Visiting a Cloud Forest
Trip Start
May 02, 2005
1
31
50
Trip End
Ongoing
I had to get up to the capital, Quito, for some annual medical exams for Peace Corps. I did not look forward to the overnight bus trip, but, I had to get up there. It was nice to see some people that I hadn't seen in almost 9 months. While I was up north, I decided to swing over to visit my friend Matt, another PC volunteer. He works in the town of Mindo two or three hours west of Quito. Mindo is located on a beautiful ecological reserve. It is a rare ecosystem caught in between the coast and the Andes mountains. This has resulted in a forest full of unique plants and animals. Mindo also happens to be the capital for bird-watching in Ecuador. They have an annual international tournament for bird-watchers from all over the world. While there, I was able to enjoy hikes in the virgin forest, recently protected thanks to conservation projects. We also got to jump into the river and do a little improvised tubing trip, which led to a few bumps and bruises, but a lot of fun. We did hikes to several waterfalls and rivers. Most of the area was deforested severely by loggers and miners. Now, it is all protected and reforested and the people of the town of Mindo all work in eco-tourism and conservation projects. I was very impressed with this place. It was definitely nice to get out of the city life of Loja and breath a little in the wilderness...
