Sunday 25th May 2025 Otavalo to Bolivar
Happy Birthday Dilly, have a wonderful 2nd Birthday, all the very best from Grandad (Bingo) and Great Uncle B̶u̶l̶g̶a̶r̶i̶a̶ Gringo.

Really nice Italian meal in the restaurant over the road, neither of us wanted to walk very far, suited just right, all fed and watered my 8 o’clock, just time to get some water and yogurt for tomorrow, then back to the room, started to read, then fell asleep before 8:30 was so tired.

We both slept really well, feel like attacking the day as we eat the cereal and yogurt, hope the feeling last, as we get all the gear from the room and load up the bikes, have to get the guy up early to open the main door, I did tell him yesterday we would be leaving at 6, so not a problem. We set off just after 6, soon find our way to the main road, off we go, heading North to a small town Bolivar, only one hostel, so hope its still open.

Few little climbs as we head out of town, then a very long descent until we reach the 40 mile mark, then a big climb to finish the day, sounds good. Both of us are feeling a lot better today, think it was a mixture of ten days lazing about and a bit of altitude suffering yet again, hopefully we will get the legs back sooner rather than later.

Hit the nice descent and relaxed, loads of cyclist on the road, all giving us the thumbs up and chatting as we thunder down the smooth tarmac, after about 12 miles we hit the city of Ibarra, too early to stop so we head straight through it. Little climb as we get out of the city, only goes on for a couple of miles so still feeling good, more and more cyclist join us on the road, big pelotons of road cyclist and loads of MTB, cheer us old codgers on as we keep up with a group of MTB, with ease. Back onto the descent again, with all this weight we are carrying the MTB can not keep up with us, though the road cyclist make a point of over taking us, it’s all about their ego (well it would be for me if the roles was reversed). Not a care in the world as I thunder down the road, it is difficult to chat when you are touching 40 mph, but not heard Bingo for a while, not easy for me to turn my head around while riding, old rugby injury or just old age who knows, so pulled over, sure enough he was nowhere to be seen, pin dropped him my location and waited, all good the MTB rode past, thankfully one of them stopped told me Bingo had a puncture 3 Km back. Not great but least I know he will be here pretty soon, within 5 mins we where back as one. Not your normal puncture a 3 inch nail straight through the tyre, obviously Bingo has kept the nail as a souvenir.

Unfortunately coming to the end of the descent, so enjoy the last couple of miles, stop for a soft drink and coffee, get our heads around the 16 mile climb back up the mountains, it does make you wonder if the descent is all worth it, but hey ho what goes up must come down so they say, it did not stop me putting two heaped spoons of sugar in the coffee, I will need that soon.

Left the coffee shop and just looked at the scenery, looks amazing, except for the twisty road leading up, well lets go, nice and steady, lot better than yesterday, maybe because we have dropped down to 1250m (5000 ft), so are heads are clear, engine room all ready, full steam ahead. Not so many cyclist on this climb, thats a bit worrying but still soldier on, got into a nice steady rhythm. Got a bit of song in my head, running up that hill by Kate Bush, an old spinning track I used to use, so thats helping:

“It doesn’t hurt me
Do you wanna feel how it feels?
Do you wanna know, know that it doesn’t hurt me?
Do you wanna hear about the deal that I’m makin’?

Be runnin’ up that road
Be runnin’ up that hill
Be runnin’ up that buildin’
Say, if I only could, oh”

Goes something like that I think, just swapped the running for riding, think I may have a hit on my hands! [Kate Bush from 1985 but was a hit again in 2022 when it featured in the series ‘Stranger Things’: Ed]

Well if the truth be told it did hurt, but we conquered it, after a few chocolate, apple breaks and the favorite one, that’s a great picture, lets stop and capture it, always like to pull that old chestnut out of the bag, finally over the crest of the Mountain. The little town Bolivar is to our right down a dusty road, both Hank Marvin, but realised that this place only has one hostel and the latest review on that was 7 years ago, so decided to head straight for the hostel, both of us hoping its still open. Yep we are in all sorted, bikes stored, luggage up in the road, wash the kit hang it out to dry then eat, mate we are getting back into the groove. Hung the washing on their washing line much to the amusement of the proprietor and her daughters, personally I thought I looked very domesticated, think they just thought we are mad.

Found a little family restaurant for lunch, nice cold beer accompanied by my current favourite egg and chips amazing fuel for athletes, Bingo had the same with a few sausages thrown in. Both feel brand new, bit of shopping, keeping up the domesticated role, then a nice relaxing afternoon.