Diary & Travel Reports from the saddle

Ecuador - getting stuck in - 8th July 2003

Well hello everyone.

Things are going great here in Ecuador.

I rode down to Quito from Colombia and was welcomed by Ricardo Rocco. I have known Ricardo, by email, since the early days of planning for this trip. He expected me eighteen months ago! Ricardo is a giant of a man in a number of ways. He is the street rider representative for the Federation of Ecuadorian Motorcyclists (the country’s FIM member) and has almost single handedly been lobbying on a number of fronts for bikers rights.

RIDERS RIGHTS

In particular a battle is raging over Ecuador’s requirement for international travelers with vehicles to purchase an expensive Carnet de Passage or pay a bribe to enter the country. This applies only at the Huaquillas border with Peru, one of the four land borders. Ecuador is the only country in all of the America’s to have such a rule, and if they don’t hurry up and change it we shall have to generate some bad publicity for Ecuador. Something like a boycott. It would be a shame since it is beautiful here. The other big problem in Ecuador is dangerous diesel spills from trucks and buses and unmarked road humps. Ricardo has been working tirelessly for international bike travelers and I’d like to see his efforts recognized.

Along with Andres and Byron at Moto Turismo Ecuador, we can expect some interesting developments here. The group recognizes the importance of a some sort of continental approach. So let’s hope that between the Ecuadorians, Costa Ricans, Mexicans, and Brazilians (in Rio the riders lobbied successfully for pavement parking) they will get it together.

For those activists in Europe, North America and Australia reading this, I can say, and you will agree that, when the chips are down, when we are up against it, our best asset is our grass roots network of activists. Without coherent structures in Asia and Latin America, influencing their own democracies, we are working at half capacity. I don’t know where globalization is going but I’d rather not leave it to chance! I think it is important, important enough for your organization to take an interest too. But will it?

HEALTH ON MOTORBIKES ­ SALUD EN MOTOS

It was my first weekday in Quito and I arrived, late in the day, at the Health Ministry. Most people had gone home. Dervis, a television producer turned humanitarian, was helping out at the Nutrician­Indigenous section.

He was very interested in the idea of using motorcycles and introduced me to his fellow chain smoking boss Guillermo. Guillermo immediately invited me to go with them in a Ministry car the next day to Chibuleo, to talk to the locals. The car would fill up with exhaust fumes every 10 minutes necessitating icy blasts from open windows.

Over the last years there have been massive demonstrations in Quito by Indians protesting against corruption. Now the Ecuadorian Government is in some sort of coalition between the establishment and the indigenous movement. There are also two sides in the Health Ministry. The guys we are dealing with over Chibuleo care passionately about their work and the indigenous peoples. The others are suited bureaucrats most content with the status quo.

The indigenous people in Chibuleo are short and have a special dress code. In fact all the indigenous communities have a specific and different dress code. There’ll be some photos on my website real soon. (here - Ed) The way of life is different too, Mum and Dad work the field whilst the 2 year old daughter sits on a blanket among the sods. All the children have animals crawling around in their hair. Hunger is a big, the school kids ravenously stuffed their mouths with plain rice leftover from the cafeteria.

It was special to see how the mere thought of motorcycles created such excitement, at all levels. I explained that I had no magic wand and it would most likely be years before we could help with some motorbikes.

Then Moto Turismo said they would be willing to train the people and control the maintenance of the proposed five motorcycle test fleet. For me, this is the main aspect. It makes me sick that the international aid community stupidly ignores maintenance for the thousands of vehicles supplied yearly. It is a waste of YOUR taxes. Look at the transport infrastructure of the governments that control these billions, the lengths they go to and money spent on maintenance for their own vehicle fleets and so forth. Why do they think that vehicles in the third world run themselves?

Anyway, five motorcycles can be handled by Moto Turismo. If the national project (perhaps comprising hundreds of motorcycles) is a runner, then we will certainly use the expertise of Riders for Health training, who are doing absolutely fantastic things in Africa.

GENERAL

I was a guest at Eduardo and Gill’s mansion near the town of Nayon just 15 minutes ride out of city, in full view of volcanoes, while I was in Quito. They were very good to me and didn’t even make an issue out of my demolishing part of their garage wall (it is made of mud).

That was not the only accident. Due to my still dodgy Spanish, I misunderstood the situation with the Health Ministry, and I allowed myself to become angry. In fact I was consumed with anger. I could not even remember when I had felt like this before. As I rode off to their office to give them some of my best Spanish verbal abuse, I was not concentrating on the road. I found myself riding along the edge of a V shaped concrete drainage ditch, the rear wheel went down, gripped, and threw me over the handlebars. I was flying quite well but it was a bit of a bumpy landing. I arrived at the Ministry, in new jeans, just a little bit (not much) subdued. Two days I spent straightening the bike (it feels better now than it has since the Australian Outback series of crashes), and a week nursing a very bruised arse (you know, one cheek riding). The lesson was quick and clear: anger is bad and leads to destruction and pain!

I visited the Mitad del Mundo monument (at the middle of the world village) and adjacent museums depicting the French and Spanish initiatives to understand and map the world. This point was deemed the most suitable. I saw the motorcycle drag races organized by Mario Gomez the South American motocross champion.

In the last week I took some time out for a relaxing ride down the Ruta del Sol on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The jungle and nature, the surf (I’ll soon be ready for the championship, not) and the warm people were all great.

Many thanks to all the new friends I have and all the help from everyone, like the guys at Todoterreno and Ray. I’m off to Cuenca to see about some cheap motorbikes and meet the guys and girls there.

All the best,

Simon

A solo fundraising round the world ride on a handmade motorcycle.
Supporting Doctors Without Borders and Health For All.

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