A sudden end

 A quote from the bio for this blog:

We are cycling from Vancouver South. Hoping to get as far as South America. We are quitting our jobs in August 2023 and are going to ride until our money, legs or enthusiasm give up the ghost. Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/two.boldlygo/

Our trip has come to an unplanned end. After several weeks of dealing with an injured and infected thumb, Rachel's enthusiasm for onward travel has evaporated. Being given the all clear by the hand specialist was a huge relief but by this stage the damage to motivation had been done. I can fully understand why as it has been a very trying period for her. We are both devastated that we won't make it to Peru but if the motivation is lacking then cycle touring is no fun. 

We set off from Quito with the aim of getting a bus southward to reach Lima but we didn't make it as far as the bus terminal before coming to the painful conclusion that the necessary motivation wasn't there. We returned to the hostel that had looked after us so well for the past few days and booked flights home. 

We had a great time in Quito and saw many of the treasures that the city holds.

We went to the Basilica del Voto Nacional in the historic center. An astonishing piece of neo-gothic architecture but even more astonishing is the fact that it is possible to climb all its spires. 

I found a shop where I could indulge my hobby of buying a flag from each country we have been in. 

We took the cable car up to 4050m and enjoyed panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains. 

Rachel braved the swing (actually it is all dependent on a good camera angle as it isn't that dangerous in reality)

We visited the botanic gardens which had the most amazing orchid house. The intricacy and beauty of the flowers is truly breathtaking.

 

I took advantage of daily yoga sessions at the hostel to undo some of the changes that 10 months of cycling have inflicted on my posture. 

Finally, to complete our experience of travelling in the ring of fire, we experienced a 4.2 magnitude earthquake . We woke up at midnight to the room shaking and the wardrobe banging. We followed protocol and went outside and waited for a while with the other guests before coming to the conclusion that it was a small quake and not a precursor to something larger and returned to bed. The next day there was evidence that it had had an impact on some less secure buildings. 

We have tons of memories from a delightful 10 months on the road. It has been an amazing experience and we are incredibly glad that we took the plunge and decided to do this trip. We can't quite believe everything we have achieved, seen, heard, tasted, encountered and enjoyed. We are both super proud that we have achieved our goal of reaching South America.

I'd like to spend a few words highlighting some of the equipment we have been glad to have with us. 

Firstly the bike. It has been pretty much faultless. The belt drive and Rohloff hub have been the perfect combination for trouble, and maintenance, free tandem riding. I think that the wheels deserve a special mention as they have not skipped a beat despite holding up the weight of two riders and all our luggage. Thanks to Pete at the Tandem Experience for doing such a great job in building them.

Our Nemo Dagger tent is really well designed and it is a great home from home. Before we left, we had doubts about how robust it would be given how lightweight it is. However it has stood up to repeated use faultlessly. I particularly like the fact that it is longer and higher than just about all other tents on the market. 

Clothing wise, I'd like to single out my Indola riding shirts from South Africa . They are comfy, cool in the heat, easy to keep clean and the bright colours brighten up every day. I wonder if they will be regarded as professional work wear in my new job...

Our Trangia stove has been brilliant. It is such a simple design and it works faultlessly. Although it is a camping stove its use hasn't been limited to only when we are sleeping in our tent. As it burns without smell we have often cooked dinner and breakfast with it in hotel rooms. (Thankfully smoke alarms are a rarity)

Finally, I'll single out our bike bottles from our local bike store, Wheelbase . Somehow we have managed to keep them hygienic and not lose them despite drinking liters and liters of water from them. Combined with our Sawyer water filter they have kept us hydrated for the duration of our trip. However, there is no denying we are going to be really glad to be able to drink water straight from the tap with a glass once we get home. 

I've really enjoyed writing this blog and it means a lot to me that I have had feedback from many people who have enjoyed  reading it. It has been a delight to share our trip with you all.