Mindo

Well, I’m broken in. 

Arrived in Mindo Friday around 10am after about two hours on the bus that left from Terminal Ofelia in Quito. My taxi driver parked right in front of the bus, saving me the 10 cent terminal entry fee. Righteous. 

Very scenic bus ride (you cross the equator four times) down to 1600 meters / 5300 feet. Yes, after spending my entire life near sea level, that’s now low for me. The bus was packed with young foreign tourists, most going for a weekend getaway. It was amusing when we got to Mindo. In small towns you can ask to get off near where you are going. There was a general babble in multiple languages and accents: “When do we get off?” I looked at Google Maps, walked to the front of the bus amid confused stares, and popped off about a block from my hostel. Good luck, adventurers. Follow my example. 

I tried to book all my accommodations directly with the hostels through WhatsApp – they save the online booking fees and so do you. Couldn’t book Quito that way as it was an actual hotel, and couldn’t find a WhatsApp for El Descanso in Mindo. I have it now, though, and will reserve directly with them in the future. A bit of confusion at check in: I booked online and mistakenly reserved for 2 people. Totally my error. So I gladly paid for two people. Which came to $40 a night. In the big picture, who cares. 

After unpacking, and getting a small late breakfast, I set out to walk around Mindo and familiarize myself with the one main street and its spurs. It’s a gringo joke that eventually you trip on the uneven sidewalks of Ecuadorian cities. Having experience with them in inner city Reading PA, I made it a year and a half without falling, without being broken in. Until today. I was looking at my cellphone and not paying attention and boom. Face plant. I scraped a small bit on my chin, and right knee and hand, but I’m basically fine. I absolutely terrified the two abuelas across the street in their restaurant, though. They screamed frantically for me to come over, which I did. And they let me clean up in their bathroom. Hilariously, there was a customer in there, and they made him get out. After, I stopped at a pharmacy to buy bandaids, and the abuela there refused to sell them to me. It needs air, she said. Sold me some alcohol wipes for 50 cents. Thank you, abuelas. 

After all that, I went to El Quetzal Chocolate Factory for a tour. Perfect timing. I missed the large group that left 10 minutes before me, and got an individual guide through. Miguel was great, and I chose to tour in Spanish and understood everything, so I’m very proud of myself. I got to do everything: roast the cacao, separate the shells from the nibs, grind them, and mix the paste with various sweeteners and flavorings. And I bought a bag of 100% chocolate drops, no sugar. One a day. I can hardly wait to dig in. 

Dinner was a splurge at El Cheff. Numerous references online recounted how amazing their lomo a la piedra (steak on a rock) was. Steak is an option that I never choose unless I’m sure it’s worth it, especially in Ecuador which is not Argentina in this regard. Like I need to be Peter Luger level sure. I’m glad I took the chance. It surprisingly was the bomb. Sides were great and a large Club (Ecuadorian beer) accompanied perfectly.  And the walking home drizzle turned into a sonorous steady rain to sleep by. 

Saturday morning I got up at 5am to go to Casa Amarilla (Yellow House) for some hiking and birdwatching. Serious birdwatchers, and Mindo has many as it holds the record for most species spotted in 24 hours, hire guides for $50+ to take them to secret spots where rare birds congregate. If, as it is for me, “birdwatching” is a checklist item next to “chocolate tour”, then you pay $6 and wander unguided around the trails of the Yellow House. 

I had no expectations, and they were met. It was a lovely three hour hike, 6am to 9am, through amazing microclimates. There were so many birds — there was a constant din — but seeing them was challenging. Early on I decided my tactic would be to listen for something different and close by, and look for that. In this way, I saw a woodpecker, which I am sure must be the low hanging fruit of birdwatching. You hear the distinctive pecking noise, you look at the tree, and there it is. It was a grayish green and had a red head. 

I had the trails to myself except for one other solo woman I encountered. She was young and had sharp eyes, and used my travel binoculars (basically, opera glasses) to spot a bird she heard. It looked like a small turkey but up in the trees, and had a red head. So for me that was identifiable bird two of two.  I asked her if she had seen any other birds. “Yes!” she said excitedly. “A woodpecker with a red head!”

Low hanging woodpecker fruit. 

I walked slowly in general and heard many distinctive noises, none of which I could identify. I did see a lot of birds, but generally they were small and unidentifiable, or flying and unidentifiable, or in the distance and unidentifiable. By the time I got my binoculars to my eyes and tried to triangulate where the bird was, either I couldn’t find it or it was gone. 

The Yellow House provided a map which showed the trails and indicated areas where there were monkeys, toucans, rare birds, and such. I’m guessing I heard all of them, and you need guides to spot them and show them to you with their high powered telescopes. Either that or someone saw a toucan and a monkey once in 1955 and onto the map it went. I kid. What I wanted was a nice hike through the woods, with wild noises and smells and sights, and $44 extra dollars in my pocket, and that’s what I got. I totally had a great time. 

And I’ll mention: I liked that, while there are options for everything farther afield, options for the non-zipliney-type activities are available within an easy walk of anywhere within Mindo proper. This was also true of the butterfly enclosure. 

I went to the one in town in the early afternoon and was astounded at how much time I spent there.  Mariposario Nathaly was a five minute walk from my room, was $7, and I surprised myself by spending nearly two hours there. She had a diverse orchid garden, a koi pond, a hummingbird area, and of course a butterfly enclosure.  I couldn’t believe how close I could get to them, with a little patience, and the quality pictures I got with my crappy out-and-about iPhone SE are not to be believed. So much fun, unexpectedly. There is a larger mariposario a taxi ride away, but honestly, for me, this was more than enough. And I thought of Kirk the whole time: he detested butterflies when we met, although his hatred moderated a bit over time. 

I noticed on the walk back to El Descanso that there are now orange cones placed where I took my tumble. I guess now, around Mindo, I’m the gringo that fell. 

Dinner was at Mishqui Quinde. I hesitated to go there as it is the #1 rated TripAdvisor restaurant in Mindo and you know what that means. But it’s vegetarian/vegan and I was in the mood for that. Glad I went. The owner was gracious and the quinoa burger was delicious. Plus I got a yapa (bonus): a glass of chicha (corn beer, this version was nonalcoholic). Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. 

At some point, definitely returning to Mindo for a few days. It’s a great vibe, it’s cheap, and there is plenty to do that I haven’t done yet. 

Sunday morning departure at 6:30am, after leaving a bit of Kirk in the bushes outside El Descanso. I am breaking up the return trip to Cuenca into two days, stopping for a night in Riobamba at Casa de Marmol. Tomorrow’s travel will be two hour bus Mindo to Quito, cab ride from Terminal Ofelia to Terminal Quitumbe (you can take a city bus, but I’m not doing that with two backpacks, and the cab will be under $10), and a four hour bus from Quito to Riobamba. Then a five hour bus ride Riobamba to Cuenca the next day. 

I started this week’s expedition to see if I could be intrepid on my own, and if I liked solo travel. 

Yes, and yes.  More adventures to come.