A tranquillo exit from Ecuador

Vilcabamba is my last stop before heading into Peru and the ride there was sublime. After the cold and rain in Cuenca I welcomed the blue skies and mild weather as I carved up the near perfect ashpalt through southern Ecuador. On Vinnie´s (crashmaster) recommendation I stay at Hostal Izhcayluma postured on a bluff overlooking the pueblo. Easy on the wallet, good vino tinto, and they even have a ping pong table. My kind of place. In the never ending series of “It´s a small world” I ran into an overlander couple who know Lothar and Nicole, friends I made on the Stahlratte. And no stay in Ecuador would be complete if I didn´t see my Dutch friends, Andries and Patries, who I met during my extended stay in Quito. After a couple days of relaxation and working on my back hand spike, I depart Vilcabamba and head for the border. The road south quickly turns to dirt and a feeling of remoteness sets in as I exit Ecuador.