After almost 6 weeks off the bike due to a 3 week trip to Europe for David’s sister’s wedding, a 4 day trip to the Amazon Rainforest and an 8 day “Island hopping tour” through the Galapagos Islands, we were very keen to get back on the bikes and get this show on the road again!
We had planned to cycle from Quito to Cuenca, directly past Volcano Cotopaxi, but a lot happened while we were in the Galapagos Islands. Volcano Cotopaxi erupted and there were violent anti-government demonstrations across Ecuador by the indigenous population.
Volcano Cotopaxi (which is located 50kms from Quito) is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, as its peak is covered by a glacier. The last major eruption of Cotopaxi was in 1877, but further eruptions were expected in the near future. The major concern was that those eruptions would melt the snow cap, leading to volcanic mud slides, which have the potential to travel hundreds of kilometers. Local populations surrounding Cotopaxi were evacuated and the Cotopaxi National Park was (and continues to be) closed.
Also, we had discovered that upon re-entering Ecuador from Germany, David had only been given a 30 day visa and we only had 10 days left to depart Ecuador. There was no way that we could cycle all the way from Quito to the border in that time …. So taking into account the visa situation and after reading about the eruption, the potential for further eruptions/ mud slides and after hearing about the riots, we decided that it would be best to take a bus from Quito to Cuenca.
Here is an overview of our travels from Cuenca to Loja. It is detailed for our own records, so feel free to skip ahead to the photos!
Monday 24th August: Cuenca – Hacienda El Hato
After 6 weeks off the bikes, our first day back was a bit of a slap in the face. But at least it started and ended well!
Before we could depart Cuenca, we had two very necessary stops to make. Our first stop was at “Maria’s Alemania” – a yummy German Bakery in Cuenca that every connoisseur of German bread should visit while in Cuenca! We especially loved the danishes … I wish we could have bought more! Our second stop was at a local chemical shop for some “white fuel” for our camping stove.
Once stocked up with bread, danishes and camping fuel, we hit the road. Unfortunately, David’s bike was making some strange noises, so not even 5kms out of Cuenca, we were unloading David’s bike, so that he could try to fix it. The mechanical session lasted a good half hour (I devoured my Danish during this time! :)) and it seemed that his rohloff was the source of the problem. There wasn’t much that we could do about that on the side of the road, so we continued on.
The first 30kms to Cumbe were relatively easy and I was so happy to be back on my bike. The sun was shining, the locals were friendly and my bike was riding smoothly after my rohloff was serviced in Germany. Cycling through Cumbe we met two friendly cycle tourers from Mexico and Colombia, who had decided to give up on the mountains and take the more dangerous, but easier, coastal road. As the road started to climb after Cumbe, I could understand their decision!
After about 5kms, we stopped on the side of the road for second breakfast – a yummy strudel from the German bakery! The sight of us having a picnic on the side of the road seemed to amuse the passing cars! 
The climb was brutal and halfway up we got caught in a terrible storm. It was the highest road that either of us had ever cycled at 3376m. Although, we managed ok with the altitude, we were very out of breath. We got absolutely drenched in the storm and the road was completed fogged in. I got off my bike a couple of times, as I was so out of breath and was happy to walk a bit to try to keep the circulation moving in my toes.
By the time we reached the pass, we were both saturated and freezing cold. There didn’t seem to be much point in sheltering from the rain at this point, as we couldn’t get much wetter, so we kept going. I put my so called “waterproof” gloves on, but they were cold and wet within 30 minutes.
After the summit, the road undulated downhill until we reached the town of La Ramada. On the way to La Ramada, we searched for accommodation options. We passed one Tourist Hacienda and thought we might be able to camp there, but it was closed. We then passed another B&B, but it was locked tight.
When we finally reached La Ramada we saw a faded sign for a hospedeje. It looked so worn that we weren’t sure whether it was still current. We approached a police officer in La Ramada and asked if there was a hotel in town or a safe place where we could camp. The police officer said that there was a hotel 2kms out of town.
We continued on for another 2kms, until we saw the sign for Hacienda El Hato. It looked very swish and we were a bit concerned that it would be out of our price range, until we saw that they offered camping.
Unfortunately for us, the Hacienda was set 1 km back from the road down a very, very steep, dirt road. It was definitely past camping o’clock, so we set off towards the Hacienda, hoping that it would be open. Lucky for us, they were open and we appeared to be the only guests! We resisted staying in one of the lovely rooms (for US$60) and instead paid $5 each to camp on the lawn out the front of the restaurant, next to the duck pond. Our $5 fee included use of all the facilities, including an indoor pool and the super nice and clean shower facilities (I was in desperate need of a HOT shower!) and complimentary towels. We were definitely “glamping” that night!
We also took advantage of the restaurant at El Hato – we were too cold and tired to be bothered cooking. We had some divine soup and a glass of red wine each – the day could not have ended more perfectly!
We couldn’t leave Cuenca without visiting “Maria’s Alemania” German Bakery!
“Maria’s Alemania” German Bakery, Cuenca
Yum … how many can we fit on the bike?!
This is bread heaven for German bread lovers!
We saw this pig roasting on a spit about 30 kms from Cuenca … pity it was only 10am and we were still feeling full from eating danishes from Maria’s Alemania!
Our amazing campsite at Hacienda El Hato!
Our amazing campsite at Hacienda El Hato!
David at Hacienda El Hato
The beautiful gardens of Hacienda El Hato
The beautiful gardens of Hacienda El Hato
Hacienda El Hato
The main dining room, Hacienda El Hato
The indoor pool at Hacienda El Hato
After a cold breakfast of nutella and yummy German bread, we packed up our gear and started pushing our way back to the highway. It was a bit of a struggle, but at least we were nice and warm by the time we reached the top!
I didn’t sleep brilliantly in the tent, as the ducks and geese in the duck pond were pretty active throughout the night and I seemed to be coming down with a cold after the previous days’ drenching. Thankfully, the weather seemed to have improved and we set off in sunshine.
The cycling wasn’t too taxing on this day, although we still cycled to a maximum elevation of 3334m. The road undulated for the first 20kms and then we enjoyed a wonderful downhill for the next 20kms –fabulous! The descent ended in a valley, where we stopped for lunch, photos and sunscreen.
We then climbed for about 7kms, at which point the road levelled off and we enjoyed some flat-ish cycling into Ona.
We had planned to cycle to Saraguro today, but by the time we reached Oña it was 2pm and the clouds overhead looked set to deliver another downpour like the previous day, so we decided to call it a day and stay dry in Ona. We got a lovely room at the Quinta Galindo Hotel – the one and only hotel in town.
The hotel was a real family affair; it felt more like a host family than a hotel. We chatted with the family, while the grandma cooked us a big lunch of pork for $4!
After our late lunch we walked up the hill to the town centre. Ona is a very small place and we soon discovered that everyone knows everyone and that outsiders attract a lot of attention!
We had a couple of beers at one of the local restaurants and got chatting with the waitress. She asked us if we were cyclists and whether we were staying at the local Hotel. We were a bit surprised that she knew that we were cyclists. But, when we asked her how she knew, she said that the only foreigners who ever come to Ona are cyclists! She shared one of our beers and we practiced our Spanish with her until the sun started to go down. I loved the afternoon and really enjoyed slowing down our pace and immersing ourselves with the locals and hope we will be able to do more of that now that my Spanish is improving!
KMs travelled: 50km
The sign outside of Hacienda El Hato – it was a very welcome sight the night before!
Jo pushing her bike up the hill from Hacienda El Hato to the highway!
Jo pushing her bike up the hill from Hacienda El Hato to the highway!
Views on our way to Ona
David on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
Views on our way to Ona
The main square in Ona at dusk
Views on our way back to our hotel in Ona
Views on our way back to our hotel in Ona
Cute roadside church in Ona
The sunset at Ona
Unfortunately, I woke up with a cold and a sharp pain in my left hip, so we decided to have a rest day in Oña. We had become quite fond of the town and our hotel “family”. I did some yoga for an hour and thankfully, my hip was perfectly fine again by the following morning.
Although we climbed much more today than the previous 2 days, I felt so much fitter and stronger on the bike. It is amazing how quickly you lose your fitness, but also how quickly you can regain it!
Today we tackled 2 big climbs and in total climbed 1917m! Thankfully, we were on the road by 8am, so we had plenty of time. After a short downhill from Ona, we climbed steady for approximately 15kms. As we neared the summit, it started to rain, but it wasn’t too heavy. The downhill was fantastic and we soon found ourselves in the little town of Urdaneta, where we called in at the local church for a quick pic. I didn’t get the friendliest vibe from this town and David noticed the remnants of burned tyres and wire on the road, which may have been left over from the recent riots. So, we quickly continued on our way.
After a quick roadside snack, we started climbing towards the town of Saraguro – a traditional indigenous village. Saraguro has a beautiful church and town square, but was otherwise, quite run down. After our experience in Ona, it seemed very touristy and I was glad that we had chosen to stay in Ona and not Saraguro. We were quoted “tourist prices” for drinks, which made us feel a little ripped off. Nevertheless, we were in desperate need of some lunch – David was getting “hangry”! – so we found a local restaurant on one of the back streets, which offered set lunches for $2.50. It wasn’t brilliant, but it was good value and budget friendly, which we need.
Leaving Saraguro, we continued to climb steadily for another 10-12kms. The views were impressive and were a real feast for the eyes. The scenery felt quite remote and the traffic was extremely light, and yet, every few kilometers we would see local women walking along the highway or appearing out of nowhere from tiny tracks.
Towards the top of the climb, we came across a local cheese / dairy shop. So, we had to make a mandatory pit stop! David was in his element and downed a couple of yoghurts before we got back on the bike – cycling at altitude really ups your appetite!
After we conquered the second mountain, the remainder of the ride was generally downhill or undulating, with one other minor climb. We passed the town of San Lucas and began looking for a spot to camp. However, this was a rather populated area and we were disappointed to find that almost all of the land was fenced off, or so steep that it was impossible to camp. We continued onto the town of Santiago, hoping that we could find a hotel or suitable camping spot.
When we reached Santiago it was almost 5pm. There was a touristy looking restaurant / resort advertised, where we hoped to be able to camp, however it is only open on Sundays and was closed when we arrived. We called in at the local police station and were told that there were no hotels or safe places to camp in Santiago, but that cyclists sometimes stay at the local church (however, for some reason that I couldn’t understand, this wasn’t possible on that day). The police told us that we should continue onto Loja and that we shouldn’t camp in the direction of San Lucas as it wasn’t safe.
It was another 40kms or so to Loja and we knew there was another big climb. Although I felt much stronger today, I was pretty much done for the day, so we decided to take a taxi/colectivo (a pick-up truck) to Loja. We waited about 15minutes for one to show up and were amazed at the quoted fare – $1 per person. What a bargain! The taxi driver was a lovely man, who was very interested in our travels. He helped us load our bikes into the back of the pick-up truck and drove very carefully to Loja and dropped us in the centre of town. I gave him $5 for the journey and he literally beamed at me and shook my hand in farewell.
We had a little trouble finding a reasonably priced hotel in Loja. Although, we had asked to be dropped off in the vicinity of some cheapish hotels, the hotels that we inquired at were charging $40+ per night, which is way beyond our budget. Eventually, we found something more suitable downtown for $20.
We saw this cute pig on the way to Santiago
Beautiful views on the way to Santiago
Beautiful views on the way to Santiago
David outside the church in Urdaneta
Jo outside the church in Urdaneta
Jo outside the church in Urdaneta
Beautiful views on the climb up to Saraguro
David outside a stunning church in Saraguro
Jo outside the beautiful church in Saraguro
The main square in Saraguro
The main square in Saraguro
The back streets of Saraguro
David cycling the back streets of Saraguro
David cycling the back streets of Saraguro
A typical Ecuadorian lunch for only $2.50!
On our way to Santiago
On our way to Santiago
Jo enjoying one of the big descents on our way to Santiago
Jo enjoying one of the big descents on our way to Santiago
Beautiful views on the way out of Saraguro
Beautiful views on the way out of Saraguro
Beautiful views on the way out of Saraguro
On the way to Santiago
On the way to Santiago
At the top of one big climb we found a local Cheese shop!
At the top of one big climb we found a local Cheese shop!
David making friends with the locals!
Views on our way to the little town of San Lucas
Views on our way to the little town of San Lucas
Hmmm …. looks as though they didn’t choose the best place to build!
Friday 28th August – Monday 31st August: Loja
David had been looking forward to arriving in Loja, as we needed a bike shop and he had heard good things about “Bicimania”, which had been recommended by Marijke Hornstra in a Facebook bicycle touring forum.
“For all the cyclers in South America (Ecuador), I needed a bicycle shop for some fixing of my bicycle and I have found the best bicycle shop ever. This shops name is: Bicimania and is in Loja. … Mario. Of all the guys working there, he knows the most. He knows about everything of every bicycle: Rohloff, Magura breaks, Pinion internal gear system, belt drive etc. They sell all kinds of Shimano parts and the working costs are extremely low. After traveling in Peru (where there are NO good bicycle shops (except a few in Lima)) this is the best what good have happened to me! Let’s rolllllllll”
We could not agree more!
Our spoke tension was too soft after having had our wheels re-laced in Medellin, Colombia. The spokes on all of our wheels needed to be tightened and the spokes on our rear wheels were too long and needed to be shortened, so that they didn’t pierce our tubes.
In addition, David’s bike was having some issues with the crank set; thankfully, Mario was able to find a solution for this. We also did an oil change on David’s Rohloff, which had been problematic on this section and discovered that the Colombian mechanic had accidentally emptied all of the oil out of the Rohloff. David had cycled the last 1000km without oil in his Rohloff!
Thankfully, after all of the repairs and maintenance, David’s Rohloff is working a lot better. However, it is still making noises.
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