Mindo (with photos)

Feb 25. 9:22 Mindo.

We don't have Internet in Mindo so I am going to start this as an ongoing post-in waiting.

A few last notes about our day yesterday in Quito. After our breakfast and hike to old town, we happened upon our first market in a lovely park that sort of separates old and new town (at least in my version of Quito geography). I bought a new bag! I needed (I know, Lea is questioning that verb) a bag that fit my huge South American bird book. I won't explain the mechanics of trying to manhandle binoculars, camera and then have the constantly required bird book in my back pack. I need a hip bag for easy accessibility. The bag I had for my India book just wasn't big enough (which says something about the size of the new bird book).

Our first market!

The park

A man in the park

Birds, let talk birds. Ecuador has one of the highest concentrations of birds in the world so you can imagine there are lots of birds. The problem is there are too many birds. My book is 8 million (ok, 400 or more) pages. Each page has 10 or more birds. There was a hummingbird outside of our window on the first morning. He was very obvious, sat in easy to see spots and stayed all day, singing his little heart out. But my bird book has 25+ pages of hummingbirds. It took me three days to narrow it down to the correct one. So this is going to be hard.

Anyway. We found a coffee place across from the Basilica (a very fancy church in old town) where we had the best coffee ever (I had mocha - Ecuadorian coffee and Ecuadorian chocolate combined - if only you knew, you would never drink that Starbucks ick again!).

The Basillica

Our delicious coffees (those are chocolate cover coffee beans as garnish)

 

Eating our sandwiches in a sunny courtyard stairwell

Once we got back to Mariscal, the nightlife was starting to get hopping. We finally found a restaurant that wasn`t full of tourists, Todo Ecuador. We were the only customers. I had a cheese empanada for an appy and some sort of dish with prawns in a yummy coconut sauce with hunks of banana in it. So good. Val had Seco De Chiva, which turned out to be like a goat bourginoun (Sp?? Julia Child has two reasons to roll over in her grave from that sentence - goats and spelling). Also very good. Sitting in that restaurant, eating our amazing Ecuadorian food, tours booked, I was utterly happy in that moment.

Back to the Blue House. Not so happy time there. I had slept through Thursday nights festivities but I wasn't so lucky with Friday night. Val had put in earplugs this time, but I figured I would be ok again. Nope. I have never heard so many car alarms in one place. But the best part was at about 5am when a cop chased someone with sirens blaring, only to finally catch up to him right under our window. He then proceeded to have a conversation with the 'perp' through a bull horn. That even woke up Val with her earplugs.

We went back to sleep finally but we had to get up early. I can't remember why, I tried to negotiate with Val to get another hour sleep but I lost. I'm not sure if it was because Val had a better argument or because it took so long to try to convince her that I was awake by the end anyway. Two ironies though. First, because at about 8am we discovered that it was some sort of National celebration of some battle or other, which they celebrated by giving school children bells and drums. So, there would have been no sleeping in anyway. But waking up early was all for naught because Room 9 was in the bathroom for an hour before we could get in and get going with our day.

So, the plan had been to go to Otavalo because they have a noteworthy Saturday market. But our Lonely planet book said that we would have to be at the bus station at 6 am if we wanted to get a ticket on a Saturday morning. Neither of us was willing to do that. Plus, we (mostly Val) decided that we (mostly me) shouldn't buy anything so early in our trip (really, our bags are so heavy it is comical, not to mention that added bonus of hoisting them onto our burnt shoulders). So, we decided to come to Mindo today.

Back up a bit. We want to come to Mindo for a few days at some point because it is the birding capital of South America, if not the world. But we also want to go down south to Guayaquil and the coast. So we booked our flight to Galapagos from Guayaquil for March 13. Which means we have to do Mindo AND get south via train and/or bus for a circle tour (Cuenca, Guayaquil, coast, back to Guayaguil), all in 15 or so days.

Plus we were getting kicked out of Blue House because they were fully booked for Saturday night and we hadn't reserved past Friday. BTW, the staff at the Blue House are very friendly and helpful. No complaints there. So we asked day-time Nicolas (real name unknown) how we would go about calling a hostel in Mindo to book a room. He kindly called them for us. So we were/are booked at Hostel Rubby. (Val wanted to stay here just for the name). He then mentioned that we still had time to get to the bus station for the 11 am bus to Mindo. Our book didn't mention an 11 am bus so we were pretty happy about that.

Mindo to Lago Agrio (East) to be there for our Amazon tour on March 20. That was at one station. The bus to Mindo (North) was at a different, much further away station. So, we took a cab to the Esmerelas station to get the March 20th tickets but we were informed that we cannot buy them more than 2 days in advance, and that we should definitely buy them ahead of time because it is popular. Great, we will not be in Quito two days before, we will barely be in Quito 2 hours before. We are going to email Sonja and see if she can get them, if not, we chance it I guess.

Next stop, Ofelia bus station for the bus to Mindo at 11 am. Well, seems daytime Nicolas is confused. the next bus to Mindo is at 4pm. But it was a $10 cab ride so we weren't willing to go back to town. Which meant six hours hanging around another station, this time waiting for a bus instead of a plane. It was ok though. We had our books. (Val and I switched books, she is reading Hunger Games first. At the end of every chapter, she gasps or make some other noise indicating that the book is great. I am sorry I let it go so easily. But I will have it back soon). We found an empty ticket office with some padded chairs and a tv blaring in it. We basically moved in and immediately turned off the tv. Every once in a while someone would come in, look at us quizzically then just walk away. We got away with that for 5 hours before someone else moved in with us and took my foot chair (so rude).

Our time at the bus station

Someone found us fascinating, hiding in our empty room

 

It's your birthday :) At the bus station :(

 

We finally got to get on the bus. There was a white guy on there too, he had the Ecuador bird book, which he had been studying at the station so I knew he was hard core. The bus was uneventful, albeit very windy and downhill, one kid got sick. I am proud to say I did not, which, as Melissa will tell you, has not always been the case with windy downhill bus rides.

We arrived at Mindo and again, no pick up to meet us. But a nice man from another hostel walked us in the right direction until our guy, Marcelo, intercepted us in the road. Turns out Marcelo had scooped the white guy (Dave) and didn't realize we were on the same bus. No worries, again, we managed. Dave is a Zoology professor at some American Midwestern University. He is here to look at Mannikins (the birds, not the fake people). His last one to find is the Goldwing (I think) so he is in town for that. We had barely arrived at the hostel before Marcelo informed us that we were invited to join him and Dave on a Nightjar trek. So off we went too. Now, I have to mention, it is raining here. Bucketing. I could not see anything though my glasses, let alone my binoculars, plus it was dark. NIGHTjar! But I saw one and a Common Pootou.

Paul had given me a name and number of a guide in the area but Marcelo is a guide (even made it into the Lonely Planet) and he had already booked us in for a bird tour tomorrow so we are going with him. I have no idea what we are doing, where we are going or what it will cost. But, yeeeeeeeeeeeeee, so excited. I love bird camp, even if it is only bird day camp.

After the nightjar business, we got a room. It is rustic but lovely. it is the entire top floor of the house with big huge windows that open at tree top height. When we dropped our bags before we left for the trek, there were hummingbirds just sitting there, at eye level, waiting to be IDed.

This wouldn't download and I can't seem to remove it.

We went out for dinner with Dave. I had funghi pizza, Val had Seco de Pollo, nothing like the chiva version from the night before. My pizza was good. Dave had steak, boring. He is leaving in the morning to find his last Mannikin so forget him, he won't be mentioned again (unless he is particularly amusing during our 15 minutes allotted for breakfast).

Now we are tucked in our attic beds, listening to the pounding rain, hitting the roof right over our heads. At least it isn't a car alarm.

It is after 10 now and we have to be at breakfast at 5:45 (6am bird tour) so this is it for now.

Feb 26. 7:13 pm Mindo.

Val and I are preparing an exciting dinner - instant oatmeal and Skor Chocolate balls left over from the Vancouver airport. We are too exhausted to go out for dinner. Why you ask? Let me tell you.

We started the morning at 5am. At breakfast by 5:30 and out the door with Marcelo at 6 sharp, still dark. And then we started a march up a mountain, over a mountain, down a mountain, repeat, repeat. All the while stopping for birds, so many birds. Four species of Toucans, Quetzels, hummingbirds, little brown birds, little black birds, little grey birds. Birds of every colour of the iridescent rainbow. Greens, reds, blues, yellows. Crazy bright colours, crazy strange birds. It was awesome. Even Val, the non-birder was impressed. But to make my life difficult, Val saw a Cock of the Rock and I didn't, it flew right past her while I was looking the other way. My only saving grace is that it was female so not the beautiful red plumed male that is every Mindo birder's goal. It's ok though. Tomorrow, Marcelo has invited me to join a group going to a Lek - a Cock of the Rock mating display that they do each morning at 6 am. Val has declined but I am all over it.

Some crappy pictures of birds.

 

A Quetzel through a telescope lens

A poutoo pretending to be a stick, you will have to zoom in

We got back to town just after noon. It had just started to sprinkle. We were lucky after last night's rain that the weather was nice for our hike. The roads were pretty muddy though. We were exhausted and my feet were screaming bloody murder.

But that didn't stop us from going out to lunch at a place in town that Lonely Planet says has the best brownies - made with Ecuadorian chocolate of course. Val had a steak with eggs. I had a trout in garlic sauce. Delish, although head removal is always a challenge. The brownie was good but we agreed that it still doesn't beat the old White Spot Hot Fudge Brownie.

Val's steak

My trout

While we were eating, the sprinkle turned into a full on downpour. Tropical, torrential, flooding streets rain. We tried to wait it out but it didn't seem to be abating even a bit so we flung ourselves out into it. Much to the amusement of the locals, sitting under covered verandas. By the time we got back to our room, we were drenched. All of our clothes, bags etc are now hanging on my laundry line trying to dry out in the humidity.

I spent the afternoon, sitting at my window looking at unhappy birds. Added a few more to my list as Val finished the Hunger Games. She highly recommends it.

It is definitely going to be an early night. I have been fighting a nap since about 5pm.

PS. got cat news today. Samantha's ears are all fixed up and she is fine. Now Chris is off the hook from one of her cat duties (what a slacker).

Feb 27. 3:13pm Mindo

Well, my lek was a lek down (haha). I was up at 4:30 am, breakfast and out the door by 5:30. I was joining two Quebecois on their lek trek. Marcelo had said that there was a drive and then a 20 minute walk to the Cock of the Rock spot. What he failed to mention was that the "20 minute walk" was actually straight up a mountain with steps cut out of the mud. I kept asking myself, why am I always climbing muddy steps up muddy mountains when I am on vacation?. Thin air, not thin Joanne. I made it to the blind, a very makeshift twig and banana leaf affair, with cold water dripping down on us, waiting for the display. Waiting, waiting... No Cock of the Rock. Saw a few other things but it was disappointing. I had barely heard of the cock of the rock before I came here but now it is the holy grail. A grail from which I shall not sip. Oh well.

In our 'blind'

the rules:  be quiet, don't use bug spray.

Marcelo and his son, doesn't the kid look bored?

 

Here is a stolen Internet photo of the elusive cock of the rock

Some pictures from the walk back down (once the sun came up)

These cows were very suspicious of us.

 

When I got back to the hostel, Val and I decided to go back up the hill from our first day because we had seen a very sketchy gas powered gondola/cable car that takes people across a gorge to get to a path to the waterfalls. We took a cab, it had taken over two hours to walk there the last time. So, we flung ourselves off a cliff in the welded metal tube gondola and off we flew to the other side. Val asked the guy there how long the walk to the waterfalls was. 20 minutes, very easy. hmmm. This is how I was scammed for the second time in one day into walking up a second muddy mountain with more muddy stairs cut into the mud.

The cable car across the gorge

We actually got into this death cage

Val had a cable car buddy

The view from the middle

The path and waterfall

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The rain stopped and the sun came out for a few minutes

This says 'Camping'

Side note: Did I mention mud. My pants are trashed. We have done a bit of laundry here but nothing will dry in the cloud forest so I don't hold out a lot of hope for my muddy jeans.

Of course, we made it back up to the top without dying. Back on the gondola to the other side without dying. A good day, I say. Back to the hostel and off to lunch where we ordered our first beer and the lunch special. Soup with chicken bones and fish scales and potatoes (I kid you not) but the broth was super good. Then fried talapia with rice and beans. $2.50. Entire meal with beer $3.25. The good day continues.

Now we are back to the brownie/coffee shop because we discovered that they have Wi-Fi. so this is finally going to get posted. Tomorrow we return to Quito to take a cab to a different bus station to take a bus to Otavalo.

By the way, downloading the photos and then uploading them to the blog takes too long so unless we are rained in again at a place that has Wi-Fi, no pictures (or few) until I get back. 

Seriously, while I was opening Blogspot to cut and paste this in, it started pouring again.  There are no gentle sprinkles here.   Arg.