Columbia here we come

At Riobamba the road improves and becomes a toll road and motorbikes have to pay US$ 50 cents. The altitute is still high here so not too warm but good dual carraigeway so progress is fast all the way to Quito. I pass the sign to Cotpax national park but its raining hard and the volcanco was covered in clouds. Approaching Quito I have two choices 1. the town centre or 2. Pan American north. I can´t face another large dirty city so continue along the dual carraigeway.
At 1700 hrs I see a small hotel with cafe next door on the opposite side of the road. I drop a "u" and book in and pay US$10 ( in Columbia you pay for your room at time of booking). The road is very noisy but I´m cold and its going to be dark soon. My bed is planks on two concrete block walls but is quite comfortable.
2nd March (Sunday)
I have now been ill for 4 or 5 weeks and food goes straight though me so I decide to start a course of Erythromyein. Since Dave left I have managed fine on one meal a day and Coke the rest of the time. I now also have stomach cramps. Still the good news is that I am losing weight and on the 8th March weight was 88kgs ( if the scales are to be beleived) thats 10 kgs down from the start of the trip. Supper tonight is US$2.50 but the noise here did´nt stop untill 0200 hrs.
I head north for the Ecuador monument and its a very overcast cool day, I miss any sign for the monument but have a nice drive though lush green mountains with very good fast toll roads. Bikes in Ecuador and Boliva pay tolls but in Columbia and Peru its free.
In Ecuador once you get north of Riobamba the roads are good. Its nice to get away from the cities and I arrive at the border at 1400 hrs. I get my passport exit stamp but the Aduna office(Customs) is closed for Sunday so technically no vechicles can enter or leave Ecuador.
I ask a young lad on a 125 cc Suzuki motor bike and he helps me though the procedure. I give my temporary import bike document to an Aduna officer in the street and move up the hill to the Columbia border. I get my passport entry stamp and theres no queue at all. I then go to the Aduna officer where a very nice lady ( with purple hair pieces) speaks english and she helps me with all the forms. I have to get documents photocopied so the lad takes me back to Ecuador on his 125 and we return to gain my temporary bike import document. I change some money with the street money changer as US$ not accepted in Columbia. I change my Peru currency and also change US$100 and get 1880 pesos per US$1. I have no idea at this stage wether this is good or not but have little choice at the border on a Sunday. I pay my new friend US$4 for his help.

Columbia here we come, entry has been no problem, in fact it was a pleasant experiance with a pretty girl. The lady also took a rubbing of my bike chasis number which I have never had done before. ( bit like brass rubbings in churches). I move though rolling hills/ mountains and steep valleys, very good roads and the houses have tiled roofs like the ones in Ecuador. The houses in Ecuador and Columbia are better built that Peru. In Ecuador and Columbia it is ilegal to import 2nd hand cars, so generally three cars on the road are better than Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Its a nice hot sunny day and I stop and take lots of photos of valleys but its difficult to stop as the road has deep gullies ( for rain) at the side and no hard shoulder.
On the way down one hill there is a huge traffic jam, a vechile has gone over, an ambulance takes patients away and a Toyota pick up loads the bodies. The traffic jam is caused by all the people parking and watching the rescue. There are about 20 cars abanonded on the side of the road and its these that are the real problem.
That evening I arrive at Pasto after a good 1st day in Columbia and find a hotel for 30,000 Pesos. I did stop in the main Plaza and within 5 mins have a crowd of about 20 people asking where am I from and what I am doing. Every one is so freindly and try to help. The crowd is a little big so I decide its time to move on. The hotel has an underground parking area. for the bike.

I walk around town for a few blocks and also find an internet cafe. I hear from James ( bike traveller from Manchester who been to Asia, India, Australia and South America in 20 months on Trumiph Tiger) who is in Bogota and give me the name of a good hostal.
During my walk around town I notice lots of millitay carrying automatic weapons and some concrete towers with solders inside. The towers tend to overlook the Plazas.