Traveling the PanAmerica Highway 35 from Quito to Riobamba and then to Cuenca

Ecuador has great roads and beautiful countryside along Ecuador Highway 35.  From Quito we rode with an Ecuadorian who spotted us trying to get a bus at the terminal terrestre. It was a holiday and the lines were outrageously long. He first quoted us $50 but Frank got him down to $15. The drive from Quito to Riobamba was not without incident. We wrote about our petty crime experience in the Quito Guide. We spent the night in Riobamba and the next day took the national bus to Cuenca. From Quito to Cuenca it is a 9-hour drive so it is nice to break it up with a stopover midway.