Over to Ecuador

To avoid possible complications at future border crossings it was decided that Franco should nip back to Cajamarca to get a legal declaration of ownership of the van for Dave which would allow it to be exported temporarily- this was necessary as the change of owner had not yet worked its way through the Peruvian vehicle database. Thus he tackled the 6 hour return trip which gave us an extra day to enjoy Pacasmayo. Whilst having coffee on the balcony looking across the Pacific ( Sydney was 9,000 miles away on a line that would touch no other land mass) we heard a brass band approaching - this was following a brightly decorated coffin surrounded by relatives who seemed to be in a cheerfully respectful mood and I guessed they were celebrating a life well lived and that in their eyes their departed was going to a better place. In front of what was presumably their family home they stood for a few moments in quiet reflection before the trumpets and drums picked up again as the surprisingly uplifting cortege headed off up the hill to the cemetery.

I decided to walk out the few miles to the lighthouse so set off through increasingly poorer and dustier suburbs which eventually became a desert wasteland of half built concrete and adobe homes with swirling rubbish, piles of fly tipped waste and a very desperate air. In the distance the vast cement works added to a sombre scene and it was difficult to envisage this ever being an easy place to live.

However out at the headland the local kite surfers were enjoying good waves and the strong wind and a couple of local tuc tuc riders were forcing their hardy little machines around the dunes. Both were absorbing sights and as the sun set over a retreating tide I was able to make my way back along the shoreline where Franco had returned safely with the all important documents.




Thus on a hot Friday morning we headed north to Piura which involved crossing the Sechura desert, a vast arid plain of some 70 miles with temperatures in the high thirties.

Piura is an important regional city and as such was busy and chaotic - the traffic was as deranged as ever, the horns, bells, sirens and yelling seemed even louder than ever and we weaved a nerve wracking path through the throng to our hotel. Whilst clean and well staffed it was very central and the noise continued almost unabated all night giving Chris and I very little sleep whilst Dave claimed not to have heard a thing. Franco and Horje had also slept through it all and were cheerfully loading the van beneath my window for an early start.

As Chris was having gastric troubles we walked round to a pharmacist but the language barrier resulted in one Gaviscon tablet instead of the hoped for bottle of liquid so he will have to make it last!!
We were away earlier than usual as the planned crossing in to Ecuador could take some time and by mid morning had arrived at Macara which is generally regarded as being quieter as it is off the Pan American highway.
The Peruvian passport and customs controls were soon dealt with - during which time we met a young Swiss couple, also on a Trans Alp, who had ridden down from Canada and were heading for Tierra Del Fuego - awesome.




The Colombian formalities were a little more protracted as the van and bike needed fully documenting but in under two hours in total we were done and dusty (!) and were off in to the mountains.

 

The scenery had changed as we left the desert area and we now passed banana palms, mango trees, paddy fields and bamboo plantations. Ecuador was also clearly a more affluent country than Peru with a better standard of housing, less rubbish lying around and in the villages and towns more of a sense of order with less traffic chaos, fewer horns and most vehicles actually looking roadworthy.
The routes through the mountains tended to stay high and contour along the extensive ridges and with little traffic were a joy to follow - I plonked the Go Pro on the bonnet and rear hatch to capture some clips that will go in to a promo vid for APM tours.

A military check point involved a cursory check of our bags and then handshakes and smiles all round plus a photo opportunity before we dropped over many miles in to Loja, our base for the night.
Again there were marked contrasts with Peruvian cities with much grander architecture, more sophisticated transport arrangements and smarter retail outlets.

With Chris still not feeling too good the rest of us piled in to a taxi and had a memorable evening in a pizza parlour - good local beer and wine washed down fresh baked food and we returned to the very quiet Hotel Libertador for in my case at least a very good night's sleep. It is early morning now - we are 5 hours behind the UK and will shortly be meeting for breakfast to plan our onward journey. The small size of our group has made the logistics easier and we can be very flexible in our planning.
 
Watch this space to see the outcome and review our progress with photos via this link
and the usual eye in the sky here.