Letter from Wilbert Bonné
The last letter which I sent from Arequipa started with “So far, so good…”
Now we are in Quito I can say “So far, almost good…”
You already understand that not everything worked out the way we had planned.
Now we are in Quito I can say “So far, almost good…”
You already understand that not everything worked out the way we had planned.
Anyway, we started our 3200 kilometer journey from Arequipa to Quito along the
spectacular coastline of the Pacific. Sand, winding roads, mountains, desert and a lot of
ups and downs. Our small truck, a Chevrolet which we organized via a befriend company
PeruMotors, has a small engine. The flats are okay, but in the uphills our Chevy is steady,
but slow. We started early in the morning and drove till sunset with some stops in
between to check out the Peruvian cuisine. A lot of “Pollo con Arroz” ( rice with chicken ).
We managed to cover the first days a distance of about 600 kilometers a day.
spectacular coastline of the Pacific. Sand, winding roads, mountains, desert and a lot of
ups and downs. Our small truck, a Chevrolet which we organized via a befriend company
PeruMotors, has a small engine. The flats are okay, but in the uphills our Chevy is steady,
but slow. We started early in the morning and drove till sunset with some stops in
between to check out the Peruvian cuisine. A lot of “Pollo con Arroz” ( rice with chicken ).
We managed to cover the first days a distance of about 600 kilometers a day.
We picked up Susana in Lima and drove further in the direction of the border with
Ecuador. Crossing a border with a vehicle which is not your property causes a lot of
paperwork. The border crossing at Macara was our first point to check if all necessary
documents of the Chevy were okay. The Peruvian side of the border went smoothly with
the perfect assistance of Susana. Let’s say, it took us about an hour to explain our
Ecuador. Crossing a border with a vehicle which is not your property causes a lot of
paperwork. The border crossing at Macara was our first point to check if all necessary
documents of the Chevy were okay. The Peruvian side of the border went smoothly with
the perfect assistance of Susana. Let’s say, it took us about an hour to explain our
visit to Ecuador and to convince the polite customs officer. He told us the Ecuadorian side should
be another piece of cake. We drove across the bridge, which marks the border, and had
to wait for the head of the Ecuadorian customs should turn up. We waited one more hour
till sunset. We expected a grumpy old man in an official suit with a lot of stripes on his
shoulders. But to our big surprise a friendly man in a sweating football outfit showed up at
the customs office. He just returned from a football game with his fellow workers and
stamped and signed the needed documents within five minutes. The beads of sweat
dripped of his forehead and made almost the stamps and signature suspicious. Anyway,
we were in Ecuador. With Chevy. Not a problem at all.
In first instance we should head in the direction of Guayaquil to pick up our container.
But…
be another piece of cake. We drove across the bridge, which marks the border, and had
to wait for the head of the Ecuadorian customs should turn up. We waited one more hour
till sunset. We expected a grumpy old man in an official suit with a lot of stripes on his
shoulders. But to our big surprise a friendly man in a sweating football outfit showed up at
the customs office. He just returned from a football game with his fellow workers and
stamped and signed the needed documents within five minutes. The beads of sweat
dripped of his forehead and made almost the stamps and signature suspicious. Anyway,
we were in Ecuador. With Chevy. Not a problem at all.
In first instance we should head in the direction of Guayaquil to pick up our container.
But…
The container with the 4x4 and all our equipment got stuck in the Bahamas !!! Not a bad
place to get stuck as a passenger, but as a container!! Don’t ask us why it got stuck. But it
did. The container was unloaded at Freeport in the Bahamas and 12 days later loaded to
another vessel in the direction of Guayaquil. The new date of arrival is planned for August
6th. Two days before the start!!! Not ideal. Not at all. And there will also be a major
difference between the arrival of the container at the harbour on the one hand, and at the
other hand a 4x4 fully packed driving on the Ecuadorian roads. In between : unwilling or
corrupt customs officers. Should we pay bribes ? Who should we pay ? How much ? All
questions we can answer you in a couple of days.
place to get stuck as a passenger, but as a container!! Don’t ask us why it got stuck. But it
did. The container was unloaded at Freeport in the Bahamas and 12 days later loaded to
another vessel in the direction of Guayaquil. The new date of arrival is planned for August
6th. Two days before the start!!! Not ideal. Not at all. And there will also be a major
difference between the arrival of the container at the harbour on the one hand, and at the
other hand a 4x4 fully packed driving on the Ecuadorian roads. In between : unwilling or
corrupt customs officers. Should we pay bribes ? Who should we pay ? How much ? All
questions we can answer you in a couple of days.
After the border we didn’t head in the direction of Guayaquil, but we followed the road
through the Andes which we will cycle with “The Andes Trail”. Rob cycled here last year
and told me about the mountain roads in Ecuador. Now I can tell you as well : the scenery
is superb, but it will be tough. TOUGH in capitals. The roads kept on going up and down.
The Chevy had some hard times. We managed to drive 900 kilometer in 3 days before we
arrived last Friday “a bit broken” in Quito. We still prefer cycling in stead of driving a car
day after day, despite the numerous mountains.
The last couple of days we were not lucky with our Chevy : a screwdriver in one of the
door lockers and a stolen spare wheel from the bottom of the vehicle. Let it be a lesson for
all of us. So, please take of care of all your belongings. Especially in Quito and the
other cities along the road. We don’t want to discourage you. Not at all. The countries and
people of the Andes are great, but there is always a small minority which ruins it for the
rest of us. We just want to warn you to be alert.
In the meantime we have already organized in Quito an alternative second vehicle in the
case that the 4x4 doesn’t arrive at time. We will see… We are counting down. Less than a
week. The first participants already arrived in Quito.
through the Andes which we will cycle with “The Andes Trail”. Rob cycled here last year
and told me about the mountain roads in Ecuador. Now I can tell you as well : the scenery
is superb, but it will be tough. TOUGH in capitals. The roads kept on going up and down.
The Chevy had some hard times. We managed to drive 900 kilometer in 3 days before we
arrived last Friday “a bit broken” in Quito. We still prefer cycling in stead of driving a car
day after day, despite the numerous mountains.
The last couple of days we were not lucky with our Chevy : a screwdriver in one of the
door lockers and a stolen spare wheel from the bottom of the vehicle. Let it be a lesson for
all of us. So, please take of care of all your belongings. Especially in Quito and the
other cities along the road. We don’t want to discourage you. Not at all. The countries and
people of the Andes are great, but there is always a small minority which ruins it for the
rest of us. We just want to warn you to be alert.
In the meantime we have already organized in Quito an alternative second vehicle in the
case that the 4x4 doesn’t arrive at time. We will see… We are counting down. Less than a
week. The first participants already arrived in Quito.
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