too. We met a young English couple who were backpacking around the world, Quito being the first stage of their journey. They had witnessed a large demonstration in the old part of Quito in the previous week and seen the military use tear gas to disperse the crowd, and we also learn that there were a considerable number of road blocks erected by disgruntled farmers on the Pan American highway connected with the protest, both North and South of Quito, the only direction we are interested in travelling in!
The following morning I phoned the Broker back up and learnt that the bikes were now in Quito and we were to come into the offices for 15:00 as the paperwork was going through and it was hopeful/possible that both bikes would be released that day. Phil and I decide to take a walk around the old town and whilst doing so, visit a huge Catholic church. Whilst the Church itself was never properly finished, the stained glass windows are the most impressive I have seen with respect to conveying New Testament biblical stories. The old town has many intertwining narrow roads threaded through it. As we had heard from the English couple we met that they had witnessed the use of Tear gas and the military presence was still felt with a complement of soldiers and riot-type vehicles.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622973.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
The old part of Quito.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622970.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Still a very visible presence of the military.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623036.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
The unfinished Catholic Church......a lot of detail in the outside of the building.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622976.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
One of the stained glass windows telling a biblical story. This one of doubting Thomas after Jesus ressurection.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622984.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Not helpful to anybody
!
We arrived at the offices as agreed and learnt that only Phils bike had all the necessary paperwork to ensure release. Apparently the customs woman had gone home after doing Phils !. I asked if I can collect mine tomorrow, Saturday-They don’t work weekend’s so that was it until Monday. I managed to convey to one of the officials how frustrating it was. He understood and agreed and said some less than complementary things about Ecuadorian customs procedures (He himself was from Nicaragua). The brokers were very apologetic-we said it wasn’t there fault but it still was a pain, particularly as Quito is not that inspiring in comparison to the rest of South America. This meant that the bike was out of action for a week. Whilst Phil prepared his bike to leave I decided to use the time to re-connect my battery to save time on Monday…assuming that I would be able to leave straight away. In the evening we try a local Chinese restaurant which turns out to be less than inspiring with a luke warm buffet.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623032.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
There are a few American food chains in Quito but I was surprised to see this dog doing a sort of LA thing...the owner was selling these dog-hats on the pavement.
For most of Saturday I catch up on web updates, e-mails and start re-examining my budget control. All things that needed to be done anyway, so it wasn‘t a complete waste of time. Phil goes back into the town again and does some more sightseeing. In the evening we return to the English pub and enquire of the road blocks on the Pan American and if there was a local English speaking Church for me to visit. One of the waiters rang the American Embassy and told us there was only one road block now and that was anticipated as being taken down shortly. I learn of a local(ish) church and we enjoy another evening in the pub.
On the Sunday morning I try to find the English speaking Church but just can’t find the building number I’ve been given. After an hour, and now approximately 20 minutes into the Church service I get a Taxi back to the Hotel and listen to one of the sermons I brought with me on CD. Later I visit another Internet café to upload some more pictures for you to enjoy.
On the Monday morning Phil and I go to the Brokers offices as agreed for 10 o’clock….only to learn that the customs lady had not yet appeared for work. We are asked to return in 90 mins so we go off and check e-mails, and get a coffee. When we return the situation has not altered and we are advised to ring back at 14:00. We decided to go to Mittand del Mundo, an area dedicated to the equator/Ecuador and the indigenous indians. Originally we had planned to do it with both bikes but now we settled for two-up on Phils.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623021.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Mittand del Mundo..Middle of the world/Ecuator = Ecuador. Confused........
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623001.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
View from the top of the monument.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623014.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
No doubt of where North and South are anyway.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622987.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
The only thing I could think of at the time !
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622993.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Phil had the advantage of seeing me first !!
We return at 15:00 and I'm delighted to able to collect my bike from “Customs”. This process requires 6 copies of I don‘t know how many documents and signatures, each one having to be individually signed. The bike has now a damaged centre stand, scratched windscreen, and a re-broken headlamp guard. I am given a letter from the import man to the effect that the stand has arrived damaged and offered his assistance should I have any problems claiming from Giraig. In replacing my mirrors to leave(as they were removed for transit), I accidentally shear off the arm in the handlebar fitting-Yes you‘ve guessed it, on the overtaking side!. Gutted I leave customs, pleased to have my bike back, but exhausted from the hassle and damages. For the evening Phil has his eye on another English style pub, the Turtles head, and so we visit that. A great pub with great food and beer.
I wake up on Tuesday knowing there are a lot of fiddly jobs need to be done such as getting the mirror stub removed, and to find a new mirror. I ask the Hotel security guard where he would go to get the work done, and he sends me in one direction, en-route I ask a Taxi driver who seems to corroborate his directions. However in the end I can’t find it and ask somebody else who sends me in a totally different direction. I finally find a Motorcycle & scooter repair shop and ask for the repair. I’ll save you the whole story but he didn’t have any "easy outs" and tried numerous other ways of removing the stub. 45 mins later I am coming to the end of my patience(the stub removal would normally take 5 mins) and tell him this is the last chance as the thread was now starting to get chewed up. He finds what I think was a star bolt screw driver and rams it in the hole he’d already drilled and manages to finally remove the thread. When I ask him what the bill is, he refuses any money(I think he was embarrassed), however, I am genuinely pleased and grateful that he’d removed the stub and give him a few dollars which he initially tries to decline but finally accepts. On my way back I pick up a set of cheap mirrors as there is little chance of getting a replacement BMW one. They aren’t great but they give me an idea of what is going on behind me ! In the afternoon I clean my bike and repair some of the superficial damage caused by the flight over., and I feel I have my bike back….. in tact. In the evening we return to the Turtles head!
During our stay here we took the recently installed Gondala lift system to see a panoramic view of Quito. Phil went up twice, once when it was clear, and once with me !
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623024.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
At the top of the Gondola - Luvverly weather !
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623009.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Coffee bar, owned? and certainly promoted by one Pablo Montoya(Famous Columbian Formula 1 racing driver) at the top of the Gondola.
On the 22nd We leave Quito quite late but with the assurance that the remaining barricades on the Pan American highway have been removed this very day and head off towards Otavelo. About half way it starts to drizzle and then turns to rain. We come to a traffic jam and I head to the front to see that there is some sort of barracade in place but not sufficient to stop the bikes. Nobody seems excited as I cross the line and so I and Phil carry on. The rain comes down even heavier and we see many more barricades and many many more people either walking, cycling or sheltering from the rain. It looks as though they were either going home or going somewhere else to protest. There were literally thousands of them, and they were soaking. We were almost exclusively the only motorised transport on the road (we just caught sight of an occasional motorcycle or military vehicle) and we got a variety of looks from good humoured to a few youths trying to discourage me/us from crossing one line but I greet them and carry on, another youth playfully gestures that he will prod at Phil with a stick but doesn‘t. At another baracade I am questioned by a woman who thought that my panniers were full of petrol…I think she wanted it to light a fire, but when in such circumstances it is hard to see what is actually been asked. There were many other obstacles along the way, more trees, trenches that had been cut across the roads to name but a few. In total we probably drove about 20 miles of barricades. It got scarier towards the end but I became more determined as we would have only had to retrace our steps through the other road blocks again. Finally we hit the outskirts of Otavelo and drive into town. Phil had noticed a deposit of glass all across the road on the outskirts and shortly after looking at our first Hotel Phil sees that his front tyre is punctured….that assisted the decision as to where to stay, and at $8 per night including sheltered parking for the bikes, it was a bargain ! On checking in we meet a Canadian family who had been “prisoners” in Otavelo for about a week as there were no roads out, so they were in the process of booking 4 horses for themselves and their daughters (of about 8 & 12) to “escape” the following morning to a town understood to be south enough of Otavalo to be clear of the barricades. Pretty serious stuff ! We wish them well and it starts to dawn on us that we may have to stay longer than we intended ! After a quick change out of wet clothes we try to find somewhere to eat but quickly learn that the blockade, now in place for 9 days, has stopped a considerable amount of produce (and petrol) reaching town. We find a Comedor type place and order their dish of the day. A great bargain of a meal…a nice chicken soup, followed by some sort of beef with vegetables, and a fruit juice. That and three beers cost a total of $6 including a $1 tip for both of us !
Mike
, although Phil had been aware of his breathing during the night as a result of the altitude. We got breakfast and set off in the direction of the airport to start the process of getting our bikes through customs.We’d read that it could take up to a week on your own to clear customs and so headed straight for a broker, that had been recommended on the Horizons unlimited web-site, who was only a few hundred meters from the airport. We found the offices and explained what we wanted to do. We were told the price was $50 per bike which is what we we’d expected. We agreed and the process began.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622968.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Bertha, our broker in Quito..
The first step was to go to Giraigs offices to obtain a document confirming arrival of the bikes in Ecuador….which is where we fell at the first hurdle. The bikes were in Columbia. Whilst I tried to find out what happened we were getting nowhere fast and were told that they would arrive tomorrow, two days later than arranged. The brokers took all the paper work they required and asked us to ring the following morning, leaving us with the implication that we would do all that was necessary for us (which they did) and we should be able to collect the bikes the following afternoon. We both decide to go for a huge Internet session and catch up on our e-mails. In the evening, and despite some protests from me, we visit the “English Pub”, which was more like an English country club. Very elegant and the Shepherds pie could have been made in England. The Pilsner was excellent too. We met a young English couple who were backpacking around the world, Quito being the first stage of their journey. They had witnessed a large demonstration in the old part of Quito in the previous week and seen the military use tear gas to disperse the crowd, and we also learn that there were a considerable number of road blocks erected by disgruntled farmers on the Pan American highway connected with the protest, both North and South of Quito, the only direction we are interested in travelling in!
The following morning I phoned the Broker back up and learnt that the bikes were now in Quito and we were to come into the offices for 15:00 as the paperwork was going through and it was hopeful/possible that both bikes would be released that day. Phil and I decide to take a walk around the old town and whilst doing so, visit a huge Catholic church. Whilst the Church itself was never properly finished, the stained glass windows are the most impressive I have seen with respect to conveying New Testament biblical stories. The old town has many intertwining narrow roads threaded through it. As we had heard from the English couple we met that they had witnessed the use of Tear gas and the military presence was still felt with a complement of soldiers and riot-type vehicles.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622973.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
The old part of Quito.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622970.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Still a very visible presence of the military.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623036.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
The unfinished Catholic Church......a lot of detail in the outside of the building.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622976.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
One of the stained glass windows telling a biblical story. This one of doubting Thomas after Jesus ressurection.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622984.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Not helpful to anybody
! We arrived at the offices as agreed and learnt that only Phils bike had all the necessary paperwork to ensure release. Apparently the customs woman had gone home after doing Phils !. I asked if I can collect mine tomorrow, Saturday-They don’t work weekend’s so that was it until Monday. I managed to convey to one of the officials how frustrating it was. He understood and agreed and said some less than complementary things about Ecuadorian customs procedures (He himself was from Nicaragua). The brokers were very apologetic-we said it wasn’t there fault but it still was a pain, particularly as Quito is not that inspiring in comparison to the rest of South America. This meant that the bike was out of action for a week. Whilst Phil prepared his bike to leave I decided to use the time to re-connect my battery to save time on Monday…assuming that I would be able to leave straight away. In the evening we try a local Chinese restaurant which turns out to be less than inspiring with a luke warm buffet.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623032.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
There are a few American food chains in Quito but I was surprised to see this dog doing a sort of LA thing...the owner was selling these dog-hats on the pavement.
For most of Saturday I catch up on web updates, e-mails and start re-examining my budget control. All things that needed to be done anyway, so it wasn‘t a complete waste of time. Phil goes back into the town again and does some more sightseeing. In the evening we return to the English pub and enquire of the road blocks on the Pan American and if there was a local English speaking Church for me to visit. One of the waiters rang the American Embassy and told us there was only one road block now and that was anticipated as being taken down shortly. I learn of a local(ish) church and we enjoy another evening in the pub.
On the Sunday morning I try to find the English speaking Church but just can’t find the building number I’ve been given. After an hour, and now approximately 20 minutes into the Church service I get a Taxi back to the Hotel and listen to one of the sermons I brought with me on CD. Later I visit another Internet café to upload some more pictures for you to enjoy.
On the Monday morning Phil and I go to the Brokers offices as agreed for 10 o’clock….only to learn that the customs lady had not yet appeared for work. We are asked to return in 90 mins so we go off and check e-mails, and get a coffee. When we return the situation has not altered and we are advised to ring back at 14:00. We decided to go to Mittand del Mundo, an area dedicated to the equator/Ecuador and the indigenous indians. Originally we had planned to do it with both bikes but now we settled for two-up on Phils.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623021.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Mittand del Mundo..Middle of the world/Ecuator = Ecuador. Confused........
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623001.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
View from the top of the monument.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623014.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
No doubt of where North and South are anyway.
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622987.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
The only thing I could think of at the time !
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136622993.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Phil had the advantage of seeing me first !!
We return at 15:00 and I'm delighted to able to collect my bike from “Customs”. This process requires 6 copies of I don‘t know how many documents and signatures, each one having to be individually signed. The bike has now a damaged centre stand, scratched windscreen, and a re-broken headlamp guard. I am given a letter from the import man to the effect that the stand has arrived damaged and offered his assistance should I have any problems claiming from Giraig. In replacing my mirrors to leave(as they were removed for transit), I accidentally shear off the arm in the handlebar fitting-Yes you‘ve guessed it, on the overtaking side!. Gutted I leave customs, pleased to have my bike back, but exhausted from the hassle and damages. For the evening Phil has his eye on another English style pub, the Turtles head, and so we visit that. A great pub with great food and beer.
I wake up on Tuesday knowing there are a lot of fiddly jobs need to be done such as getting the mirror stub removed, and to find a new mirror. I ask the Hotel security guard where he would go to get the work done, and he sends me in one direction, en-route I ask a Taxi driver who seems to corroborate his directions. However in the end I can’t find it and ask somebody else who sends me in a totally different direction. I finally find a Motorcycle & scooter repair shop and ask for the repair. I’ll save you the whole story but he didn’t have any "easy outs" and tried numerous other ways of removing the stub. 45 mins later I am coming to the end of my patience(the stub removal would normally take 5 mins) and tell him this is the last chance as the thread was now starting to get chewed up. He finds what I think was a star bolt screw driver and rams it in the hole he’d already drilled and manages to finally remove the thread. When I ask him what the bill is, he refuses any money(I think he was embarrassed), however, I am genuinely pleased and grateful that he’d removed the stub and give him a few dollars which he initially tries to decline but finally accepts. On my way back I pick up a set of cheap mirrors as there is little chance of getting a replacement BMW one. They aren’t great but they give me an idea of what is going on behind me ! In the afternoon I clean my bike and repair some of the superficial damage caused by the flight over., and I feel I have my bike back….. in tact. In the evening we return to the Turtles head!
During our stay here we took the recently installed Gondala lift system to see a panoramic view of Quito. Phil went up twice, once when it was clear, and once with me !
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623024.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
At the top of the Gondola - Luvverly weather !
<IMG SRC="http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL784/4062504/8448420/136623009.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Coffee bar, owned? and certainly promoted by one Pablo Montoya(Famous Columbian Formula 1 racing driver) at the top of the Gondola.
On the 22nd We leave Quito quite late but with the assurance that the remaining barricades on the Pan American highway have been removed this very day and head off towards Otavelo. About half way it starts to drizzle and then turns to rain. We come to a traffic jam and I head to the front to see that there is some sort of barracade in place but not sufficient to stop the bikes. Nobody seems excited as I cross the line and so I and Phil carry on. The rain comes down even heavier and we see many more barricades and many many more people either walking, cycling or sheltering from the rain. It looks as though they were either going home or going somewhere else to protest. There were literally thousands of them, and they were soaking. We were almost exclusively the only motorised transport on the road (we just caught sight of an occasional motorcycle or military vehicle) and we got a variety of looks from good humoured to a few youths trying to discourage me/us from crossing one line but I greet them and carry on, another youth playfully gestures that he will prod at Phil with a stick but doesn‘t. At another baracade I am questioned by a woman who thought that my panniers were full of petrol…I think she wanted it to light a fire, but when in such circumstances it is hard to see what is actually been asked. There were many other obstacles along the way, more trees, trenches that had been cut across the roads to name but a few. In total we probably drove about 20 miles of barricades. It got scarier towards the end but I became more determined as we would have only had to retrace our steps through the other road blocks again. Finally we hit the outskirts of Otavelo and drive into town. Phil had noticed a deposit of glass all across the road on the outskirts and shortly after looking at our first Hotel Phil sees that his front tyre is punctured….that assisted the decision as to where to stay, and at $8 per night including sheltered parking for the bikes, it was a bargain ! On checking in we meet a Canadian family who had been “prisoners” in Otavelo for about a week as there were no roads out, so they were in the process of booking 4 horses for themselves and their daughters (of about 8 & 12) to “escape” the following morning to a town understood to be south enough of Otavalo to be clear of the barricades. Pretty serious stuff ! We wish them well and it starts to dawn on us that we may have to stay longer than we intended ! After a quick change out of wet clothes we try to find somewhere to eat but quickly learn that the blockade, now in place for 9 days, has stopped a considerable amount of produce (and petrol) reaching town. We find a Comedor type place and order their dish of the day. A great bargain of a meal…a nice chicken soup, followed by some sort of beef with vegetables, and a fruit juice. That and three beers cost a total of $6 including a $1 tip for both of us !
Mike
