16th February Quito – Columbia 184 miles

We got an early start today and are headed for Pasto in Columbia, the road is quite built up a lot of the way, so not fast but we are making good progress. We have the usual navigational problems, such as coming to a roundabout and no signage or indication of where to go, it would seem that here we can go straight or left as they seem to loop and join again.
When we get to the join we realise that we have missed the Equator, we were expecting some sort of sign to denote the fact you are crossing the equator, but nothing, anyway we have crossed it so now back in the Northern hemisphere.
When we get to the border there are probably 50 – 60 people waiting for immigration on the Equidorian side and one person processing, this could take a while, thankfully another person comes so we get through twice as fast. The Arsenal Barcelona football game is on whilst we are waiting and we see Arsenal win so keep our mouths shut as we are surrounded by Spanish speaking and therefore probably Spanish supporting people.
Having done immigration on to Aduana, customs and clock the bike out of Ecuador then across the bridge to Columbia. OMG, what is going on here, there are two trucks completely blocking the road. We are beckoned on and sqeeze through a pedestrian gap and then have to cross a drainage gully and we are in the car park. Into immigration, thats quick as there are only 4 of us to process and then round to Aduana. On arriving they say they want photocopies of all our documents including the stamp we just got on our passport, so back to immigration, as that is where the photocopier service is, get the copies and return to Aduana.
This whole border is blocked by about 20 trucks all jack-knifed and intermingled with signs on them. We asked the customs guy what was going on and apparently the government want transport charges down and the hauliers want them up so this border has been locked down for 15 days and he also told us that the road to Cali is blocked, we are headed there, but they were happy about motorcycles to come through here so we may get through, we’ll see.
Over a few more pavements and we are through but it has taken hours and althoughwe were doing really well for time we are now pushing the daylight, not what we wanted for the first day in Columbia.
Peering through the pouring rain we eventually find a cabana and haul up for the night. There is a restaurant just up the road, so dinner and an early night and we will get to Pasto in the morning and try to search out some tyres.