The Pirelli MT-21 front tire that I’ve had on the KLR650 since Houston had warn down so that it was no longer a ‘knobby’ but more a road tire.  So with the best intentions I set out in Cuenca today to find replacement tires (the Pirelli MT90 put on in Medellin doesn’t do very well on the roads I seem to choose to ride on – those without pavement).  After driving around for 3 hours and not finding much I finally ended up following a guy who sold KTM’s around to this motorcycle parts warehouse.  They produced two tires – the front one was a complete road tire and I had to reject it, a Duro off-road tire was offered instead.  I bought the Pirelli MT60 for the rear and Duro for the front.   Earlier in the day I had stopped at a car tire shop where the owner offered to change my tires without charge.   So I showed up there and discovered that the Duro tire says ‘Not For Highway Use’ or something along those lines.  Now I have a tire not rated for the highway on the front, and a rear tire that is barely more off-road than the one it replaced – which is now chained haphazardly to my bike.   It was too exhausting and irritating to contemplate and wasn’t helped by the fact that they tire change messed up my back brake – so I spent 45 minutes lying on the dirty floor in the parking area trying to resurrect the rear brakes.

Not For Highway Use, Duro Knobby Tire

Chessi and I got out of Cuenca the following day heading  to Vilcabamba.  The road climbed to about 3500m and kept threatening rain but we kept avoiding it.   Nice views and nice empty winding road as it passed through very dusty and remote towns heading south through Ecuador.   These blowtorched pigs in the process of being scraped made for an entertaining stop – the first time I’ve taken photos of people without asking first.

Blowtorch and Scraped Pigs, Before Loja, Ecuador

The road was dramatic as it descended into a desert canyon and then climbed out the other side – we decided to stage a riding photo – without much success.

Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador

Staged Corner, Above Loja, Ecuador

We arrived at Hotel Izhcayluma where we had a double bed room for $12 USD each. The hotel is more of a resort (with bar, pool table, ping-pong table, restaurant) on the hills overlooking Vilcabamba – highly recommended.   The setting in a valley is beautiful with an excellent climate and both Chessi and I wished we had spent less time in Cuenca and Banos and more time there. The town and people aren’t even spoiled by tourism (yet!).

Main Plaza Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Church Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador

We left Vilcabamba with the best intentions of reaching the Peru-Ecuador border crossing of Las Balsas and beyond to Chachapoyas, Peru (well I did – Chessi was already skeptical we would make it).  When we left town the road quickly degraded with construction projects delaying our way and then climbing into a cloud forest with the requisite rain, mud, giant holes, waterfalls, and washouts.  We passed a touring group of about 5 bikers (possibly German) on Africa Twin bikes. They looked fatigued as they asked about the rest of the road from where we had come.

Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador

The road descended into a valley and followed the river along dramatically steep sides sun, rain, heat, and humidity.  As I rounded yet another corner to face yet another barking and bike-chasing dog, my back wheel slid out in a deep rut of mud and the dog latched onto my leg and despite wearing thick riding trousers over jeans, punctured the skin on my ankle.  I shook off the dog and furiously yelled at it.  It cowered from Chessi as he rounded the corner behind me.

Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador

We arrived in Zumba to find it another 1 hour to the Peruvian border at Las Balsas on a crap road that the Lonely Planet said was a 10 minute bus ride. When we arrived at 6pm (about 10 hours motorcycle ride from Vilcabamba) at the Las Balsas border the Ecuadorian border people were apparently playing beach volleyball by the river.  Others appeared and asked me for a cigarette and processed out personal and bike exit papers within minutes.  We then drove across a grass covered bridge into Peru where we were greeted by a slick Peruvian Migracion fellow sporting shorts and a t-shirt.  He did our entry for 90 days and asked for $1 USD each – when Chessi asked he said it was for all the children of Peru.   Then we went to Aduana (customs) for the bike import papers.  This was manned by a deaf old codger who we had to dictate the various pieces of information from our licenses and bike papers.  He took 1 hour to do the paper work – which we ended up filling out ourselves.  He told me to sign the back and after I did told me sternly that if I overstayed my visa the bike belonged to Peru – I laughed and he re-iterated it belonged to Peru.

Aduana Idiot, La Balsa, Peru

We spent the night just across the border in a mostly horrid town of Namballe, where the locals stared and talked about us while we were standing in front of them – the recompense may have been the moldy room and beds for $2.50 USD each.  Determinedly, we left town at 7:50am to get to Chachapoyas (a touristy town in the Eastern Andes of Northeast Peru).  The route took about 10 hours – multiple construction sites after Jaen and 4 hours of drill-like stones and mud beforehand from the Peruvian border.  The highlight was the majestic canyon that exists for 1.5 hours driving before Chachapoyas – unfortunately I was too tired and worried about running out of gasoline (we hadn’t changed enough money) to take pictures – will probably retrace our route to Jaen anyway in two days.

Towards Jaen, Amazon River, Peru

Chachapoyas, Peru

Not For Highway Use, Duro Knobby Tire	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador	Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador
Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador	Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador
Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador	Cuenca to Loja, Ecuador	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador
Blowtorch and Scraped Pigs, Before Loja, Ecuador	Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador	Blowtorch and Scraped Pigs, Before Loja, Ecuador	Muddy Boots towards Zumba, Ecuador
	Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador	Staged Corner, Above Loja, Ecuador	Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador
Staged Corner, Above Loja, Ecuador	Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador	Staged Corner, Above Loja, Ecuador	Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador
Staged Corner, Above Loja, Ecuador	Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador	Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Muddy towards Zumba, Ecuador
Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Towards Zumba, Ecuador	Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Towards Zumba, Ecuador
Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Towards Zumba, Ecuador	Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Towards Zumba, Ecuador
Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Towards Zumba, Ecuador	Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Towards Zumba, Ecuador
Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Zumba, Ecuador	Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Zumba, Ecuador
Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Church Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Church Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Church Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Church Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador	Leaving Vilcabamba for Zumba, Ecuador	Church Above Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Zumba Love!, Ecuador	Zumba, Ecuador	Outside Zumba, Ecuador	Outside Zumba, Ecuador
La Balsa, Ecuador Peru Border	Aduana Idiot, La Balsa, Peru	Outside Nambullo, Peru	Towards Jaen, Amazon River, Peru
Towards Jaen, Amazon River, Peru	Towards Jaen, Amazon River, Peru	Towards Jaen, Amazon River, Peru	Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru
Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru	Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru	Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru	Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru
Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru	Construction, Towards, Chachapoyas, Peru	Chachapoyas, Peru

Cuenca to Vilcabamba, Ecuador to Las Balsas and Chachapoyas, Peru GPX Tracks