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Moto-Loco Ecuador Trail Ride One thing we originally planned but were unable to do, due to logistics and timing, was participate in some sort of cross-country race, as that's also an option that Moto-Loco offers. Racing in a different country is an opportunity to see that, even in other countries, racers are just as enthusiastic about ~heir sport as those in the United States. After eight straight days on the trail, we certainly felt it. However, Henry offered to take us on a quick and easy spin around Quito (something similar to what a one-day ride would be) and we 'accepted. (Why not extend that personal record to nine days of riding i,,! a row?) It proved to (Left) When riding around the edges of the Chimborazo volcano, It's easy to see how active the Earth has been over the years - especially here. (Below) It doesn't matter If it's the middle of summer; you're likely to find snow when riding on the road around Chimborazo, since Its elevation is over 12,000 feet. Instead, we kept on riding, and the next night's accommodations proved quite the opposite end of the spectrum from Hakuna Matata. The Luna Runtun on the side of a mountain above Banos de Agua Santa quietly declared itself worthy of five-star opulence. It was almost as difficult tearing ourselves away from there, as well - but the best riding lay ahead. By this time, we were definitely out of the lower jungle areas and heading higher. Not only did we get views of the slopes of the volcanoes, we actually rode on some. One evening, while making the dash to our hotel, we had the rare opportunity to see not one or two, but four volcanoes in the last light of the day. Rare indeed it is to see even one without it being obscured by clouds, Henry claimed. The final few days of our south-tonorth trip up the Valley of the Volcanoes included the best riding, with some fun single-track finally thrown into the mix. While the dirt roads early in our tour were the simple kind you'd find on an easy dual-sport run, some of the single-track would be enough to keep an A-level enduro racer amused. At least we didn't find it boring. Some of the highlights included hitting around 14,000 feet while riding around the Cotopaxi volcano - and feeling the bikes having as hard a time breathing as we were and crossing a shaky bridge made of three small logs. Our sweep rider at the time didn't quite make the exit and dropped a few yards into the freezing water below. It took a while for us to help him get his old XR600R pumped out and restarted, but at least we didn't have to leave him, or his bike, there overnight. 46 OCTOBER 9, 2002' cue I Besides the riding, Moto-Loco offers its clients the chance to try other activities. We went white-water rafting one morning, and shopping at the Otavalo Indian Market another. Yes, there are deals at the market (bargaining is expected), and it's a great place to stock up on souvenirs (not included in the tour price, of course). For those so inclined, Moto-Loco can also set you up to go hiking, fishing, surfing, mountain biking, or even mountain climbing. It depends on how much time (and money) you have. Since you're at altitude for much of the time, we'd recommend that you be in fairly good shape, especially if you want to tackle some n • _ s e of the more demanding trails or other activities. Moto- Loco offers plenty of other tours, should you not have two weeks of vacation available. Some of the most popular with businessmen on a limited time budget, according to Henry, are the one-day rides around the Quito area for $165 (gear included; other tours require you to have your own). If you're going to Ecuador to ride, though, you'll definitely want to take at least a week, which is $1800 for the coast-and-volcano tour. The longest, most expensive tour Moto-Loco offers is its two-week coast-and-volcano ride for $3200. A 10-day tour similar to ours runs about $2400. be scenic and included mostly exploration, which Henry is apt to do, as there are still many miles of trail and little dirt roads he has yet to put a wheel on. In fact, he promised to take us on a very different tour the next time, and we plan to hold him to that. After all, we're crazy about riding dirt bikes in Ecuador now, too. CIII Where to book it Moto-Loco Adventure Tours 7140 Hunnicutt Creek Dallas, TX 75227 patrick@moto-Ioco.com www.moto-Ioco.com