Day 5: to Sonson(80 miles)

We left the Eco Hotel on the long boat, and saw monkeys on a tree over the river.

It had rained a few hours before so the dirt road had lots of water filled areas to ride through. Eventually we came to a place where there is a large barge ferry to take cars across the river. However, the river level was too high and they were not operating the ferry. To get to where we needed to go without going across on the ferry would add 4 hours of riding. Ricardo talked to people at the ferry and came up with a possibility of transporting the bikes across the river one at a time on narrow boats they call canoes. Ricardo had never done this before. It took four people to load Ricardo's bike into the canoe. So off he went across the river with two of our guys to help him get it off at the far side and drive it up a dirt bank,,

in the picture above you can see the bow almost at the water level. Yet, it worked and he drove it off at the far side. So, we set about getting the other seven bikes across. We got down to just two of us on our side, and with the help of two of the people who owned the canoe we got the bike I was to escort to the far side on the canoe. And off I went for the far side.

Here are some pictures of one of the guys riding the bike off the canoe and up the bank on the far side

With all the bikes across we took a break to drink Gatorades on the cantina since it was hot and humid and we were sweating buckets of water.

After the sketchy, but surprisingly successful, river crossing, we headed out. Our total miles today were only 80, but it was a grueling muddy and rocky day. There were lots of mudslides in the mountains that had affected the dirt roads. Repairs were ongoing and there was mud and water everywhere. Here is one when we were waiting our turn to go. The mud in many areas was much much worse than in this picture. In one pic you can see the whole steep hillside that let go and wiped out the road.

After a particularly bad 20 mile or so stretch of mud we crossed a small river to this small town at a fork in the road. We hydrated with more Gatorade. This is very representative of the small settlements and towns we ride through in the rural farming areas in the mountains.

Ricardo having an icecream.

Eventually we began climbing in altitude, for a welcome cooling of the temperature. Here we are in the clouds.

We arrived in Sonson before it began raining. Sonson is a non-tourist city at about 7,500 feet altitude. It is a town serving the rural farming areas in communities in the mountains near it. Our hotel looks like it is really old. It was originally a wealthy family's house, open at the top until more recently. It is also a sort of museum with all kinds of old things.

After a long, hard day, this hotel, is great. We actually have hot water, which we did not have at the Eco hotel. It is raining on and off as I do this blog. I'm sure the roads will be muddy tomorrow. But, today we put the "A" in Adventure.