Ecuador-

As I crossed the border into Ecuador I could instantly see a difference from Colombia.

Actually, I found in the highlands of Ecuador, men with long hair, which is a first I have seen in all my travels and I think is a rarity in most cultures of the world. The indigenous of Colombia and Ecuador, at least in the highlands, are found with the longest and most beautiful hair. I saw most of the indigenous children had long hair and it was hard to tell in a group which ones were little boys or girls. I found that among these areas that I was the rarity and I was stared at more than in most countries. Actually I think the idea of biking the Andes mountains is far fetched and the thought of doing so would make someone question this person's sanity. But Ecuador has met me quite easily and the mountains have been nothing compared to Colombia.

From Quito the capital, I headed out to the coast, and once leaving Quito, I rode one of the most dangerous roads of the country. I heard later that many people die on this road, the fog covers the mountain quite frequently and the road is narrow, and a steep grade makes for the dangerous combination. And I was not only met with a fog that allowed me to see only about ten feet in front of me, but a misty rain made the road slick and this made for a cold combination . I thought if the road did not kill me I would freeze, but in a few hours of hard riding I was down in the plains of the coast. Here the land was like the desert of northern Mexico, not quite as hot but the dust filled the road like the fog of the mountains.

I also found one of the worst of road conditions, lots of road construction and the other half desperately in need of construction and to make matters worse I broke my gear shifter so I had to bike in a high gear all the way to the coast. I stayed a few days in a little town of Santo Domingo. It is not really much of a town, but like Stephenville of Texas it is amazing how a incredible normal town can turn into a special place, not by the history of the past but rather the history in the making. When I meet friends and warm people, I feel like I am at home. I guess that is what takes me back in the rather average Oklahoma time after time. Now I am in the same situation again just a few hundred kilometers towards the coast in Portoviejo. This little town is where I will pass the next week or two. I have friends here and also some of my friends from the States are coming down in a week. I might even be passing Christmas here in this rather average town with special friends and a special church which makes this average town a fabulous place to spend Christmas.