Mindo Cloud Forest

Switching gears from the high volcanic peaks of the Andes south of Quito, we traveled to the dense and misty cloud forests northwest of the capital city. We chose a route from Cotopaxi National Park that would bypass the insane roads of Quito and offer new scenery. From the Pan-American Highway, we cruised west from Machachi to Santo Domingo along Ecuador Ruta 20. This 'highway' is a primary artery for large trucks and buses moving commerce and people toward the Pacific Coast. Comparing conflicting information from three different maps of unknown ages and accuracy, we joined the traffic train to our Santo Domingo turnoff. Starting at a high elevation and continually dropping into jungle, we encountered the true meaning of driving in the clouds. For the next three hours we had no idea what we were in for! Buses passing on blind corners at breakneck speeds, wet and scary downhills with unmarked construction seemingly around every turn, and crazed pedestrians who would sometimes throw rocks at the buses that ignored their pleas for a ride. After this really lovely section of our drive, we came to a confusing split in the 'highway'. A wrong turn would lead us to the coast, many hours from our destination. Remember, road signs in Ecuador are few and far between and so are turnarounds. Not having a GPS unit, Chandler made a great call as navigator, and we left the misery of this highway behind. The next two hours lead back into the cloud forest on an incredible, traffic-free road that looked like Disneyland for bird and plant enthusiasts! Per usual, we entered the town of Mindo in the dark, only to find the main road through town blocked with construction. Asking a nice girl at the visitor's information center how we should proceed to 'Mindo Garden', our hostal, she helped with directions. She then looked at our car, 'Sparky', and made a face of concern that we won't soon forget and offered us alternative lodging nearby. As it turned out, our hostal was at the end of town and required several water crossings and traversing an obstacle course of large craters. Go, Sparky Go! Mindo Gardens is a beautiful, secluded eco-lodge along the banks of the Rio Mindo. By now it was raining very hard and we were glad to make it safely. Not seeing any lights on in the lodge was a little strange, but the door finally opened. It turned out we were the only two to reserve a room for the next three nights, and our host took us down to our private cabin at the river bank. What an amazing place to spend three days! We spent our time enjoying the jungle and river, and on one of the days we hirered a guide to take us into the Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest to look for toucans, quetzals, and Andean cock-of-the rocks, among other bird species. Our guide, Herman, was very good and helped us to spot many birds in the distance, making this trip better for binoculars than the camera. We spent two afternoons enjoying the Mariposa de Mindo butterfly farm, which breeds twenty-five species, including the brown owl eye and the Peleides blue morpho, which has a wingspan of 20 centermeters. At the entrance to the butterfly farm several feeders were attracting over 10 different species of hummingbirds and fruit-eating birds. What a treat!

Volcan Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi, Ecuador's top mainland national park, is second only to the Galapagos in the annual number of visitors. South of Quito in the Andes at roughly 18,000 feet in elevation, Cotopaxi sits in a line of tall peaks known locally as 'Volcano Alley'. While passing this region to visit Laguna Quilotoa and Banos earlier, we were only able to see large cloud formations surrounding this monster. Leaving Banos we turned to the park and headed toward Hacienda El Porvenir, a ranch at the park entrance. The last 18km. of road were old cobblestone and we arrived in the dark, with the stars beginning to emerge from thick cloud. Chandler ordered perhaps the best meal we have had in Ecuador, a tenderloin served and finished on hot volcanic rock with a chimichurri sauce. We were settled in after a grueling drive. Excited to see what the land would look like in the daylight, we crashed hard. As we checked in to our room earlier in the evening, we laughed about the size of our small broom closet bathroom. Visiting the bathroom in the middle of the night provided an unexpected surprise. A window-ceiling gave us incredible views of the moon and stars. Waking up before dawn, we took a hike to set up for sunrise photos, and Cotopaxi delivered for us! We ended up with a four hour window of visibility before the clouds moved back in! A small lake near the base of the volcano is home to several migratory birds, and this Solitary Sandpiper was working the banks of the lake to search for food. From here we head to the cloud forest!

Banos

Leaving Laguna Quilotoa, we traveled southeast several hours to the town of Banos de Agua Santa (literally translating to "Holy Water Baths".) Losing over 6,000 feet in elevation we entered what is called 'the Gateway of the Amazon.' Banos is a lovely resort town nestled in the heart of Ecuador. It sits in the shadow of Volcan Tungurahua, a fairly young and temperamental volcano that provides the town with thermally heated, mineral rich therapeutic waters for soaking in. While in Banos, we stayed at the Hostal Posada del Arte. This beautiful hostel is owned by an American ex-pat family from Chicago and is decorated with colorful art from throughout the region. While in the area we enjoyed visiting dozens of waterfalls, touring the church in the main plaza, dining on delicious food, and soaking our sore muscles in the volcanically heated pools. We had a thrill of a lifetime when we visited Casa del Arbol. A rope swing attached to an old tree (they call it "the swing at the end of the world") sends the rider sailing high over a steep mountain side in the Andes. It is a nearly vertical drop off, so riding the swing is a real adrenaline rush! We enjoyed ourselves and a beautiful sunset. It rounded out a great visit to Banos. Can't wait for the next adventure!