Balalalla Riobamba

Next up, Riobamba a bustling town in the middle of Ecuador.

I woke up a bit late due to a bit of a hangover which was accomplished by drinking with some Ecuadorian tourists who were on holiday from New York. Two of them were actually building the new World Trade Centre and had an Irish foreman. They seemed to think the Irish were great and insisted on buying me beer. So who was I to say no?
So the lovely journey to Riobamba was spent with my head knocking against the window, trying but failing miserably to sleep.
Into sunny Riobamba and down to ProBici where I decided I wanted to get on a mountain bike (again) the next day to be driven close to the top of Chimbarazo (Ecuador's highest mountain) and descend at high velocity.

Otherwise it was a case of wandering around getting a flavour for the town, which unlike Banos is quite untouristy and therefore all the more enjoyable to walk around without hearing shrill exclamations like "Hey Hank look at this pair of castanets"...

Sometime when it was dark, hunger called and I headed into San Valentin, apparently the in-spot for locals. Got a good seat at the bar and watched Nadal pummel an unfortunate German in the tennis. Some food and a couple of beers later, the chap next to me strikes up a conversation. Turns out he is a local business man (Carlos) and his girlfriend beside him a Colombian (Anna) from Bogota. We start chatting and get on famously. He starts buying me beers. I tell him I have to descend Chimbarazo on a mountain bike tomorrow at 7am. He buys me more beers. As a twist of fate Colombia and Ecuador were playing football the next day, I told him Ecuador had a good chance. He bought me some Tequila.
After enough alcohol to sink the Ecuadorian navy I eventually manage to stand up and make my apologies. I go to pay for my pizza and pre-Carlos beers but he will not let me. I bow down and thank him, stagger home and eat some pillow.

I actually wake up on time, not feeling the may west, but make my way down to the pick up. We drive out of town and for the first time Chimborazo becomes visible and it is absolutely stunning. All 6310 meters of it. Just towering over everything else the eye can see. We drive onwards and ever upwards, the vegetation gradually thinning out until it was just a barren moonscape. We stopped at 4800 meters and I strapped the bike to myself. I still wasn't feeling too hot but nothing for it now, so head down and on with it. Within seconds I was doing well over 50kmh, probably not the best thing for a wildly hungover Irishman with mild altitude sickness. To hell with it, I was enjoying myself. So on I screamed, past bemused tourists, vaguely unsettled Vicuñas.

I rolled on, the landscape once again becoming more lush. Passing ancient Inca settlements and farming communities and in a few short hours it was all over. The driver told me I was extremely quick. I told him I wanted to see the football game at 3pm. He nearly kissed me. It had been on his mind all day and was rather grateful that he could get home in time to see it.

Delighted to help, but Ecuador lost 2-0...

Photos of Banos and its fantastic waterfalls

Photos of Chimbarazo