July 28: San Juan to Tulcán, Ecuador

July 28, 2022

The day has arrived! Ecuador was in our sights as we awoke to beautiful skies and warm temperatures. What a bittersweet thing it will be to leave Colombia. As a cyclist, it has been heavenly and I can't thank its citizens enough for making this trip as wonderful as it has been.

We hit the road shortly after 8am, a sea of southbound cyclists of all nationalities with the goal of making it to Ecuador. In classic Colombian fashion, there was one final climb from San Juan into Pasto, which we crushed in little time.

Three Americans, two Canadians, one Mexican, and one Brazilian cyclist all ready to get goinf.

Gonna miss this country! I picked this jersey up in Pasto and was happy to rep it today.

Stopping for juice at an extremely enthusiastic roadside vendor.

We rode into Ipiales for a late lunch. While there, Girish headed to Santuario de Las Lajas, a renowned church several kilometers out of town. He would be staying in Ipiales for another day to wait for a package as well as to see some local sites, so I wanted to meet up and say goodbye. Brian and I finished our meals and biked to a mirador overlooking the santuario, where Girish met us.

I could not have asked for better people to ride with. We didn't know one another when we started this trip, but we've stayed together through it all. If that isn't a testament to our bond I don't know what is.

We said our goodbyes and parted ways, heading back to town and down to the Rumichaca Bridge. Along the way, a small Chevy passed us, with kids in the back waving and cheering and mom in the front recording us as they drove past. What a great way to sum up the goodwill and enthusiasm we've experienced in Colombia.

Once at the border, we completed an online check-in and got stamped out of Colombia. We then triumphantly crossed the bridge into Ecuador, wjere we completed a short health questionnaire, showed our vaccination cards, and got stamped into the country. We made it!

Whenever I start up my trip again, it will likely be here. The Trans-Ecuador Mountain Bike Route traverses the length of the country and would make for an incredible summer trip.

The ride into Tulcán was uneventful, and we soon reunited with Thomas and Lou, the two French-Canadian cyclists, as well as Matheus and his dog Playa. We got settled in our hotel before going out to eat, which turned out to be a bizarre experience at a local Italian food joint. Tomorrow we would be taking a 10am bus to Quito, so we soon wrapped up our evening and called it an early night.

So with that, after approximately 1,400 miles and over 100,000ft of climbing, my summer bikepacking tour from Panama to Ecuador must come to an end. Colombia, you really were one helluva challenge. You baked me, froze me, seared me, soaked me, fueled me, and sickened me. But above all else, you enamored me. I will never forget the time I spent cycling across this wonderful country, busting up relentless dirt road climbs and hurtling down the subsequent sinuous descents.

My tan is bad, my legs are beautiful, and my goal of cycling the length of the Americas (in segments) is one step closer to completion. I feel like I've only dipped my toes in the water with Central and South America, and look forward to the day when I can pick up where Ieft off. After all, Ushuaia still awaits :)

Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 2,194 km (1,362 miles)

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