On day 409, we left Peru and crossed into Ecuador. Peru is a fascinating and vast country, and we spent almost two weeks exploring it. We experienced both mountains and deserts, ascended passes at over 5,000 meters, and descended to the Pacific Ocean. We spent nights in mountain villages where indoor temperatures dropped to 7 degrees Celsius, while in Lima, it was a sweltering 34 degrees. We saw numerous historical and natural attractions, covering a total of 3,410 km throughout Peru.
Ahead of us lay Ecuador and, naturally, the equator. Interestingly, very few people travel across the equator by car. Not long after leaving the hotel, we encountered a mechanical issue: on one of the vehicles, the windshield wipers suddenly activated at maximum speed. We had to take drastic measures and disconnect them.
We were surprised by the abundance of large, fairly modern gas stations in Peru, sometimes several within a single kilometer. However, very few of them have convenience stores. It seems that purchasing food at gas stations isn’t common or practical here. This posed a bit of a challenge for us, making it nearly impossible to grab a snack or a cup of coffee without venturing deep into a town.
As soon as we entered the tropics, we were greeted by a tropical downpour. We learned it was the rainy season in Ecuador. We stopped by a local market filled with exotic fruits, where bananas were of astonishing size. After that, we set off into the mountains, ultimately reaching an elevation of 4,300 meters. That day, we traveled 350 km.
On day 410, we continued northward. In the morning, we took a brief tour of the historic center of Cuenca. The local market and the temple left a lasting impression on our group. Once again, we traversed mountain passes on our way to Riobamba. We encountered rain in the mountains, but overall, the road was easier than the day before. We had less than 200 km to go to the equator. Our hotel, with a history of over 300 years, was located on the slopes of the extinct Chimborazo volcano, where we enjoyed a wonderful tour. That day, we drove 290 km.
Ahead of us lay Ecuador and, naturally, the equator. Interestingly, very few people travel across the equator by car. Not long after leaving the hotel, we encountered a mechanical issue: on one of the vehicles, the windshield wipers suddenly activated at maximum speed. We had to take drastic measures and disconnect them.
We were surprised by the abundance of large, fairly modern gas stations in Peru, sometimes several within a single kilometer. However, very few of them have convenience stores. It seems that purchasing food at gas stations isn’t common or practical here. This posed a bit of a challenge for us, making it nearly impossible to grab a snack or a cup of coffee without venturing deep into a town.
As soon as we entered the tropics, we were greeted by a tropical downpour. We learned it was the rainy season in Ecuador. We stopped by a local market filled with exotic fruits, where bananas were of astonishing size. After that, we set off into the mountains, ultimately reaching an elevation of 4,300 meters. That day, we traveled 350 km.
On day 410, we continued northward. In the morning, we took a brief tour of the historic center of Cuenca. The local market and the temple left a lasting impression on our group. Once again, we traversed mountain passes on our way to Riobamba. We encountered rain in the mountains, but overall, the road was easier than the day before. We had less than 200 km to go to the equator. Our hotel, with a history of over 300 years, was located on the slopes of the extinct Chimborazo volcano, where we enjoyed a wonderful tour. That day, we drove 290 km.
