Day 5- Quito to Mindo

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After a good night’s sleep (my first real one since leaving OZ), although tempted to sit comfortable in the hostel I forced myself to get out of my comfort zone and I packed my small backpack (leaving my larger one at the hostel in Quito) and headed off to the bus station at the local park . Boarding a bus to travel across town to the north, to disembark and buy another bus ticket getting on the bus to Mindo, the area of the forest called the forest in the clouds, renowned for rafting, tubing, treetop walked and the largest biodiversity of birdlife anywhere on the planet. Following the route advised by a web site I was very proud of myself navigating with impoverished Spanish and with the help of a few people who could see I was in trouble, I proudly boarded the bus to Mindo….(I was nervous a few times I had got on the wrong first bus).

I arrived in Mindo and not knowing where to go asked for directions to the hostel rico where an English speaking hostess / owner could help. No-one spoke English so a guy offered to taxi me for $1 to the hostel, which as it turned out was around a corner (a 2 minute walk). So I was ripped off, when eventually caught up with me at the hostel, she had gone to the bus to pick up people who were staying at the hostel and saw me, she was going to ask me if I was looking for a hostel, and she was disappointed at my being ripped off $1. The hostel is in the jungle, and is 3 stories high. I chose a room on level three, very basic wooden structure, with bed, overlooking tree tops and into forest. I then walked through the small town, and visited a butterfly house with some amazing butterflies, as well as hummingbirds feeding is organising a tour for me tomorrow. This evening I will get to hear the native birds as I lie in a hammock on the open veranda. Midges and Mozzies are starting and I have left my insect repellent at the hostel in Quito…bad move. A storm came through and proves to me that this is the off season for tourists, the wet season. Still it is nice. Travelling alone is starting to make me use Spanish and although very very juvenile at the moment, I feel I am learning…the fact I got here (Mindo) is proof!

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