May 19th. We don’t usually cross borders in the mid-afternoon, as they can take a few hours, but for some reason today we did. Stamping ourselves out of Colombia was the easy part. Cancelling the TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for the truck was more complicated. The officials needed to email us the cancellation confirmation, which we then had to show them—but we were out of mobile data. On top of that, we also had to print receipts for an iPad and a portable battery pack we’d bought in order to claim a tax refund.

Entering Ecuador was a breeze. An officer quickly verified our passports and stamped us in—it took all of two minutes. The truck papers were sorted in five minutes, and we were on our way. That said, it was already 4 p.m. Ecuador immediately felt different: the roads were better, the streets tidier, and for the first time since leaving Mexico or the USA, we saw street lights.

finca sommerwind

Finca Sommerwind is a well-known overlander camp just two hours from the border. Hans, originally from Germany, has owned & operated it for over 50 years. The property is huge and somewhat over grown and looks like a long-term parking lot for more than 20 vehicles—some seemingly left behind since the COVID shutdown in 2019. The place has all the essentials: a restaurant, laundry area, communal kitchen, and more. But it’s showing its age. A couple of gardeners were tidying up, but it could use a bit more work—some levelling, drainage gravel, and general upkeep. The facilities are basic: surprisingly, just one toilet and one shower each for men and women, not sure how that works when the place is full.

We quickly spent three nights there. One evening, Tim and the boys (Jaxon & Klaas) lit a fire, cooked hotdogs, and roasted marshmallows. Tim took the truck into town to get the oil changed and fix the broken studs on the exhaust manifold. The kids caught up on schoolwork while I spent several frustrating hours booking a last-minute cruise to the Galápagos Islands—and our flights.

cotacachi

May 22. Cotacachi is a leather town, lined shoulder-to-shoulder with shops selling everything you can imagine in leather. After visiting the ‘American’ Market—a small artisan market catering to the gringo community, with everything from German bratwurst to handmade jewelry—we strolled the main street to browse. Some shops were packed with jackets that looked like they’d been hanging there a decade. Others were stylish and inviting. We weren’t planning to buy anything… but of course, we each ended up with a soft leather shirt—better deal if you buy two

Otavalo Market

This town is famous for its textile market, especially ponchos. Everyone here wears one. In an effort to blend in, we treated ourselves to one each. Lighter and softer than expected (a blend of alpaca and cotton, not 100% wool), they were also surprisingly affordable. The asking price was $25 each; we paid $16. Turns out we live in them now—they’re warm, and even though we’re near the equator, the altitude makes it chilly.

cayambe national park

That night we camped at 3,600 meters on the edge of a soccer field by the park entrance. It was bitterly cold, but we were warm and snug inside. Our only visitors were two sweet dogs, who gratefully accepted a handful of kibble we keep for just such moments.

Sleeping at altitude never gives us a great night’s rest. I have weird dreams, shallow sleep, and wake often from the lack of oxygen. But it was necessary—we needed to acclimate before our hike to 4,818 meters today. The park opened at 8 a.m. We drove up to the car park, leaving Bruce right on the Equator at 4,100 meters. Dressed in down jackets under waterproof layers, we paid $8 for a 15-minute ride higher up the volcano, on a rough road to the second car park. From there, we began the hike.

May 23. We climbed slowly to a misty alpine lagoon of cloudy turquoise water. The altitude made every step slow and deliberate. The trail, a 1.5 km loop, took us 1.5hrs, up and over rock, the wind was bitterly cold, often raining sideways. Only our hands were cold. At the Refugio, we warmed up with hot chocolate and snacks. Charley wasn’t feeling great—not altitude sickness, but clearly coming down with a bug. We descended slowly back to Bruce and continued down the mountain.

We then drove down to a town where we free-camped in a grassy car park next to a large recreational area. A group of teens gathered nearby in the evening, drinking something homemade from a clear Coke bottle. It was Friday night, more showed up and we briefly wondered if it might become a problem, but as the temperature dropped, they drifted off and we had a peaceful night.

Tomorrow we visit the Equator Monument…