HOLY MOLY: The first few days of bicycle touring in South America

By: Rayna Weiss (Arena)

9/14/10

1) It usually rains (when I say rain I mean torrential downpour) in the afternoon.

2) Cars are very assertive and usually find it odd to see three bicycles with large yellow things following them.

3) Although a large truck tells you to pass on a downhill, blind curve, that doesn’t always mean that there isn’t oncoming traffic.

4) The expression “eres loca” usually is a compliment.

5) Ecuadorians might be the most generous people in the world; they have cared about three strangers from another county as if they were their own children.

6) With the latter in mind, they worry A LOT.

7) Chicken feet soup, oddly, is a very effective pick-me-up.

8) Disc brakes can be kind of annoying when one can’t figure out how to make them stop rubbing on one side or the other.

9) Honking doesn’t always mean: “get out of the way.”

10) This country might be the next cycling magazines dream come true. (Shh.. don’t tell)