Day 4 Riobamba to Guamote

Today, 9/8/10, we travelled from Riobamba to a small village 52K away called Guamote.  The ride today was the first one that would be timed, so that anyone who wanted to "race" could do.  A number of us were not interested as we are treating the trip as a big holiday.

The day started one hour later than usual at 9am as the distance to go was short.  It started by climbing away from the hotel and it just kept climbing for the next 30K to lunch.  It was not one long climb but a lot of climbs with just a small drop to break them up, which if your legs are a bit dead is not so good.  The lunch stop was by the side of the road in a field with lovely scenery around us.  The area we travelled through was the most picturesque that we have seen so far, and the traffic was also quieter!

After lunch we carried on mostly downhill but with a stiff headwind.  A short climb up to the Hostal completed the day after 810 metres of climbing.  The hostal is along the lines of a youth hostel at home and is in a village that seems to be a hub for many buses and also the railway that passes through. The village was worth a visit before dinner and you really felt that you were seeing true rustic Ecuadorian life.   Most of us are a bit tired and were pleased that dinner was cooked for us in the hostal.

Lunch at 3100 metres!

Downtown Guamote