A ride, and my thoughts on the amount of rain Loja receives
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- Опубликовано: 4 дек 2023
- The rain here in Loja is not something I've really discussed before. Come for a ride with me through some beautiful country in south Loja as I talk a bit about the reality of the weather here. Hint: It's not eternal Spring :)
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Lot's of fun. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. Yes, I noticed lots of photos and RUclips videos of Loja when it was raining. If one were a gardener, one might be in heaven. But why garden in Ecuador when the markets are full of delicious fresh veggies and fruit?
hermoso el tour, no sabia ese tramo,,, gracias
An absolutely fantastic video although I was worried at every curve you were going to get run over. Lol.
I could not live for days on end without the sunshine. Calgary, Alberta may be cold in the winter but it is very bright and sunny. Rarely would we ever have more than 3 days in a row of no sunshine. I guess I’ve just taken Loja off my list!
Have you been to Cotacachi? I quite liked it there although I was only there 5 days. I think you’d be able to ride your bike there.
We don’t find that the rain inhibits our lives at all. Yes, it rains a bit almost every day, but it’s seldom all day. Usually just an hour or two. We still have plenty of opportunity to hike and enjoy nature here. It’s also a lot greener here than other dryer parts of Ecuador, so there’s a trade-off. You just have to be prepared with rain gear. As for the rivers - one of the flaws of Loja is that they’ve allowed development up the hills without proper drainage, and there is definitely raw sewage going into the rivers from a number of sources. I blame corrupt building inspectors for that. You can see that beautiful clear river coming out of the mountain in Zamora Huayco, but by the time it gets to the Puerta de la Ciudad it’s a smelly murky river of shit.
There is rain all over in the ecuadorian highlands. Some parts of the coast are drier, Manta or Salinas. Or you move to the peruvian dessert....
I do love a good bike ride video! Just as I started watching this, a massive thunderstorm came over. Just enough to drench the washing I had on the line, but now it's already so dry outside you'd never know: the sky in Brisbane right now looks the same as the sky in your video! 🤣
We were just in Loja about three weeks ago with friends from Cuenca while staying at Ichcayluma resort in Vilcabamba for a few days. Really enjoyed the city. Visited Parque Jipiro which was pretty cool. Then we parked by the Super Maxi and walked around town down to San Sebastian Square where we had lunch. Kept any eye out for a crazy gringo ripping around on a bike just in case. Of the three places we visited, Cuenca and Vilcabamba being the other two, we thought the vibe in Loja was the best although Cuenca was great as well. It sprinkled a little at Jirpiro and was partly cloudy in town while the clouds were thick on the mountains. We thought Loja might be the place but if the rain is like you say some reconsideration might be in order.
It does rain many days, but it’s seldom more than an hour or two, and seldom a downpour. Lojanos say you get all the seasons in one day here. Lojanos are always prepared with an umbrella, both for the rain and the sun. We do have a lot of cloud cover, but for me that just makes it more comfortable. A bright sunny day isn’t terribly comfortable for me. Direct equatorial sun is very intense. It makes a 68 degree day feel like 85 degrees or more, and very quickly burns your skin. I’ve found that the weather seldom inhibits my planned activities. I’m a hiker, and I’m content to hike in a light rain, but not a downpour. I also walk through the city a lot.
Thank god no dog chasers on that route 😉 I agree, Loja is way too rainy for me also. Best of luck in your search 🙏
Thanks mate! Yes, lots of friendly dogs that day. I think I'll give Salinas a go. More soon. Cheers!
Nice scenery and very green. Are you going as fast as it seems or is it sped up? Looks rather scary. So have you thought about alternatives for your move? I would be interested to hear what they are. Good luck!
Hi Johnney, jaja, thanks man, no, it's not sped up. I'm glad you're impressed! I guess fir a 50 year old I'm still pretty fit. At this point I've decided I'll try Salinas for a while.....more on that soon! Salud!
No way I’d do this death ☠️ wish ride 😂
Thank you, for yet another good bike-ride!!
How much does it rain and, is this all year round?
In Dublin we also have 4 seasons a day - most if the year and the rain here, is often what I call 'drizzle' as it's very light....the worst part of it, the sun doesn't shine during the drizzle...
I keep thinking that, when I move to Ecuador, I will just change from 4 seasons a day to 4 climates a day - am I completely wrong?
I don't mind if it rains a couple of hours - in the beginning of the day, if I can enjoy the sun and dry weather for the rest of the day. I truly hate weeks on end with rain which I remember from the Scandinavian autum and winter..
How long have you lived in Loja and, where would you go if you decide to leave??
Thanks a lot for sharing!!!
Hi! Thanks for watching:) Yes. It rains all year. There is apparently a "wet season " and a "dry season " but I've never seen any evidence of the dry season. It just rains all the time. I've been here almost two years now and i was ready to leave Loja because of the rain after just six months. Sometimes it rains all day. Sometimes it'll clear up for a few hours. There's almost always Grey cloud cover and planning for a full day on the bike is just impossible. It might be sunny when you leave but one hour later it'll be raining. If you're just hiking it's not so bad, but riding a bike long distances in rain is miserable. That's the key difference for me and other people who live here. I am a cyclist. It is my life long passion. Here in Loja, the constant rain prevents me from riding. It makes me depressed. It really depends on what you want to do. But if endless rain makes you gloomy I'd say you'll definitely struggle here. I hope this helps. Cheers!
@@Alvey_en_Ecuador Thanks a million!!
Again - sounds like Ireland... I can live with this but, will I?
Where else have you considered; - further north or??
When I come down, I'll visit different places in the country before I decide on anything...one of the good things when coming as a retired person which I will be by then.
It's sad though as Loja seems so nice but, I'm sure other places are as nice and, I'll find my Ecuadorian tribe I'm sure 😊
My plan is actually, to buy a bike again...when I was very young, I used to cycle at least 18 - 20 Kilometers per day and, living my hikes may not be enough in Ecuador hence a cycle again.I just don't care cycle in Dublin...basically because I love my life - not only Ecuador have "interesting" trafic..😊😊
Enjoy your weekend!!