"just make a dirty run for the border" -MW

So after counting our pennies and looking at the calendar, we reckon we've got another seven weeks before some giant airplane dumps us in Phoenix, undoing in 10 hours what took over six months and 1,500 gallons of Latin American petrol. We've redrawn a bead on our target from those days in Ensenada eating $.50 tacos that I'd pay $3 for now...Patagonia. We've hymned and hawed about the journey being more important than the destination, and true the time spent on the road so far is worth far more than any single point...but fuck it. Patagonia or bust.

Back in Portland we had consumed all manner of books and movies to help teach and inspire us in preparation for this drive. One movie in particular, 180 Degrees South was an account of Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins(future founders of Patagonia and The North Face) as they road tripped, climbed and adventured their way from California to Patagonia. Well as it turns out, Zachary Slobig, the polite surfer who went everywhere with his microphone and with whom we shared a shipping container from Panama to Columbia was one of the movie's writers. Nothing like a little nudge to get you refocused eh?

Ecuador has had us feeling the first true "cold" since we left the snow in northern Arizona. Drizzly rain and snow capped volcanos has had us thinking happily of our home in the Pacific Northwest. We crossed the Equator and later that day drove the van up to over 15,000 ft on the side of Cotopaxi, one of the largest active volcanos in the world. And we almost zip-lined over a huge gorge until I asked the lady in charge if it was safe("es seguro??") and she replied "Es su vida"(its your life)! Tomorrow should see us on the coast in northern Peru. Ceviche, sunburns, and sweaty nights in the van await us and we couldn't be happier.
Burn rubber. Make tracks. Haul ass. Get the hell out of Dodge. Call it what you like- The journey's been great, but we're driving to Patagonia.

this was in Colombia, wedged into a canyon near the border. 

Good people at Quito Motors

the first snow since Arizona! this is Cotopaxi from our campsite at 12, 680 feet. 

wild horses near our campsite at Cotopaxi

this guy was checking us out near the snow line.

Cotopaxi, 19347 ft.

the town of Banos, along a river fed by thermal springs.

our "high" spot so far.

our campsite, and the launching pad for the zip-line crazies. yup, across the gorge in about 12 seconds.

equator, on the money!

we settled in for a little spa treatment in Banos. here we are getting the "vapor treatment."

breakfast time!

You're eyes aren't failing you, thats a gallon of gas for $1.48 American(dollars are the currency in Ecuador).