Sunday February 21, 2016, 134 miles (216 km) – Total so far: 14,551 miles (23,418 km)
February 18, 2016 We got a good very early start as it was not raining. After a few hours of climbing to 7,500 feet the rain started hard and we continued in the low visibility. Our goal for the day was Tena about 80 km away. We didn’t think we could make it until we had a fast descent of almost 5,000 feet. Once that was done the sun kind of came out and we were once again in the ups and downs but able to dry off with good visibility. We pushed on until late and settled on a hostel in the town right north of Tena. It was a good, hard, and wet day of cycling.
February 19, 2016 Today we slept in until 8. I rarely can do that. But as tired as we were it was essential. We crossed a major river where Jocelyn decided she would like to fly fish. So we hung out by the river and had fun doing something different. By 11:00 we hadn’t had breakfast yet and cycled into the tourist adventure town of Tena which boasts all kinds of activities and 37 hostels. While looking for a breakfast/lunch spot we saw a really cool looking hostel and decided to take a break today. As exhausted and sore as we were it was an easy decision. We walked through town, had lunch at a Mexican place then shopped in the super mercado (supermarket).
Back at the hostel we stripped our bikes, cleaned our rims of brake dust, and adjusted our brakes. I ended up replacing my rear pads again. We also enjoyed the pool. This trip is a real beating on the bikes and us. It’s not the climbing but the fast downhill’s in heavy rain and almost no visibility. Tomorrow we will be refreshed to continue south. Last night we had some of the best pizza ever and that includes the U.S. Along with that we had one of our best salads yet with plenty of lettuce. The morning brought a rare clear sky as we cycled out of Tena. We are cruising along at 2,000 feet with lots of ups and downs but the scenery and wild sounds of the jungle are beautiful. But we are tired of being chased by dogs, if fact dozens each day. Many times we have to stop and threaten them with a water bottle to stop the chase. So far that approach is still working. After 18,000 miles I have only been bitten once in Azerbaijan as we cycled to Iran. I would say that we have been chased easily by over 1,000 dogs. But it is nice to see some dogs just stand and watch us as we pedal by.
Going through a small town we saw a sign for a hospedaje advertising camping. So we turned off-road for about a mile. When we arrived we were swarmed by mosquitoes as there is water everywhere. We made the decision to rent a cabin at $24 instead of camp. The $24 is a bit high as we have been paying $10-$20 a night.
This is a really cool area and is called Amazonia. While the Amazon River is way to the east of us over the Andes this area is called Amazonia. We watched in fascination at the assortment of birds and heard so many different animal sounds. There were insects we have never seen before. The jungle is alive and we feel very fortunate to be a part of it. And this was our first day in two weeks with no rain!
February 21, 2016 We cycled into the state of Pastaza and decided to stay in the larger town of Puyo. Our next goal is the Spanish colonial city of Cuenca which will take us several more days of climbing.
