Ulla ! Ulla ! We’re going to exit Columbia and enter into Ecuador and so there’s a border again… that of Ipiales.

Ecuador = 275 830 square kilometres for 11 680 000 inhabitants thus 43 inhabitants per sq km

Do you think this country’s administration will be more liberal than that of Columbia and especially Panama ?

Cool, XL…. we’re in no rush… no worries !

Please, Ulla, learn to speak Spanish  as our two companions have done and stop speaking Creole ! Don’t do as the Americans who only wish to speak their American language when they travel… ho, ho

Ulla, look, the drug traffic police… do you think they’re looking for the FARC rebels ?

No, XL, look at the « Wanted » posters.

No, but really, while we’ve been waiting for over three hours in the car, the Gallic is getting more and more drunk with cane juice… !

The Gypsy’s coming back and as she says, it’s the dogs’ papers that are always the longest to handle : checking if the vaccinations are up to date, the health certificate required to travel, the passports, etc..etc.

In short, officially and unofficially nothing to pay this time… ! Bravo, Ecuador !

It’s late and we must take to the road again as we can’t park on the border.

The first city is located approximately an hour away if the road is in proper state.

And here we are in Tulcan, a well-deserved rest, you who slept all the way through, isn’t that right, Ulla ?

Yes, yes, but in all these sculpted trees there is no Doberman ni Yorkshire in this Tulcan cemetery

Stop, Ulla, you’re  not the only one existing in life… look at the work of these gardeners who clip and sculpt the fir trees, it’s magnificent ! Bravo !

With love and passion this artist gardener comments for us the architecture of fir trees hundreds of years old

Quickly, Ulla, let’s go : I’m scared in this cemetery… they’re all either giant or dead… in any case we must go and get our car insurance policy, the famous SOAT.

Finally an insurance worthy of that name… here as in Columbia, it’s called a SOAT and it’s better to subscribe insurance locally than to subscribe insurance in Europe or in Northern America

Ah ? Why’s that ?

For one thing, it’s much less expensive than in Europe or in the USA and secondly, as you stick the adequate sticker onto your vehicle, the police doesn’t stop you and you know, I’m sure that the cover provided in case of an accident is much better…

Super ! So, we can go and visit the city now

Look, XKL, here, the radishes are as big as one’s head… yes, but they’re not hollow… ! Don’t be so jealous !

But before we go, we must have the mobile home’s wheel repaired. But, Ulla, I don’t understand : What are they doing shaking and brandishing their plastic bottle stuck on a stick and cut at one end ?

They’re begging for money to the cars or buses passing by… with woman and child… no comment !

OK. Let’s head for Mitad del mundo (litterally  « half of the world ») at Cayambe : it’s the imaginary line splitting the Earth into two hemispheres.

Tell me, Ulla, you who know everything or nearly… it’s 1,02 US Dollars for a litre or for a gallon (3,8 litres) ?

Well, my little XL, know that the currency used here is the American Dollar since, more than 15 years ago, this country let go of the sucre, their money, for a stronger currency, the American Dollar!

No ! You’re kidding !! A stronger currency ? Presently, it’s only worth 40 per cent less than the Euro !

Well, yes, it really is 1,02 Dollars per gallon, that’s 0,27 cents U.S. or 0,16 cents of Euro for a litre of gasoil !

UNBELIEVABLE…. But it’s true that this country has petrol flowing in its veins.

Yes, they have fuel and the French have ideas ;

Tell me, Ulla, and if Ecuador came to sell fuel to Saint Martin, that would be fantastic as over there it costs more than one Euro per litre

But, XL, Saint Martin buys in Venezuela and in that country it’s sold at the service station a U.S. Dollar for 10 gallons, that’s 38 litres ;

I can admit having a hollow brain but what is that crasy price in Saint Martin, a duty-free port ?

My sweet XL, those are the taxes… ! Plus transport costs and yet there are only 1000 km of distance… in short.. ho, ho !!

Tell me, this sign is cool : here, they’re intelligently correct instead of saying « the seat belt is obligatory. Let me translate it for you : « Based on a preservation instinct please use your seat belt ». I find that elegant on the part of the Ecuadorian Government.

Look, Ulla, you’d think we were in Guadeloupe or in France, there are strikers demonstrating… !

Be respectful, XL, it’s a funeral. Look, the landscape is more interesting than your comments

You see, XL, here we are halfway around the world in Cayambe, the Equinoccial Line 0°

And here’s Mr XL, playing around with his Ecuadorian sombrero ! What a seducer !

The Gallic’s met Miguel, a man impassioned by his country and its Equatorial line and yet it’s not his profession… Great, great, he’s not leaving us and invites us to visit Cayambe, a volcano located at an altitude of 5,500 metres (50,853 feet).

Tell me, Ulla, we’re going to go up there ? By car, I hope… because if it’s with my 8 cm legs, I’m going to take a year to get up there !

Well, yes, by car… and you’ll see snow as you used to in Canada, your homeland.

Snow in Ecuador ?  Ulla, stop having me on with your stories… What a joke !

Yes, dear friend, Miguel told me that, seeing the altitude there’s snow all year round, and we’ll even be able to make our paw prints in it, it’s wonderful !!! You’d think we were in Alaska.

There are also sheep here ?

No, XL, it’s an alpaca ; you know, superb cashmere wool jumpers are made of their wool..

Ah, woollen jumpers, please, Ulla, speak French, thank you !

Look at these children hailing us… they look so happy near their Cayambe.

Tell me, Ulla, what are these insects, here ? No, XL, they’re cocoa seeds : one makes good chocolate with them.

Here, they breed tilapia, fish.

XL, our companions are leaving for the restaurant to taste the local « Bollocks » dish, do you imagine ?

Be polite, Ulla, as even if we can speak of everything without restraint, that is the real freedom of the press, don’t exaggerate either with your gross words.

Yes, but it’s not pronounced like that ; but it’s written « Cuyes ». In fact, it’s a small animal just  like you, exactly like a guinea pig, fed with only salad and carrots…

Yuck… yuck.. ! You’d think of rats and you know, Ulla ? I wouldn’t eat the remain of bones, enjoy that, if you will !

It’s Sunday and we’re arriving in Quito ; As usual, I’m sure we won’t be visiting this enormous capital

Yes, XL, first, we can’t park easily and moreover, our companions don’t like very polluted cities but our readers wanting to know more about Quito can go to Google.

You’re right, Ulla, our role is to unveil our trip as a story and not to become a travel agency.

Well, XL, we’re going to cross the Andes mountain range. You’ll have to pinch your muzzle to decompress your ears and to avoid buzzing, OK ?

Did you see, Ulla, they’re living in unheated huts, at an altitude of 3 to 4,000 metres (9,842 to 13,123 feet) and by 39.2° Fahrenheit !!

Yes, much like during the Middle Ages, it’s unbelievable, I didn’t think this could still exist.

They’re peasants from generation to generation.

In the middle of the mountains they’re cultivating their lot of land or breed sheep, lamas, etc..

How beautiful all those brightly coloured woollen ponchos are, in the midst of the arid and barren mountains. 

Ah ! Electoral propaganda, as in each democratic country, but they don’t have posters : they write directly on the mountain side.

Ah ! Electoral propaganda, as in each democratic country, but they don’t have posters : they write directly on the mountain side.

Here we are in la Mana, you’d think we were in a plane, the clouds are lower down ; at what altitude are we n ow, Ulla ?

I thought I saw a sign saying 4,300 metres  (14,107 feet).. or 4,800 (15,748 feet)…

Yes ! Great ! We’re stopping here for the night with this river as our unique neighbour !

Look, Ulla, we’re soon going to leave the Andes mountains, it’s beginning to be hot. Mye ars are unplugging ; that means we’re no longer high up the mountain : What a relief ….

Oh, but it’s rice they’re cultivating ; their houses are up high but so small for an entire family.

Tell me, Ulla, you’re going to be able to eat well just like these pigeons…

No but really, XL, they’re already most certainly badly paid… I’m not going to steal their rice from them on top of that ! What a joker you are !!

Ah, we’re arriving in Pujili, the ceramic and pottery art village.

The ovens are all like this one, in the house garden

Ulla, is that really a pig tied up there ?

Yes, what is it… we should do the same to you… stay still…

And ohh… and one flat… one more…. !

OK, OK, in any case, one thing I see is that we’re stopping on the roadside to repair this, but you’re not seeing that this travelling salesman has an extraordinary saddle… I wonder where he puts his buttocks…

You see, XL, we’re obliged to park here for the night… with these iguanas as companions… as big as you are, tiny !

Today, we’re leaving for Guayaquil, the second largest city after Quito.

Well, well, sellers of drinks and other things… tell me, Ulla, do you think there are labour inspectors, here ?

XL, that doesn’t concern me, it’s 5 p.m. in the evening and we must park to have 2 plates soldered for the spring blades.

OK, OK, in any case, here, to work, they come to your place with travelling equipment, they don’t complain !

Ulla, we’re near the centre of town and our gallic and our gypsy have heard say that it’s the most beautiful waterfront in the world ; we’re going there…

Thank you, Paco and Paquita, as well as Fatima, for your parking space as we must go to Saint Martin.

These Ecuadorians are true artists….

…sculpted Tagua…..

This small South American country very pleasantly surprised us with its development, the great kindness and respect its inhabitants showed us, the beauty of its landscapes and its art of working all kinds of materials.

Yes, but with an artist’s soul, BRAVO !

We strongly invite our readers to visit this nation hospitable to foreigners and tourists and welcoming them with a lot of affection and liberalism ; Thank you Ecuador.

For the following part of the trip...