DAY 37 - Riobamba - Wednesday 3rd of March

"TRAVELERS NEVER THINK THEY ARE THE FOREIGNERS". Mason Cooley

Miles on Angie are 6,177 she was saved from doing the journey to Portobello (140Kms), Cartagena-Medellin (600 Kms), Medillin-Bogota (400 Kms) Coconuco-San Agustín roundtrip (200 Kms). We left whilst it was raining, this time i was better prepared. The Journey was all uphill until we reached some 3,200 metres, cold and with the rain there was very poor visibility, soon after it started to clear so once again we began to enjoy the bike-ride and the views. We stopped in a town and had breakfast, two coffees and four pieces of bread with cheese nearly $US1.60.
The coffee in Ecuador is served separately, they bring the hot water or hot milk to you along with a container of coffee and the sugar bowl, i found that unusual.
We passed through several towns almost one after the other, many businesses and stands throughout the highway.
We saw a semitrailer overturned in a straight line. When we passed through the place of Salcedo I took a photo of the monument to the mother.
I am continually being confused for an Argentinean and others speak to me in English despite me knowing Spanish.
Often when we leave a hotel the guests and/or employees have come out to see us off and they wish us a good trip.

I am now in Riobamba at a hotel that is very pretty Hotel Golden Train, for $US10 buffet breakfast $US3 we found it through the Lonely Planet, it is half a block from the station. The bikes will be in the closed garage of the hotel. I payed for three nights and on Friday we will take the train.

After a shower I went to eat, Shorty did not feel perhaps due to the height, we are at 2,850 metres. I had a very tasty chicken with potatoes $US3 including the drink. I walked to the supermarket to buy water and other things, I am bewitched by this small city of about 130,000 inhabitants it has a touch of home-town Salto, main street with young people where, amongst them, everyone knows each other.

Monumento a la madre,Salcedo.JPGEn camino a Riobamba.JPG
SAME TEXT HERE IN SPANISH: Día 37 miércoles 5

Millas en Angie 6.177 Le ahorre la ida a Portobello (140Kms),Cartagena-Medellín (600 Kms), Medillin-Bogota (400 Kms) Coconuco-San Agustín ida y vuelta (200 Kms). Salimos lloviendo, yo mejor preparado, empezamos a subir hasta unos 3.200 metros, frio y con la lluvia la visibilidad ere muy pobre, pronto de despejo y una vez mas empezamos a disfrutar las motos y las vistas, paramos en un pueblo y desayunamos, dos cafés con cuatro panes con queso adentro 1.60. El café en Ecuador te sirve separado, te traen el agua caliente o leche caliente y el frasco de café y el azucarero, raro? Pasamos por varios pueblos casi pegados unos a otros, muchos negocios y stand a lo largo de la Panam, vimos un semirremolque volcado en una recta. Cuando pasamos por el medio de Salcedo le saque una foto al monumento a la madre. Me siguen confundiendo con argentino y otros hablan en ingles. Muchas veces cuando dejamos un hotel la gente sale a vernos y nos desean buen viaje.

Ahora estamos en Riobamba en un hotel muy lindo Hotel Tren Dorado, por 10.00 el desayuno 3.00 buffet lo sacamos de Lonely Planet, queda a media cuadra de la estación y dejamos las motos abajo del hotel en el garaje cerrado, pague por tres noches, el viernes tomaremos el tren. Me duche y Salí a comer, Shorty no se sentía muy bien quizás por la altura, estamos 2.850 metros. Pollo con papas muy rico por 3.00 con una bebida. Fui al super a comprar agua y otras cosas caminado, me encanto esta pequeña ciudad de unos 130.000 habitantes con un toque Salteño, calle principal con gente joven que toda se conocen entre ellos.