Racing Death in Ecuador

The idea is to die young, but as late as possible... Paulo Coelho

This was not the running-whiletravelling article I hoped to write. But misadventure still has the word adventure in it, so what the heck! Here’s the short version: I flew to Ecuador via Europe, forgot to get a visa for my transit, had to re-route, spent 20 hours at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, and finally got to Ecuador. Hooray! But no! It gets worse. If you’ve read my editorial letter (p7), you’ll know that my first run to the top of El Panecillo in Quito went rather badly.

A pack of un-neighbourly dogs attacked me for some afternoon bloodsport. While I faced the biggest canid, one of the mutts nipped my lower left calf from behind.

Kicking him off, I realised with a renewed surge of adrenalin that I could get bitten by . flashed in giant red letters across my brain’s LED panel. With no-one near to help me,