The road leading from Baños to Puyo is called the road of waterfalls. And indeed we saw many of them. The valley in which we drove has the water coming from both sides, creating small and large waterfalls. There are many small cable cars that lead to them, it seems to be a very popular thing here in Ecuador.

Nice waterfall

The road to Puyo is called the road of waterfalls for a reason

With every km the vegation became richer and the air heavier as we are approaching the amazonas low lands of Ecuador. We find a little hotel which we approach over a small bridge which is actually for pedestrians only.

Christy enjoying the view during a break

The next day we visit a small park where an amercian married to an indigines women shows the tradional way of living of the indian tribes from the amazon. His wife, born and raised in a tradional way, teached him the medical treatments the indigenes people do with all the different plants. He walked us through the park and explained a lot about the use of the plants and their characteristics, like the walking tree which actually walks up to 3m in a few years to optimize his position to gain more light.

Chris Canaday explaining a walking tree

We saw a lot of different small animals, like the bull ant, a giant ant that is quite peaceful but should be avoided due to its quite painful bite. He showed us a street of cutter ants dragging huge pieces of leaves to their home to fertilize a certain mushroom which they eat.

Cutting ants on their little procession

The variety of plants are incredible. And we learned (and already forgot) about the medical use of many of them.

This one is just good for beauty I guess

It was quite interesting and it was steaming hot when we finally returned to the hotel to pack our bikes.

The road to Macas is brand new, as most of the roads in Ecuador. The current president takes a lot of effort to invest into the infrastructure of the country.

On the road to Macas

Left and right of the road the jungle spreads, on the right side bordered by the mountains on the left side spreading endlessly to the horizon.

Riding was very relaxing.

We arrive in Macas after dark. As we stopped to get something to drink, two police officers chat Christy up. They are curios about our travel and help us with the directions of the hotel we want to stay in. That’s how we end up with a police escort through the small town to our little hotel.

Christy started to take over the navigation.

One of the places we wanted to see is the Quilotoa crater. The crater is filled with water, creating a great lake with steep walls that made the Incas believe the lake had no ground.

As so often the ride to Quilotoa crater proofed that motorbiking is more about the roads you ride on than the destinies you are actually going to.

Right after Latacunga the road led up the mountain in steep curves, offering a beautiful view into the valley and the momentarily erupting volcano of Tungurahua. We turned into a dirt road to get away from the main street for a short break. In the distance we could see a shepherd guarding his sheep and slowly moving from one place to the next, taking a short nap every time he moved himself for 100m.

Getting off the road for a little break

The road kept curling through the mountains, which got steeper and rockier. Dark clouds moved in and we realized we would end up in the middle of a thunderstorm. We looked for a shelter and found it underneath the roof of a gas station where we waited for the rain to stop. The rain has cleaned the air, everything smelled fresh when we continued. The landscape became wilder and it seemed the rain has intensified the colors of the surroundings. Steep mountain slopes with fields, which seemed to be hanging vertically on the side of the mountains. Everything is painted in different shades of brown and ocher. We rode into a broad valley on a winding road.

Suddenly a canyon opens to our ride side

Suddenly a steep canyon opens to our ride hand side. Vertical walls lead down to a wild river in the bottom of the canyon. It is a landscape like from a fantasy movie. Christy said it wouldn’t surprise her if she saw a dragon sitting next to the road somewhere. The dark clouds and the sun shining in between them, the intensive colors, all which created an out-of-this-world atmosphere.

After the thunderstorm on the way to Quilotoa

We arrived at the Quilotoa crater just a few minutes before sunset, surrounded by clouds. Just as we approached the crater by foot, the clouds opened a little gap. The sun was shining right through that gap illuminating the tips of the crater and creating a fantastic double rainbow over the crater lake. It was more than beautiful. It was beyond kitsch. It was one of the most amazing views I have ever seen.

As the sun sets very quickly here so close to the equator, the whole scene only lasted a few moments before it got pitch-black.

Sunset at Quilotoa crater lake

Sunset at Quiltoa lake

The next day we went back to the panamericana using another road that brought us back close to the Cotopaxi NP where we have been before.

Again we had fantastic views, another thunderstorm some dirt roads and Christy had her first little fall. Harmless and pretty unavoidable with her broad front tire and the very soft and slippery ground in a construction site of the road.

Some short dirt track sections

Soon the Quilotoa round will be fully asphalted

On the way back from Quilotoa

Winding roads all day long

We ended up in a nice hostel, close to the Cotopaxi NP. A Swiss owned place with 5 huge Saint Bernard dogs that protect the place. It was quite a sight when I pulled up the place, stopping the engine and one, then two..three..finally 5 huge dogs approached and stared at me. I stood there for a moment not knowing what to do. I was afraid if I would get off the bike the calm dogs would suddenly turn into an aggressive pack of killerbeasts.

The swiss owner and his bernards

But another look at their sad and friendly eyes convinced me of their friendliness, which they immediately proved by cuddling up with me, once I got off the bike.

Dinner next to a fireplace made this day perfect.