Exploring Mindo & the Cloudforest

Today marked the beginning of our adventures in Ecuador!in Mindo, Ecuador. After a very delayed arrival into Quito at 2:00AM and 4 brief hours of sleep, My adventurous mother and I defied our snooze buttons and got ready for our big day ahead. We had the good fortune of spending the night with friends in Quito, so we packed ourselves up and headed to the kitchen for an early breakfast before meeting our transfer. Breakfast was delightful, featuring homemade patacones by Betty, and strong cups of coffee. The crispy plantains were the perfect start to our day, providing the energy we needed for our adventures, while the coffee...was absolutely necessary, even for me, the non-coffee drinker. 

Accompanied by our knowledgeable guide, Daniel, we set off on a three hour drive to Mindo,to explore the lush landscapes of this unique region. Mindo is the main hub of tourism in this Cloudforest region. It is known for its incredibly biodiversity, as well as for its range of activities. Set in the shadow of the Pichincha Volcanoes, travelers to this region can  enjoy rafting, tubing, trekking, mountain biking, canyoning, horseback riding, birdwatching, and chocolate making. Mindo also makes for a great starting point for adventuring in Ecuador, since it sits at about 4,100 ft, about half the elevation of Quito. For anyone arriving from Sea Level, this ease into high altitude activities is quite welcome.

After the lengthy drive from Quito, we decided to explore the Cloud forest on foot to stretch our legs.  Our goal was to hike to the stunning Cascada La Reina.  We followed a well cut trail up and down rolling jungle hills. The sound of the rushing water and the vibrant greenery created a serene atmosphere, making it feel as though we had stepped into a natural paradise. The jungle is very lush in Mindo and the cloud forest is known for its heavy rainfall and low sitting cloud, creating a heavy mist most of the time. Even though the day was not super hot, the humidity had us both drenched for the entire hike.  After soaking in the beauty of the falls, or actually soaking in the falls (mom...), we hiked back out to the trailhead and hopped into a cable car that transported us over the top of the very thick jungle below. From the wobbly basket, we spotted a huge Oropendola bird nesting in the top of one of the trees below as we passed over. 

 When back on sold footing, we hopped in our transfer and continued our journey to the local butterfly observatory. Here, we were treated to a spectacular display of colors as countless butterflies flitted weightlessly in the sunlight. We were very excited about how many were flying close and landing on us, until Daniel informed us they love salty tasting things, and must be attracted because we were fresh off our hike. Outside the butterfly garden, we had the good fortune of spotting six Pale Mandible Aracari, squabbling over fruit and a lone Agouti (picture a mini Capybara) wandering in the shadow of the trees below the ruckus. This all added an extra touch of excitement to our afternoon! After the butterfly garden, we headed downtown in Mindo for a tasty lunch of ceviche.. and pasta, with a side of Mango smoothie. 

 

In town, Daniel walked us to a house where a local woman tends one of the most diverse orchid gardens in Ecuador. For a very small fee she walked us through row after row of orchid varieties of all colors and sizes. Ranging from as small as a grain of rice to blooms as large as my hand. Equipped with a magnifying glass we were able to spy out even the tinies blooms in detail. This may have been one of my favorite stops on the trip. Our guide Daniel, is an absolute expert in his craft and had so many little surprises like this through our entire trip. I cannot recommend enough having a local guide to really make your trip special. 

After a very busy day in Mindo, we hopped back into our transfer and prepared for another lengthy drive to Otavalo for the evening. With more time we probably would have spent the night in Mindo, but Mom and I had packed a lot into our pre-Galapagos days, which meant a few longer drives to set ourselves up for each day's activities. 

Our accommodations for the night was the beautiful and historic Hacienda Pinsaqui, located in Otavalo in the highlands North of Quito. This remarkable location is steeped in history; it was here that the peace treaty between Ecuador and Colombia was signed in 1836. Some of the hacienda's most illustrious guests throughout history have been Simon Bolivar, a number of his generals, as well as intellectual, Alexander Von Humboldt - an explorer and naturalist who defined the term "nature" as we now understand it, and the inspiration for Darwin's deep dive into evolutionary theory. Humboldt's name is now found throughout South America on geographical features, currents, and even street signs.  Although the estate once spanned 800 hectares, it now encompasses just 8, yet the rich history permeates the air and the well maintained grounds. After settling in, we indulged in a traditional dinner of locro, a hearty potato soup that was both comforting and flavorful, in the Hacienda dining room. To cap off our day, we enjoyed a local cocktail known as canelazo, made with cinnamon and cane sugar alcohol. It was the perfect nightcap as we reflected on the day's adventures and looked forward to what lay ahead.