On every journey you’ll come, now and again, to a special place, a nodal point where a crop of fresh encounters will cause your trip to ricochet off in some wonderful, new and completely unanticipated direction. If this seems unfamiliar, slow down – you’re going too fast, passing the world by and missing fantastic opportunities.
Ecuador the Plan: Maggie and I would ride our F650GSs into our last country in South America, head through the mountains to Quito and sort flights to Panama, next stop on the road to Alaska. And maybe, if the budget would stretch, look into a trip to the Galapagos Islands?
Ecuador the Reality: República del Ecuador, the Republic of the Equator to give this verdant and luscious land it’s full title, has been something of a surprise. Obviously the country takes its name from its geographical location and we assumed this would mean a sweltering hot-land scorched by sun the year round. Yet the mostly mountainous elevation makes it an absolute delight to travel through.