I headed out with Todd J. this morning from Cotacachi. We headed out the back to Atuntaqui, through Chalturs, and then disappeared on a back road into the sugar cane fields and mountains towards Salinas. It was a clear and very hot day and the scenery along the abandoned Ibarra to Salinas railroad was stunning. After 39kms we rolled into the sad and lonely looking town of Salinas. The bulk of businesses are gone or closed as a result of the train no longer running. After hydrating and snacking we started uphill towards Tumbabiro. It was a 7km climb and hotter than Hades. I picked up a thorn en route and watched my tire go flat several times during the climb. The plan was to change the tube in Tumbabiro and in the meantime, stop regularly to pump it up as there were no safe areas on this 2 lane undivided road to do it. Well I was struggling immensely with the heat and began to overheat, requiring stopping several times to recharge. Upon arriving at the Hacienda Pantavi in Tumbabiro, I decided that I needed to stop the ride, and after 2450ft of climbing today, I was done. I found some shade and asked the hotel clerk to call a taxi- truck for my return to Cotacachi with my bike. While waiting for the truck my rear tire went flat also! In my nearly 10,000 miles of cycling I had never HIT THE WALL, that is, until today. Todd was in the groove and continued onwards, returning to Cotacachi. I had a 50 minute truck ride back home then rehydrated, had a shower, and chilled for awhile. Another great biking adventure.