Mindo Aventura

On my first full weekend in Ecuador, I decided to take a trip to Mindo, Ecuador. The Mindo Valley is very popular for its biodiversity, cloud forests, and potential sightings of the oso anteojo, or spectacled bear. I found a yoga studio that organized a trip there, and thought it would be a good chance to check out a new area and hopefully make some new friends. We met at the yoga studio and took a bus on the two-hour ride down to Mindo (literally down, as Mindo is located about 800 meters below Quito). I saw next to Felo, a Paisa/Quiteno who is hoping to start his own business selling organic rainforest products. We arrived in the town of Mindo and began our adventure by exploring the small twon. There was not much to check out there, so most of us sat in a square and chatted. While chatting, I also got to know Paul and Angela, two Americans from California with a real talent for Acroyoga, and Sohaela, originally from Iran but currently attending grad school in LA. After making these acquaintances we took 4×4’s up a mountain to the Rio Bravo Reserve. This beautiful reserve was originally bought by the owners for about $40 in the 70’s – what a steal! The Reserve was over 40 hectares of beautiful cloud forest, with pristine streams and cascading waterfalls dotting the landscape. We took a hike to a breathtaking waterfall, and I joined the other locos that jumped in for a brief (but cold!!!) swim. It was refreshing after the hike, and it made the outside air feel warm by comparison.

After lounging around the waterfall, we headed back to the entrance to the reserve. We ate a delicious lunch of fresh trout, rice, salad, patacones, sancocho, and there was even birthday cake for dessert. While we intended to have a nice yoga session after lunch, the delicious but heavy food nixed that plan, and instead we meditated while listening to the pitter patter of rain. The whole group was full of so many nice and friendly people, with a shared interest for practicing yoga, and I felt happy to meet so many new souls. Oddly enough, there was also an abnormally large amount of English teachers on the trip! It was a really lovely experience, and I ended up spending the whole next day (Sunday) with several of the friends I made on the trip.

Jumping into the waterfall! I’m the one too shocked by the water to close my mouth.

 

Silhouette of the forest canopy

 

First Day in Quito!

 

Saludos de Quito, Ecuador!

I have officially been here for a week and a half, and figured it was time for some blogging. I arrived in Quito on Saturday evening, the 25^th, and made my way in to my new Quito home, Hotel Finlandia! It is an enigma in itself, known for its delicious continental breakfast (which I can attest to) and a constant train of international visitors. I spent my first full day exploring, but without much of a sense for where I was or what I was doing. I checked out Parque La Carolina, a fairly large city park that is conveniently one block from my hotel. The park is packed on the weekends, full of families picnicking, running, playing sports, selling trinkets, and more. I checked out the Jardin Botanico there, and was impressed with their representation of all of Ecuador’s ecosystems! They even had an orquiderea full of beautiful, delicate orchids found in Ecuador, many of which are threatened.

I also spent some time wondering around the Centro Historico, which is a UNESCO designated cultural heritage site. It is full of churches, museums, and tourist attractions and I found myself in an enormous cathedral entirely covered in gold leaf. I even managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Parque Metropolitano, another park close to my hotel, but far larger. It is largely covered by eucalyptus-dominated forest, and with vistas of mountains from all sides it is easy to forget that you are in a city with over a million inhabitants. The park was full of kids mountain biking and attempting jumps that looked quite treacherous! I got a bit lost heading back to my hotel and in my disorientation ended up taking a taxi ride for less than half a mile – oops! Back in the hotel, I watched the Copa America final on a big screen downstairs in the lobby and then got myself ready for interning the next day. All in all, it was a good and busy first day.

 

Abrazos!