11/08/13 Quito to La Mitad del  Mundo and back .

First day on the bikes and feeling slightly anxious about our cycle fitness and whether we've acclimatised sufficiently . I've had a thumping headache for 24 hrs but don't feel and reduction in my exercise  tolerance . Roughly 30 kms out and  30 kms  back today to visit the monument that marks the  equator . It should  be a good test of what we can  or  can't do .
Route finding is always difficult in big cities but as luck would have it every Sunday in Quito they close a three lane highway to all traffic except runners and bikers and it goes roughly from where we were staying to halfway to our destination .Sweet .
The riding was fine and only marred by an over eager taxi driver bumping into Marjets bike from behind , knocking her off and significantly buckling the wheel . Once Marjets bike had been dragged to the  side of the road the taxi driver said  " disculpame " and  then drove off !
Fortunately no injuries and we managed to find a bike  shop where they trued the wheel for a dollar .

 Marjet in the Northern hemisphere