First of all, thank you for your loyalty for this, my wordy, unending blog. I appreciate your enthusiasm for my adventures and that is why I haven't completely given this up. I know it's been a long time- I'm home from Ecuador and have been for some time- but things just got crazy. Anyway I guess it's time to get to what you've all been waiting for. The next installment of Tales from the Equator!!
Last time we left off during Zach's visit. After visiting Quito and meeting Guadalupe we made the relatively short trip to Mindo- a "cloud forest" that has similar flora and fauna to the canopy of the rainforest. We bought our bus tickets that morning but, since there was no reliable schedule posted on the internet we had to play it by ear. Upon reaching the bus station we realized we had missed a bus by about an hour and had to wait 3 until the next one. I hadn't planned on doing anything our first day anyway so this was no problem. We went to the Mariscal market, lunch and the Coffee Tree to kill some time- finally it was time to get on the bus.
The bus left on time and we made it there in just about 2 ½ hours. As we were getting off the bus we were told to buy our tickets right away but the ticket booth was closed. This is important I promise.
Since we obviously didn’t know our way around we asked where our "hosteria" was (nicer than a hostel but not a hotel- this one was cabins) and headed over. We showed up and the lady greeted us, asking how she could help us. I told her we had a reservation (I had paid for the first night in advance as asked about 3 weeks previously) and she said “No!” I thought she was joking so I said “Sí!” But then she looked very confused and a feeling of dread crept over me….
She told us that we did not in fact have a reservation and that all of their rooms were filled. I showed her my receipt and she just looked dumbstruck. She said she’d sort it out- her brother also owns some cabins- but I was just so frustrated I started crying. I couldn’t help it. I thought I had planned so well and then this happened. Later she said “what happened is, I just forgot” How is that an excuse?? So she secured us a cabin at her brother’s place, walked us over and left us there. A little while later we went back to plan our events for the next day and then to find some food.
There was very little open by the end of this debacle but we found a weird little pizza place, had some pretty good pizza and headed back to our cabin. On the way back we wanted to get snacks so we stopped at this weird little store that didn’t appear to have anything that wasn’t at least four months old. There were even drumstick like ice cream novelties in the freezer that had no wrappers. Weird.
That morning we got up early and went to the original place to get breakfast. It was a pretty typically Ecuadorian breakfast with fruit, eggs, juice and bread. After breakfast we had the lady write out what we wanted to do that day- you need your ‘ticke’ to do any of the activities- and then she called us a cab. The butterfly garden (or ‘farm’ as it said on one of the signs) was cool.
A guide showed us the pupae and explained metamorphosis and whatnot, then let us wander. There were a lot of families there. The food left out for the butterflies is mainly just fruit or sugarwater soaked sponges. If you put the fruit juice on your finger you can get the butterfly to hang out and munch on your finger. All the kids were trying it but I never was able to get one.
From there we decided to walk to the "canopy" (ziplines) which didn’t seem too far on the map we were given. Of course this was an incorrect assumption. As we were walking along the dirt road, more and more cars were driving by, getting us dirtier and dirtier. We knew we had to cross a bridge (it was on our hand-drawn map) so the first one we came to we tried to cross. Unfortunately the bridge was locked but we climbed up and around the fence and crossed it- to find absolutely nothing. There wasn’t even a path, let alone a road.
Finally we came upon a bridge with a ton of people and cars around- this had to be it. So up we went, up the mountain. The road up the mountain was also dirt and very steep so it wasn’t a fun walk. I’m pretty sure it took us over an hour to climb up to the zipline place. Also, we were just about the only ones walking- EVERYONE was driving up or taking a taxi. At one point it seemed as if the cars were all trying to run us off the road, and consequently down the mountain.
When we finally made it it was the afternoon but we handed over our ticket and geared up. Then we went up to a wooden platform and were taught what to do. Of course they guide had started before we got within earshot so we missed the first part. Then the guide hooked me up and off I went, flying over the forest with nothing but a little pulley and a cloth strap holding me to the cable strung across the valley. The first one was scary. I could hear the wheel in the pulley making this high pitched noise that sounded like it was struggling. But I made it across safe and sound and ready to do the remaining 9 lines.
The views got better with each line though so the climb was worth it. At the third or fourth line we were allowed to go upside down. That did not happen. Zach did it though and he said it was really cool. On a couple of the last lines the guides on either side bounced the line and that was crazy. It was scary and fun and I couldn’t help but scream every time I caught some air.
When we finally finished all the lines Zach and I shared a fritado plate and an empanada from a little stand that these girls were tending. Then we decided to start walking up the mountain again to the "tarabita", which is a cable car that takes you across a valley. About halfway up this leg of the trip when a kid yells out the window of a pickup truck “are you going to the falls?” We were so we hopped in the back and rode the rest of the way up. When we got there there was a pretty long line of people and, we realized later, only one car going back and forth across the valley.
As we were waiting in line we noticed that the clouds were starting to descend upon the valley- it is the cloud forest after all- and realized that by the time we were next we wouldn’t be able to see anything. We just decided to go the next day. So we hopped in the back of another truck taxi and rode back down the mountain to the town square.
We walked to the original hostal, assuming our room would be ready and it was. Later, after a cold shower (even though they advertize hot water) with a too-small shower curtain, we went into town to get something to eat. We perused the main strip then settled on a place with outdoor seating. Zach got trout and I ordered shrimp but they were out so I had the waiter, who was probably 17, recommend me something. I ended up getting steak with mushroom sauce which was pretty good.
That's all for now- but I promise not forever. Next up: The day with no end
Hasta luego,
Caitlin
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