Motorcycle Escape 31

Story by Jamie elvidgePhotoS by Jamie elvidge and ricardo rocco

My loco adventure with Andes Moto Expeditions So i’m out in the middle of

the ecuadorian jungle and the race-prepared Wr450 i’m riding is spanking me like a 300-pound domina-trix. i can’t cry uncle because i hate being a wimp, so i’m trying to focus on my happy place, which in this case would be the hot tub i’ve been promised is wait-ing at a hostel 100 miles up the trail. it’s raining hard and i’m chasing my tour mates along a windy, muddy, pothole-laced road at, oh, about 60 mph, when my tour guide, Jim Stanley, skids his battered Klr650 to a stop and motions me to do the same. then he yells over the hearty thump-thump of his exhaust, “hey—you wanna go fast now?”

no joke. these guys from andes moto expeditions, ricardo rocco and Jim Stanley, don’t mess around. i’m staring wide-eyed at Stanley, who’s grinning at me with complete sincerity. “i thought this was fast,” i’m thinking, yet what comes out of my mouth sounds something like, “hell yes!”

¡Vayamos a Ecuador!

Motorcycle Escape 3332 Motorcycle Escape

ViVa el loco. It’s catchy down theremy dual-sport tour through ecuador wasn’t all like that. Some of it was even crazier. like riding on the sidewalks, across park greens, through the stop signs and red lights of downtown Quito. not only are these types of vehicular freedoms perfectly acceptable in ecuador, they’re practically expected. in other words, “you’ve got to drive like a maniac, or you’ll get run down.” that was one of my notes from my first day in the city. (actually, now that i look more closely, my notebook reads, “i feel at home here because everyone uses their horn and drives like an asshole.”)

So, you get the idea that a motorcycle tour of ecuador is not for the faint of heart. that said, ecuador is also one of the most beautiful, unadulterated and diverse countries i’ve ever spun a tire in. in six days of riding i felt like i’d traveled through sev-eral countries, not just a single, tiny one, and we didn’t even visit the popular costal region. my tour instead traversed the great andes mountains, which mark the length of ecuador like

a bony, white spine. after skirting these giants, we dropped into the vast green rainforest to the east where we (virtually) lost ourselves in the illegible scribble of dirt roads and footpaths. there are no maps of these dirt roads and trails. heck, there is no decent map of the paved streets once you’re outside the cit-ies. no gPS program to load. and you’ll find no signage either, at least once you’re off the prominent roads.

but this is exactly what makes riding here so great. What puts a capital “a” in the adventure aspect of an andes moto tour. of course, to really get around ecuador—or any of South america’s primitive backcountry—you need a local guide. ecuadorian native ricardo rocco, who yelled “Vayamos!” at the top of his lungs each time we motored off, was the ideal escort: funny as hell, and knew ecuador inside and out. Without rocco, there is no way i would have seen such depth in the culture, nor would i have ever found my way around the crazy maze of roads that connects the beautiful ecuadorian countryside. certainly, i wouldn’t have found my way out. you also need to be pretty

fluent in Spanish to get around, because you have to constantly stop and ask the locals if you’re on the right track.

the locals in ecuador are indigenous people, and they add color to the muted greens and tans of the landscape the way christmas decorations embellish a fir tree. there are different colors and differently styled Panama hats for each tribe. always bright, the shawls and ponchos can be red, teal, purple, hot

In other words, “You’ve got to drive like a

maniac, or you’ll get run down.”

Everyone traveling to Ecuador should know about the TzanTza ritual: How to shrink heads for fun and profit.

The bridge, at left, was one of a dozen rickety spans we crossed. A volcano had destroyed sections of highway, and locals weren’t waiting for a road crew. You should have seen the truck cross this one.

pink or orange. the hats, though subtly different in structure, are almost always black and vaguely resemble old-school american fedoras. it’s a classic South american look, but the faces beneath the hats are purely ecuadorian, with beautiful skin, dark eyes and a long, broad nose.

i was intrigued by how industrious these ecuadorian natives are. they are always on the move, walking along the road with great bundles of hay or goods, farming their hillside lots, tend-ing their many animals. not at all like the scene i’m used to in places i more commonly ride, such as baja, mexico, where the locals are constantly on the verge of a siesta. the ecuadorians seem always in motion, except, of course, when our caravana motored by. at the sight of the bikes they would appear totally perplexed. rocco explained that most of the indigenous people who live outside of the major towns have never seen a motor-cycle before, much less six or seven large ones all at once.

our group was not so much a group as a gathering. andes moto expeditions is a newly devised tour outfitter that actually specializes in arrive-and-ride off-road racing expeditions. Stanley, from colorado, met rocco when he was traveling the length of South america on his honda Xr. rocco, who went to college in california and speaks fluent english, is a renowned

ambassador of such adven-tures, helping riders with everything from finding tires to assisting with clearance at the ecuadorian customs docks (most people traveling from the U.S. to end-of-the-road Ushuaia ship their bikes from Panama city to Quito in order to avoid the potentially dangerous ride through colombia). rocco even cre-ated a “moto hostel” in Quito where adventurers can stay, freshen their bikes and relax for a few days among like-minded friends. Stanley is an industrious type, an ever-bud-ding businessman who has worked for tour operators in the States and mexico. the idea of doing custom

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ecuadorian and Peruvian adventures in addition to their estab-lished pay-and-play racing opportunity was a natural for the travel-savvy duo.

So, since they’re just getting started, it turned out i was the only actual “guest” on this particular ride, but we were joined by a trio of through-travelers, elisa ruis and Ferry gijzel from amsterdam, and travis Schroeder, from Phoenix, arizona. the three had met online via horizonsunlimited.com, and had con-nected with rocco through the same traveler’s aid site. needless to say, they were excited to tag along on our organized expedi-tion because it allowed them to see ecuador in a way that would be impossible without a local guide. they admitted they would never have dared venture so far from mapped routes and services. this is, of course, the beauty of any organized tour—the chase vehicle for security and luggage toting and the guides

…Ecuador is not for the faint of heart. That said, Ecuador is also one of the most beautiful,

unadulterated and diverse countries

I’ve ever spun a tire in.

Top, left: A few dogs in Ecuador are lucky enough to live under the chopping block, but mostly, dogs run the streets waiting for motorcycles to chase. You become very good at intercept-ing the flying hounds, that rush your front wheel in packs of three or four. The dirt roads were excellent for a middle-weight dual-sport. You could explore this country for weeks without touching pavement, living on bananas and the good humor of locals.

unknown, however, traveling to such an obscure place with guys who are just learning the ropes. but hey, you’re paying for an adventure, right?

oh, and remember what they say about not drinking the water? Well, don’t forget it. or the part about eating peeled fruit. it’s not that you can’t eat peeled fruit, it’s that you should only eat fruit you’ve peeled yourself. because, oops. i forgot that part when i saw the decadent fruit and ice cream parfaits they were dishing out in a Quito market the day i left. (i needed a little reward for surviving six seat-spanking days on the Wr.) but now i’m a bit concerned that for the rest of my life my bathroom is going to remind me of ecuador.

next time i’ll stick with the cuy.

who know the best roads and stops. like the cuy stand rocco shared with us. i mean, who would want to miss eating rotis-serie-style guinea pig?

ecuador is alive with multiplicity. We were cutting through the thin, cold air along the base of 19,347-foot mount cotopaxi one day, then swaddled in the humid vapor of the amazonian rainforest the next. i’d have to say exploring the jungle and hills that tumble into it were my favorite days of the

fact, had just come off a stint at the national rally the week before i arrived. it went well enough in the corners and was absolutely great on the muddy dirt roads we encountered, much better than the big bmWs ruis, gijzel and Schroeder were piloting. Since my tour rocco and Stanley tell me they have secured potential use of some bmW F650s and honda Xr650s for upcoming caravanas, and that the Wr will be kept as a racebike for those wanting to come to ecuador for a taste of moto-endurance racing. Probably a good idea, since that dominatrix trait in the yamaha, which surfaces when you’re pounding down crap roads for hours on end, can have an ill effect on the rider’s mood.

good thing my moto-andes team chose nice hostels for the tour, almost all with hot spring-fed tubs and/or saunas to soothe my aching temperament. all the accommodations on the trip were surprisingly clean and hospitable. my favorite was our last night just outside Quito, where we stayed at the Papallacta hot Springs, with its private hot tubs and decadent massages for only $35 an hour! it was interesting to note that “hostels” in South america can mean hotel, b&b or motel. but a “motel” is actu-ally a “sex motel” where you drive into a walled courtyard and park your vehicle in one of many garages that lead to bedrooms. once inside, you pay your fee through a little slot in the inside door. Schroeder actually found the sex motels, with their ano-nymity and locking garages, the safest place to stay in some iffy towns he encountered on his way to ecuador from arizona.

Would i recommend a tour of ecuador? absolutely. it’s an amazing country—unlike any i’ve seen. it’s like stepping back in time, into book pages, into a completely different reality. is it safe? mostly. once you’re out of the cities, anyway. as i said, i was happy to be with a guide who knew not only where to be, but where not to be. and cheap? you won’t believe what you can get for your money in ecuador. imagine a big juicy steak for $4, fresh, delicious ceviche for $2, a decent beer for a buck. ruis and gijzel were traveling for about $30 a day—including gas.

if i were going with andes moto again and had more time, i’d opt for the new inca road tour version so i could see Peru as well. although new in the road tour business, Stanley and rocco make a pretty good team. it does add a bit of the

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trip. the snow-capped mountains are indeed beautiful, but not so unusual to those who have spent time riding the U.S. or canadian rockies or european alps. the type of rainforest we were riding through, however, with its bright flowers and birds, with its insect buzz and heat, was really new to me. i mean, i knew that philodendron in my bathroom didn’t really come from home depot.

i was aboard Stanley’s race-ready yamaha Wr450F, which, in

Ecuador has seen some unrest since my visit there, especially the major city of Quito, but I would still feel totally com-fortable traveling there, especially if I were going with a group into the countryside. The Andes Moto crew sup-plied one guide in front and one in the rear, plus a chase vehicle driver, so no one could really get lost. (Or at least when we did get lost, we all got lost together.) Keep in mind that Ecuador is still a Third World country, and to get along you have to, as Stanley puts it, “Take care of number one.” Watch your back and your gear and you’ll be just fine.

drIVInGAnything goes. That’s the rule of thumb to remember and to expect from other drivers. Red lights and stop signs are treated as suggestions, and drivers pass on whichever side of the road is clear, meaning you can pass and be passed on the right, even in the emergency lane or dirt shoulder. The roads can be absolutely wrecked, so expect some rough riding, especially in the backcountry. Landslides are common, and commonly left on the roadway indefinite-ly. One road had been blown out in a dozen places by a recent volcano and the locals had built crazy wooden-planked bridges across the chasms. It was the most hair-ball thing I’ve ever come across, but…we all made it. Speed limits are, like so many road rules in Ecuador, subjec-tive.

naVIGatIonOutside the city limits signage is confusing at best, but expect it to be rare. Maps

don’t document the smaller network of roads, which is where you’ll find the truly sce-nic and culturally interesting. Be prepared to ask the locals for directions, and don’t expect them to speak English

outside the cities. As my guides said, “Ask at least three people and take the average.”

PassenGersFor an extra fee, passengers are always welcome on Andes Moto Expeditions, just make sure yours is a hearty soul who’s comfortable with your riding skills in a variety of conditions. Passengers can always ride in the chase truck any time they choose.

toUrIst VIsa & PassPortYou need a valid passport to enter Ecuador, but no pre-arranged tourist visa. They just stamp you at the airport. Take heed that your health insurance may not cover you

in Ecuador, so you might want to look into traveler’s insur-ance. Basically, it will pay for your emergency trip home, where your regular coverage takes over. Tell them up front you are riding a motorcycle to get the “dangerous activities” coverage. Shots are recom-mended when you visit Ecuador, and some travel nurses will say a yellow fever inoculation is required for entry. That’s only the case when an outbreak is evident,

so check into it a couple of weeks before your departure. If it is required, officials will make you take the shot at customs, which does no good since it takes 10 days to have a protective effect.

LanGUaGeSpanish is the language of Ecuador, but some mountain folk still speak Quechua, the language of the Incas. The guides on my tour spoke both English and Spanish, so there was never a problem. Of course, it’s more enjoyable if you can speak some key words and phrases.

MoneyEcuador uses U.S dollars, so you won’t need to deal with converting or constant calcu-lations. You will get locally minted coins back in addition to U.S. change. ATMs are easy to find in the towns, and most gas stations accept major credit cards.

oVeraLLIf you’re looking for some-thing completely different, a trip to Ecuador is certainly an option. Plus, it’s easy to get there from the States, with only a one-hour time gain from Eastern Standard. The scenery is fantastic, commodi-ties affordable and the people and culture deeply intriguing. As an adventure, it’s an ideal getaway. As a vacation, it’s pretty hardcore. If I went again, I’d make sure to add a Galapagos excursion to the beginning or end of the trip.

resoUrcesLonely Planet: Ecuadorwww.ecuador.orgwww.andesmoto-tours.com

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CaravanaEcuadorAndes Moto ExpeditionsAndesmoto-tours.com$1895Bike (KLR650 or XR650), lodging, breakfasts, dinners, support truck.10 daysOctober-April150 miles per dayDirtbike boots or very supportive street boots, rain gear, three-season synthetic jacket and pants, gloves for all conditions. Definitely book a Galapagos trip while you’re there.

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Our makeshift group of Adventurers, from left: Ricardo Rocco, Paul Guevara (chase truck driver), Ferry Gijzel, Jim Stanley, Travis Schroeder and Elisa Ruis. Gijzel, Ruis and Schroeder continued on their own to Peru and beyond.