We had a nice and easy 225 km day from Cuenca to Loja on the PanAmericana. It was mostly sunny and quite scenic, and a few months ago we probably would have WOWed around many of the turns. Upon reflection, Ernesto and I agreed that for the first time since we have left Oregon, we were not bored at any point nor were we in danger/concerned about anything. From traffic to weather to road conditions to directions - there was nothing that strayed from comfortable. We rode along the 3000 meter ridgetop for most of it, and when we dipped down and back up through some valleys it was cool to see the road we were going to be on in 20 minutes (as well as the road we were on 20 minutes ago). However, Ernesto and I have seen so much breathtaking views lately that our bar for WOW is now just a bit too high…
Our wildlife of the day was a single deer. A six point buck, and he had a very dark coat. After we saw it, the sighting felt odd and just as I was trying to figure out why, Ernesto says to me (as if it should have been obvious), “it is strange to see something so ordinary”.
We had a brief walk around Loja, including some very mediocre but very cheap food. There is a lot of construction in town, so it is a bit loud here. Hopefully it settles down before Grandma & Grandpa want to go to bed, which with any luck will be very soon.
The polychaete worm I brushed up against in the Galapagos continues to molest me. (Is it karma or the universe telling me I shouldn’t have tide pooled??) That finger is now very swollen and covered with tiny blisters. It burns, itches, and aches. My hand/that finger still fits in my moto gloves, so I don’t have to cut it off yet... I’ll post the picture I took with the setae in my skin. And yes, for those who have requested, I will take a selfie and post a picture of my haircut ha ha!
Our wildlife of the day was a single deer. A six point buck, and he had a very dark coat. After we saw it, the sighting felt odd and just as I was trying to figure out why, Ernesto says to me (as if it should have been obvious), “it is strange to see something so ordinary”.
We had a brief walk around Loja, including some very mediocre but very cheap food. There is a lot of construction in town, so it is a bit loud here. Hopefully it settles down before Grandma & Grandpa want to go to bed, which with any luck will be very soon.
The polychaete worm I brushed up against in the Galapagos continues to molest me. (Is it karma or the universe telling me I shouldn’t have tide pooled??) That finger is now very swollen and covered with tiny blisters. It burns, itches, and aches. My hand/that finger still fits in my moto gloves, so I don’t have to cut it off yet... I’ll post the picture I took with the setae in my skin. And yes, for those who have requested, I will take a selfie and post a picture of my haircut ha ha!