Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
Driving Gets d Major Test
On Pan American Highway

ny JANE DUAAkNNEW
North American Newspaper Alliance
IPIALES, Colombia. - You,
TOO. can drive the new Pan
American Highway. longest in
the world.
/ know. because I've driven
It's toughest stretch. / proved
for myself that you don't have
20 be an Eddie Rickenbacker
or Juan Fangio to pass what Is
called the worlds most hazard
Gus driving test.
The cost? Three dollars In
gasoline. $1,000 for meals and
hotel and q little nervous ten
sion. The reward? The ma
jestic beauty Of towering snow
capped peaks, the primitive
business Of jungle. the glimpse
Of people who live in q tax
free, carefree paradise. the
desolate areas Of sun-drenched
desert.
It cannot be duplicated any
where else In the world.
Within months, experts say,
the entire highway will be
completed. It will take driving
enthusiasts all the way from
Texas through Central Amer
lea, down along the west coast
Of South America, eastward
across Argentina and, finally,
north to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
where the road officially ends.
Major Test
One Of the major driving
tests win be found in Ecuador,
second smallest country In
South America, lying between
Colombia and Peru.
Here, the Pan American
Highway is no more than q
six-foot-wide ribbon Of cobble-
stone. 1t winds like a giant,
snake between snow-capped
ranges Of the Andes mountains.
In the short 220-mile run be-
tween Quito. capital Of Ecua-
dor, and this Colombian city Is
every type Of driving hazard.
It is generally agreed that If
one can successfully conquer
this stretch Of road, the rest of
the highway can be taken in
stride.
I am not what one would
call an experienced driver; let's
just say average" But here
was q challenge I had to take.
In Quito ! telephoned q
friend of mine, Raul Gavela,
who was well acquainted with
this particular stretch of high
way, and he offered to accom-
pany me.
The Start
From the very moment Of
our departure, ! realized that
alertness was one Of the requi-
sites Of night driving in Ecua-
dor. In the country. our pow
erful headlights picked up
fiocks Of sheep wandering aim
lessly along the road, stray
cows which could have brought
sudden disaster, and innumer-
able colorfully dressed Indians
bowed under the weight Of the
large packs of farm produce
which they carried on their
backs.
The early morning air was
cool and refreshing and the
stars looked like gold paint
splashed against a deep purple |
canvas. At once the narrow
road turned into q reverend
ing series Of hairpin turns that
had to be taken cautiously.
It was not until daylight.
however, that I realized how |
dangerous this stretch Of road
actually was. On either side
were dirt shoulders, each about
four feet wide. Every time we
passed another car or collective |
(bus), we were forced within |
inches of the edge Of the road.
q road that dropped straight
away, oftentimes several thou
sand feet to the green valley |
far below.
Caution Needed
These were the desperate
moments that called for COM
mon sense driving and extreme
caution. There were no guard
rails, road signs, nothing to
warn the driver Of the hazards
which lay ahead.
We arrived at Otavalo at six
o'clock that morning. The In
dian fair. held in the public
square, was in full swing and
we stopped to take photographs.
"A few hours later we con-