Report of 25th June
Report by Thecla and Benno

We intend to go on 6 o clock in the morning for a walk through the rainforest. But when we awake it was still dark. About a half hour later it was light enough but cloudy.

jungle

The noises are all around us and I feel my heat beating if we enter with our first steps in virginious wood. We get welcomed  by colorous birds while lizards run shy away.

curious bird

feather macaw

We see humming birds, many butterflies and big great spiders of 8 cm. Pace for pace we walk careful further in the wood, we won’t disturb “the holiness of the surrounding”. The magic of the wood let us whisper.  We see at the top of the jungle enormous wood giants and from a distance we hear the impressive sounds of howling monkeys. Robbery birds look up and fly slightly away.  How nice

weaverbird nests

under the arms of the ceibo three

If we cross a little river, we see fishes and hear whistling frogs which make the sounds of the wood more impressive. A few moments later, just when Dirk’s is asking about the possibility to see here snakes, we see a beautiful coloured coral-snake on our path.
We get quiet about the naturalness, so near by Guayaquil and that we may enjoy it together.

forest squirel

exotic jungle food

After the beautiful hike we stayed on the shade of the campsite and we are waiting to the things which will come. Today we had to do some shopping and we experienced a very abandoned road which we normally don’t see. But it seems that Ecuador had to play the next game in the world championship. A shame that they play ended 0-0, so they may not play further.

in the shadow

Report 24^th of June
Report by Thecla and Benno

It’s unusual to start a journey as a supporting team when one of the cars has problems with his BIG END. But with a positive look that nothing happens without a reason would this probably lead us to a BIG BEGINNING.

open space garage

When we travelled with our Royal Enfield in South America for 9 months, we have encountered only one city where we had bad experiences. Because of that experience we wouldn’t visit that city any more. Funny but that city was Guayaquil.
I hoped that we could leave quickly this city. But Dirk wanted also to control the shaft of the rear wheels. Luckily Dirk started to control to the left rear wheel and what did he found?
The bearing from the axhole was for 40 cm moved and wasn’t possible to fix on the right place.

discussion what to do

experience the clearance

technical fight

precision work with the baco

I got visions that we are forced to stay for four weeks, four weeks in Guayaquil.
Probably we had something to learn. And what happened? In contrary to our expectations did we get a overwhelming help of people from Guayaquil: David en Carlos. Enormous what a sympathy.
Seldom we met such a intelligent and helpful people on our travels, and this happened in a city which we had in our deep black side of our mind.

our wonderful friends

The whole day Benno and Dirk where very busy with the rear wheel.
They fixed a new locking bus and after that the wheel turns perfect..

it works out well

trudy reads the guideline to become 100 years old

dirk’s new car arived

which shall we use today

After a day of hard wrestling we went back to our place on the edge of the rainforest.
Here Trudy and Thecla take care for the food, which we eat near the campfire, with on the background the many different noises of the forest. Trudy took her guitar and accompanied Dirk with Mongolian throat sounds. The sounds brought us to far mystic moments which we didn’t have encountered for a long time. A magic place with very nice people!

Report of 23 June
Report by Thecla

Monday 23th June

Official change of the key of the Landrover and stickering of the Landrover with the names of us. But the stickering doesn’t work out so simply because the heat had done some damage to the prepared sticker. We needed the help of doctor Dirk with his scalpel to complete the names.

changing of the keys

Doctor Dirk in action

the sticker of us on the Landrover is ready

Today Trudy and Thecla stay on the campsite and make a short discovering hike in the nature. They see all kind of exclusive,  blooming and smelling plants, giant trees with magic air roots  and exotic birds. There are also some animals in the orphanage, but they are more easily to see.

toekan

Benno and Dirk drive with the Landrover to the company of David, in search of the disturbing noise inside the T ford. They get fantastic help from David Verdu en Carlos Joniaux, by changing the location of maintenance in a open door location what really more comfortable is, less warmth.  By opening the carter pan there was a small piece of Babbitt which felled down.
The energy level of our man went to a very deep point. The piece belonged to the front cover of the crankshaft bearing. How worse is it? Some call it the BIG END!!
The great hospitable David and Carlos offering any help we need. Professionals who have a good network of people. Benno and Dirk are taken to many different garages in search of a solution for the broken Babbitt. Finally they decide to let make a new piece of bearing what they can prepare by their own.

damaged bearing

Report 22 June
Report by Thecla

Sunday 22 June

Today a quiet day for Dirk and Trudy who are preparing for the coming of the next team.
Time for reorganisation of the stuff in the Landrover.
Well on a superb campsite in the middle of the Ecuadorian rainforest of Guayaquil.

reorganisition

Meanwhile fly Benno and Thecla above the majestic Cotopaxi volcano (5897m).
A beautiful first glimpse of our final destination Ecuador.

cotapaxi

Benno and Thecla arrive with a special flight combination from train and plane from Antwerp. After a nice 14 hours  flight we land on 17.00 hour (local time).
In the arrival hall is it very busy with locals who are accompanied with banners, balloons and a lot of noise welcome their family and friends. Benno and Thecla were surprised by the amount of people. We recognize Trudy and Dirk quickly and get a warm welcome.

arrival

We go with a taxi from the airport to the safe and guarded campsite. There we get surprised.
By the beautiful- and quietness of the campsite.  We get surrounded by the for us  recognisable noises of the rainforest. Our sleeping place  is ready! After nice talking by the fire and a cold drink we go for a sleep.

Entrance Campsite

Report 21 June
Report by Trudy

We slept on the campsite of Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco near Guayaquil.

Goodmorning Model T.!!

good morning

The last day with Daan en Floor. They arrange their suitcases and Floor makes his last report for the website.

Floor’s last report

A break for a cup of coffee and then they go to the airport.

riko coffee

Dirk drives Daan en Floor in the Model T to the gate of the campsite en than a friend of  José takes them to the airport.

last ride in Model T

Daan en Floor, thanks for your assistance (and patience in Cartagena) during the trip in Colombia and Ecuador..

thanks to team Botter

We brought the Model T to Davids garage. Here has de Model T a nice sleeping place with all the beautiful cars of David and later Dirk can do maintenance here.

new place