The very next day after the crazy night beside the waterfall, I ran into a even scarier problem with my bike. Over time my brakes had become quite worn which is not a problem if you are in a flat area, but if you are in the Andes mountains it makes for a very scary ride. I had been putting off replacing my brakes for some time, but on this day when my bike was making a really funny noise I checked the whole bike to find a huge crack on my back rim that ran almost the whole side wall of the rim. So I had just crossed into Ecuador and the thought to riding even another 20 km was a very scary one. But I found a little town, Tulcan, just across the border. I made it into the town on a prayer because my brakes quit working all together and would at best slow me down enough to put on my Flintstone brakes, my feet. I found a shop but they were closed until 3 p.m.
I waited around in Tulcan until the shop opened and for $15 I bought a rim, brake pads and a few other little odds and ends for my bike. I found a guy to rebuild my wheel, fix my brakes and replaces some worn gear cables. He did all the work for $2, but I gave him $4. I think the extra $2 was for saving my life. But by then it was night time and pouring down rain, so I had to find a place to stay the night in Tulcan. I found the La Florida and for $5, I had my own room, with a bed and private bathroom. Then after a Chinese dinner I was in for the night and thankful. With a warm bed and full belly, it is funny how one can forget the worries of the day.
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