A couple of hours outside Quito is an ecological reserve called Mindo. First we visited a butterfly farm. Needless to say it was full of butterflies some of which were massive. There was also an odd frog or two. We then went for a walk through some cloud forest, which we accessed by way of a rickerty metal ´box´ which whizzed along a wire hundreds of metres above the forest.
Finally we finished the day with a visit to the humming bird cafe, which for me was the highlight of the day. As we sat there we saw hummingbird after hummingbird jet-dive in to use the nector feeders. They are such amazing birds, they flap their wings between 15-80 times a second and can hover, fly vertically and laterally. Their metabolism is so high, at any given time they are only hours away from starving. I know how that feels, to survive I need regular cake and chocolate input. Lol.
The next day we visited Otavalo market which, according to the guide books, is an Ecuadorian highlight. Really it was just a big market for the tourists, so although we werent that impressed, we did manage to get some goodies for you lot. So remember to be especially nice to us when we return. Off to Galapagos next. More thumbnails ...
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