Well, after a month and a half of joyous adventure, the time came to depart for home. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to Brian, just as it was saying goodbye to Girish. We really could not have been a better trio to conquer this trip. In reflecting on all of the experiences we've had, I can confidently say that this trip went perfectly. Quite remarkable really, given all of the logistical hurdles and unknown challenges we faced. I look forward to the time we can again cycle together.

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I loaded up my box into a taxi at 8:30pm and headed to the airport on the outskirts of Quito. I arrived painfully early for my 3:10am flight to Bogotá, which was good as I ended up having to get my bike double-wrapped in plastic to make it extra secure. Wasteful, yes, but necessary as the box turned out to be somewhat fragile. 

The flight to Bogotá was uneventful, at least until departing the plane. A vaguely familiar looking woman around my age approached me and asked about the bike I'd loaded up in Quito. She too had loaded up a bike, so we got to talking about our shared hobby. As I was telling her about my trip, she asked "Do you know Jeremy Nolan?" When I shared that that was in fact me, she lit up. As it turned out, I'd met Alana several years ago in northern Oregon while on my Pacific Coast bike tour from Canada to Mexico. At the time, she was wrapping up a cross-country ride herself, so to celebrate we cracked a beer on the beach and I took a photo of her dipping her front wheel in the Pacific. 

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Alana had been living in Quito for several years and was moving back stateside  to start law school. We grabbed coffee and shared stories from our last few years. Alana rode the TEMBR in 2021, so I passed on her information to Brian and Girish. We were ecstatic to have run into one another again, and agreed to coordinate an overnight trip when she was settled in the states. 

Life is so serendipedous. What started out as a chance encounter several years ago replayed itself on a 3:10am flight from Quito to Bogotá. If that isn't a perfect example of how small the world is, I'm not sure what is.

Once Alana boarded her flight, I headed to the Avianca VIP Lounge where I'd scored discounted access, ideal for an eight hour layover. I showered up, ate breakfast, and updated the blog while sipping espresso. Again, I'm not sure if this trip could be any more perfect.