Cycling from Coast to Highlands in Ecuador: Tumbes (Peru) to Cuenca (Ecuador)

After a surprisingly quiet border crossing, we left Peru and rolled into Ecuador on our bicycles. From there we pedaled back into the Andes mountains. Hugging the walls of deep valleys high above rushing rivers, we dodged the rubble of dozens of landslides where unstable slopes had slumped into the roadway. Every few miles brought a new climate zone, from steamy, banana lowlands, to cocoa plantations that serve the world’s fines chocolatiers. Finally we reached the Ecuadorian highlands, just in time to celebrate Holy Week along Cuenca’s cobblestone streets.