Ecuador

---

Mindo - Day 18

Today our destination was Mindo. We took a cab further north in Quito to the Ofelia bus station. We were aiming for early arrival for the 9:00 bus, but we made it in time for the 8:00. We have been having really good luck with our bus connections. The bus got us to Mindo in 2.5 hours.

We found our hostel on the outskirts of Mindo, but within easy walking distance. Our spot in Casa Cecilia was like a little cabin tucked in the forest, with large windows overlooking nothing but vegetation. We can watch the birds flying through the trees. There is a little deck right around the corner, and a deck of hammocks in a central building (just for Bob!). We can watch the hummingbirds a few steps from our place and there is a river a short distance from our room. You just can't beat the ambience here.

The town itself is very small, about five blocks by five blocks. A main square park, containing a huge hummingbird sculpture, is surrounded by rows of restaurants and stores. It has a very peaceful feel, no traffic like the big cities. We found the orchid gardens (Orquideas Armonia) along our walk and took a tour. We never realized there were so many different kinds of orchids. Mindo has about 400 kinds, and Ecuador has over 4,000. We also didn't realize that orchids could be so small. Our guide showed us some varieties under a magnifying glass to see the details. We also found out that vanilla is part of the orchid family. One of the most unique varieties is the monkey-faced orchid. The orchids don't have to be watered during the rainy season, but they do need water during the other months. There were many hummingbird feeders here. These birds aren't attracted to the orchids, but to the other flowers in this area.

---

Comments

[richard and gail]

Mindo has got to be your favorite spot!
Your spot in Mindo looks inviting. We would love to be able to experience the orchids and hummingbirds. We are still feeding ours here in Olympia; they stay all winter. Gail and Richard

[tak1]

Love the birds!
It really is a great spot. We get excited at home if we see one hummingbird at our feeder!