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It just never fails! Whenever you’re in a great hotel, the time of departure comes quickly. We had to say goodbye to the Hotel Oro Verde in Guayaquil so that we could head to Riobamba. I was actually excited about the ride because I would have an opportunity to really see the country. I’m usually not hard to please when in group situations because I understand that we all have to do whatever is needed to make things work out. I must say though, this one threw me for a loop:

We had to travel with our luggage and equipment in a somewhat small van. In addition to that, the third row was taken out for storage and we picked up two people for the journey. It was a very cramped ride, but somehow we all adjusted. I did as I normally do, fell asleep as soon as the van got about 10 miles out of the city. I actually slept most of the way there, but I did wake up long enough to snag this pic:

The important to notice about this picture is how high I was when it was taken. In one day, we drove from nearly sea level to about 9,000 feet above sea level. This is an issue because once you get this high, oxygen levels are much lower than normal and it tends to affect your breathing also causing stomach aches and headaches. I was caught by surprise on this one. Warnings were given about Bolivia, but I had no clue that Ecuador would be the sneak preview!

So, three and a half hours pass and we get to the Hosteria that we would spend the night in.

Marc was looking within and trying to become one with the air so that he could conquer the breathing problems!

So now, the reason we came:

The crowd in Riobamba was crazy!!! It always humbles me to see people react to us that way. And for the first time, we did a collaboration with a singer from there and it actually turned out great!

She had a wonderful voice and was not shy to the stage at all!

Next Stop, Quitto!!!