Ecuador by Bike (Part 1: Along the Routes by the Sea)
Luis Enrique Sànchez Peralta set out a couple of months ago on a tour of our country on his bicycle. He tells us about his experiences in this series, some of which he did alone and others with someone else.
(PART 1: Along the routes along the sea)
The II VUELTA CICLOTURISTICA EL ECUADOR fulfilled its main objective, reaching the Mayors and making the event known as well as obtaining their support for the III VUELTA in 2012, for which 50 or more participants are expected.
The journey was an adventure as it had to be; with a small budget and with a heart that carried the fervent desire to know their country. The departure from Guayaquil with the company of the cyclists of the club who in number more than 20 arrived to Cerecita, and from there alone I arrived to Ballenita where I spent 24 hours preparing the contacts and the material for the event (logbook and project for the Municipalities).
We left on Sunday morning along the Spondylus route until we reached the first station: Montañita. There, a dear friend was waiting for me at the Planeta Tierra Restaurant, who took several good photos of our time there, and we tried her exquisite Manabita seasoning again.
The next stop where a childhood friend and bicycle friend was waiting for us was Curía and although he is not cholo they call him primo Wacho Litardo; in the Curia commune we slept in the tent that we brought in front of the beach, a very beautiful, quiet and safe beach.
We talked to the community members in the morning and told them about the project and how they can get involved to participate more actively next year. I got the impression that they want to continue maintaining their own tranquility; they want to progress but they don't yearn to be just another Montañita and I admire that. A surprising herd of goats (almost 80) walking through the streets bid us farewell and we continued our journey.
The hardest part of many; the 7 hills: because of the weight of my luggage on the bike I had to walk but the descent to Puerto Lopez was world class, what a panorama, what a view you have to do it by bike to take a break in the right place to enjoy, it's a shame my cell phone charge failed. After getting the signature of the Mayor of Puerto Lopez we continued the trip.
There is much to tell: about the Ibarreño I met at the Manta market, about the lodging in the courtyard of the Casino de la Armada in Manta, or in the Fire Departments of each city where we arrived, about the sharks that were loaded onto trucks in Manta, about the children from several schools that have no water or electricity in Pedernales, about the turtle that was set free after our talk to some children about global warming, about a young man who offered us his snack at 11 at night, there are many testimonies to share the humane treatment, the hospitality, solidarity and that with some caution it is totally safe to travel through Ecuador and that was what we wanted to demonstrate… I had to suspend the trip after 10 days of starting due to illness, but I resumed it a week later and I will tell you about it in more detail in future installments.
. I would like to thank the companies Cerveceria Nacional and Laboratorios Kronos who put faith in this project, which is just beginning.
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