Toucan relax in the cloud forest
Trip Start
Feb 15, 2006
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48
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Trip End
Feb 14, 2007
Mindo,
Ecuador
Saturday, October 7, 2006
We had done a reckky before flying to Galapagos and found that it was not in too dangerous part of town and bought our tickets to Mindo a week ahead. This way we knew we had a seat on the bus even though the woman thought we were mad.
So now, early in the morning we were shown to the Mindo bus. Five buses left at 8:00 (our due departure time) but not ours. Eventually 20 minutes later without any ticket check or any confirmation of where we were headed our driver appeared and off we went with just 5 passengers including us
2 toucans
. He headed straight up the nearest volcano at a snail´s pace and picked up another half dozen passengers in a very hap hazard way and an hour later we were still in Quito. It was meant to be a 2 1/2 hour journey - where were we going? Anyway suddenly we found a toll gate and hit a main road and started to put some miles on. Maybe we were on the right bus - difficult to complain about the service though when we were paying a dollar an hour and there were only a dozen passengers and some of those seemed to be paying in kind with the odd chocolate bar and lighted cigarette being passed to the driver. When we had arrived in Ecuador the headline news was about yet another bus crash with 41 dead and I must admit this all came back to mind when the driver started swerving round these hairpin Andes bends. Well you know we made it - and just for the rellies, we have survived the return trip as well!!!
Arriving in Mindo we were whisked off to the Eco sustainable lodge Gill had found on the internet- whisked firstly by car and then by rope pulley chair over a raging river. All this was done with no explanation. We had met our guide in the car but all had done was introduce himself before returning to his vow of silence. - We call him Comatose.
a room with a view
The lodge turned out to be brilliant and Gill even got Comatose to loosen up a bit on one of the long treks so we eventually learned quite a lot about the flora and fauna of this cloud forest sitting at the edge of the Andes right on the Equator.
We stayed in this huge cabana in the forest, with windows that open all around so you look out at the jungle, even when sitting in the sunken bath you were looking out. It got very interesting at night, as there was no electricity. There was a bit of solar power in the ¨big house¨but we were given a candle and a lantern after dinner. It was
scary walking back in the dark, especially as a three foot snake had been lying across our path during the daytime nature walk.
We ate veggie food grown there and all that sort of stuff. The setting was amazing, these mountains are quite unlike anything we have seen. They are really steep and pointy, covered in jungle.
We went on a very long nature walk yesterday, and saw much more than in Borneo. Snakes for example, and loads of toucans. The Toucans were big enough for Gill to see so Comatose was happy now thinking he would get a nice tip after all.
Back in Quito now and will be meeting the next tour group tomorrow - only trouble is that we are due to visit a volcano that blew up in august and the foreign office has a travel advisory on the area - what is Gill doing to me?????
Comments
To the intrepids
Great to hear your news, it sounds fantastic and very adventurous, you are both incredibly brave! Glad that the cloud forest was such a success and that you survived the journeys and quito it seems!! Where to next? We are fine had a great day in London yesterday with shaun and Jane, don't need to eat for a week after Rules, it was fantastic. Thanks for the e mail Gill, will write again next week. Take care and look after each other! Love G&M