today, i drove from cuenca to loja. it was another scenic drive through the mountains. this time, though, part of the drive was along really steep mountains….which made you feel pretty small and powerless.

i’ve driven almost 10,000 miles in just under 2 months. i’ve also passed into the southern hemisphere! if you’re wondering about gas…here’s some data from the trip thus far:
+so far, i’ve burned almost 310 gallons. my average mpg is about 31.
+so far, i’ve spent about $800 on gasoline.
+so far, the most expensive gas station has been one in nicaragua (costing $4/gal).
+so far, the cheapest gas has been in ecuador (price at all stations is $1.48/gal).
+so far, the average gas price has been about $2.60.
+i’ve just started switching to super (instead of regular). the high altitude here is causing engine knock…hopefully the super will minimize that. super here costs about $2.10/gal — so it’s much more expensive than regular.
+so far, 99.99% of gas stations have been full-serve (vs. self-serve).
+so far, i’m only aware of one gas station attendant that tried to rip me off (by charging an extra $10 to the credit card….luckily i caught the ‘error’ in time).

i have all the numbers written down….so if you’re interested in more detailed information, please add a comment.