Saying Goodbye To Mindo

Today was my last day in Mindo and even though I only spent one night here I have to say this city kind of grew on me. I know in my last post I had mentioned that the main part of the city was not really pretty but you know what? I will take that back because it actually has a charm to it and I am glad I got to see that before leaving. As I walked around the area one last time I got to appreciate what this town has to offer. I am a bit tired right now so I will not say much but let the pictures speak on my behalf.

The main town plaza/park

The hostel I stayed at. Doesn't it look so cute covered in all that greenery?

Breakfast amidst nature, just lovely!

The stairs leading up to my room

I happen to be really short but believe it or not getting up and down those stairs was really tricky and I had to watch my head because of the tiny space you see below. This was the entrance and exit to my room, I can't imagine how a tall person would have navigated.

My cute little room, notice how one bad step from my bed would have landed me in big trouble?

That's it folks, I am glad I got to see Mindo and appreciate it for what it is. 

Random Thoughts of The Day:

None, I am too tired for any random thoughts.

Enjoying Nature In Mindo

This morning I took an early morning bus to Mindo, a small town that is about 2 hours away from Quito. I had heard about how pretty it is and figured it would be worth checking out for a day or two as a weekend excursion from Quito.

I had to take the bus from the north terminal, Ofelia. The ride only cost $2.50 and It was a smooth ride all the way to Mindo. I had decided that I would spend a night in the town then head back to Quito tomorrow morning so I wanted to maximize my time in Mindo. As soon as I got to my hostel and got myself settled, I was ready to begin my explorations. My first stop was trekking the cascades route.

I was joined by two American brothers who were heading to the same location and this helped with transportation expenses because we were able to split the cost among us. We got a taxi for $6 total and it dropped us at the location where we would begin our trek.

First we had to take some form of cable car to get to the beginning of the walking trails that would take us to some of the cascades around the area. From the picture below you can see how we were transported.

The cable ride was really cool, at first I was a bit nervous because looking down I could see how high up we were but once the ride started it was really cool! it was moving pretty fast it felt like we were flying, for all I know maybe it wasn't that fast but it sure felt like it.

Armed with a map showing the trails that would lead us to different cascades, we started our adventure. The picture below shows how the trails looked like, we were surrounded by trees and that helped keep us cool because it was hot and muggy.

The trails were very well marked and it was pretty easy to make our way around the area, we hit our first cascade where we were able to cool off a little before continuing on to the next.

I thought this second cascade was more beautiful the water had this bluish/greenish tint at the base which added to it's appeal, the picture doesn't really do it justice.

Yay! two cascades down and several more to go.

We trekked for about two and a half hours before we decided enough was enough. What made things difficult was going uphill, no stair master would be able to compete with these trails. It was quite a work out and we were all huffing and puffing while sweating buckets because of the hot muggy weather.

After we were done with the cascades we decided to go to the mariposario, a butterfly garden where we would be able to see how butterflies are conceived up to the final stage where they become what they are. The garden closes at 4 pm and we got there at 3 pm, the ladies at the reception told us that the best time to visit is usually in the morning when the butterflies are much more active. We were informed that in the afternoon the butterflies are usually less active so we wouldn't be able to see them fly as much. We had an option of coming back the next morning but I figured since we were already there we might as well check out the gardens regardless. It turned out to be a good decision!

The garden was really pretty and the butterflies appeared active because they were flying around alright! made me wonder how it must look like in the morning when they are supposedly way more active.

Did you know butterflies like bananas? I didn't either! I just found out about it today. In the picture below you can see the butterflies feasting on bananas. Some of the butterflies were pretty huge.

After being shown how to feed them I gave it a try, at first it was a bit weird feeling the butterfly legs on my skin but after getting over the initial weird feeling it wasn't so bad.

The butterfly below had a taste for the finer things in life, I don't blame it.......hehehehe

Would you look at the colors on that big fish in the picture below. Very beautiful!

We stayed at the garden until closing time, it was a very chill place but we were informed that in the morning it is usually busy with lot's of people coming to see the butterflies in their very active state. I was glad we were there much later when the place was quiet with not too many people.

That's it folks! after the gardens we went and grabbed lunch, walked around the town and called it a day. A day well spent!

Random Thoughts of The Day:

Banños versus Mindo........I prefer the former. Both places are similar in that they have cool nature related stuff to do but Mindo is smaller and the main part of town is rough around the edges. It is surrounded by gorgeous rain forest but the infrastructure isn't really top of the line considering how many tourists visit this place because of what it has to offer in terms of it's natural resources. I just think as one of the many tourist hot spots in Ecuador, they could do better with it's development because it has so much potential. That's just my two cents.

When I was booking my hostel online I found reviews describing it as rustic and charming. Well, the rustic part wasn't an exaggeration!

The hostel is made of wood entirely and you can hear everything that happens in the neighboring rooms! I really hope there will be no rambunctious couple tonight!

My room doesn't have windows and I am in touch with nature alright! I can hear the rain, the river and guess what? I can also be one with the bugs! I got a mosquito net and as I was setting it up I could see all kinds of bugs already attaching themselves on the net. I am scared of going to sleep and waking up only to be faced with some huge strange bug giving me the stink eye.

I have to give this hostel props though, their showers are awesome. The water pressure is great and the shower head is big so it emits water over a big surface area, taking a shower this evening felt like I was in a waterfall and I did not feel like leaving.

The Wi-Fi here is really fast but it also depends on which room you are in. I am glad I am not having any connection issues.

I have to say Ecuador has been really good for me. I have lost weight because of the healthy lifestyle, I feel happy here and my skin is close to regaining it's previous glory since the weather isn't as hot in Quito so I am not breaking out. Heat + Constant Sweating = Disaster for my skin

Did you know butterflies only live for a month? considering the long process they have to undergo to become butterflies I just think they have been robbed by nature. When they are at their most beautiful is when they die so soon.

I have tucked my mosquito net so tightly between the mattress and the bed but guess what? now I have to go pee and I am sure as soon as I untuck the edges some bugs might just sneak it. I knew I shouldn't have drank so much water before bed!!! and on that note, good night/morning/evening depending on where you are. I have to go to the bathroom.

Quito Botanical Garden

I think by the time I leave Ecuador I will be a huge nature lover because this country has some awesome natural resources that can blow your mind. For the past couple of days I haven't been feeling too well because I have a bad cold that's putting a downer on everything. My nose has been blocked so bad I can not smell anything or even taste food unless I add some really spicy sauce. Ecuadorian food is not spicy so you can imagine how crazy I have been with the aji (equivalent of hot sauce).

Where the hell I'm I going with this? yes! I was going to get into all the nature stuff you can enjoy in this country. Honestly if I go off topic try to keep up because I think this cold is even blocking my brain cells and I lose focus very easily. Okay, yeah! so about nature......... Today after class which by the way I had to cut short because I was so out of it and couldn't concentrate, I decided instead of going home to take an early nap I would finally visit the Botanical Garden of Quito since I had been meaning to go for a while now.

The Botanical Garden is within Parque La Carolina, the biggest park in Quito. For real that park is huge! Entrance to the garden was $3.50 and as soon as I got in there was a guide ready to take me around and explain about some of the plant species. Actually the dude looked like he needed something to do because there weren't that many people being that it was during the week. I took up his offer to guide me around at no extra charge (I think the entrance fee covers everything) it turned out to be a good idea because we covered the whole gardens and I know if I had been alone I would have skipped over a lot of things. I also got to learn a lot about some of the flora in this country and it was actually interesting.

What can I say? the garden was beautiful! as the pictures indicate......

All the different kinds of cactuses that are found in the hot dry regions.

This green house had all types of orchids! who knew there were so many different types of orchids? I certainly didn't.

Love this picture, doesn't it just look so retro? and don't I look cute? what?! a girl is allowed to compliment herself right?

This wasn't within the botanical garden but part of Parque La Carolina, it's a huge park and definitely worth checking out.

We walked around the botanical gardens for maybe half an hour and I had the option of staying around longer just hanging out and wandering within the gardens by myself but it was really hot and my cold wasn't helping much because I was burning up so I decided to call it a day.

That's it folks, I sure I'm glad that I got to check out the botanical garden because it's really pretty and it's such a cool place to just relax and enjoy nature. I bet during weekends it gets full so I am glad I went during the week instead.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

Did you know Ecuador is the largest producer of flowers?

When the guide was showing me around the botanical garden he spoke Spanish throughout and I understood a lot of what he said. This is a major improvement from the days when I would just tune out after a few minutes of someone speaking to me in Spanish because my mind would get tired from trying to translate everything they were saying, in my head. Now I can follow conversations better, if only I could speak fluidly without pausing to think or translate words in my head. I understand better than I can express myself. Ooh! well, baby steps.

Speaking of Spanish, it really depends on who I am talking with when it comes to understanding the language. The Dominicans I know for instance shorten their words a lot and it makes it harder for me to follow what they are saying, Cubans and I am only talking about the ones I have interacted with, have a very strong thick accent and honestly I need to concentrate so hard just to follow what they are saying, Ecuadorians from the coast speak so fast and to me it sounds like a singsong. I hardly understand what they are saying. Will you look at that? I can actually now distinguish between the different accents, before it all sounded the same to me.

By the way some of the Cuban men I have seen here are really cute! what can I say? just appreciating God's wonderful creation.

If I could just get the chance to re-do my whole travel wardrobe I would pack very differently! I regret having left out some clothes that would have been well suited for my travels here and I regret carrying some of the clothes I ended up packing. Ooh! well, lesson learned.

Right now what I wouldn't give for my super comfy, ripped flare jeans that I took for granted. What the heck was I thinking leaving them behind, I am not even sure if I donated them or they went into the large bag of clothes that one of my good friends is keeping for me.

It's been a while since I went salsa dancing, I just haven't had the enthusiasm to go out dancing.

Saying Goodbye To Baños

Le Sigh! all good things must come to an end unfortunately so my time in this beautiful city ran out and I had to leave to go back to Quito. On my last day I wanted to walk around the city centre and take my time exploring the streets and shops since I had been busy with other activities and never really got to check out the main town and it's surroundings.

As luck would have it, my last day here happened to fall on market day so I was able to check that out. What was on sale was mostly fruits, meat, grains and vegetables. I wanted to buy some fruits but I changed my mind since I didn't want to be carrying around fruits on my way back to Quito plus fruits here are plentiful and cheap so it's not like I couldn't get them in Quito. I spotted a few food stalls and went to inquire about breakfast but all of them were offering what appeared to be lunch menu. I don't know about you but soup, rice, vegetables and chicken is a bit much for breakfast if you ask me, I wasn't about to shock my system with such heavy food early in the morning so I opted for bread and hot chocolate. My food looked so plain compared to those around me.

After breakfast I walked to the two parks within the city centre and lingered for a while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and taking in the beauty of my surroundings, check out how green and pretty everything is........

I was surprised by how busy the city got being that it was on a Sunday, I was expecting everything to be closed and the streets to be deserted but I was pleasantly surprised because everything was so lively and there were quite a number of people walking along the streets, mostly families.

Don't get me started on shopping in Ecuador. I have seen so many colorful and beautiful hand made stuff that it's a miracle I have managed to restrain myself considering how reasonable the prices are.

Prior to visiting Baños I had been told about the local candy, melcocha which is made from sugarcane. In the pictures below you can see part of the process of making this candy, I tried some and I think I instantly got a cavity. It was too sweet for me and this is coming from someone who has a major sweet tooth so you can imagine how sweet it was.

After my walk around town I headed back to my hostel to get my bag and take the last picture with the very sweet owner of the hostel but alas! he had gone home and his daughter was at the front desk instead. I felt really sad because I wanted to personally say goodbye to him since he was very kind toward me. I told the daughter to pass my regards and she promised to do so. I hope she did.

That's it folks, I headed to the bus station and half an hour later I was on my way to Quito.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

Did you know the famous Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador and not Panama? the quality varies greatly and of course that determines the price as well. I love those hats!

I knew I shouldn't have drank too much water prior to my bus ride from Baños to Quito. Try imagining holding your pee for three hours! yeah, not fun at all. When it get's to a point where you start fantasizing about toilets then you know things are bad!

As if my bus ride was not uncomfortable enough, there was a young couple behind me who were super annoying! they kept giggling loudly over silly things and would make this sucking noises and all I could think of was, "please let them be sucking on candy." Unfortunately I don't think they were sucking on candy because the noises continued all the way until Quito. Aaah! to be young and in love, so beautiful for those involved yet so annoying for those around.

I can't begin to count the number of inappropriate conversations I have had to put up with around here. I find it so inappropriate when a married man starts grilling me about my love life and urging me to tell him if I like Latin men or if I find them attractive or if I am looking for a boyfriend. Really? and what do you intend to do with that information anyway? and this goes for any man not just married men. I took a taxi today and the driver who by the way has a daughter old enough to be my friend just kept grilling me about my love life to the point where it was actually creepy! no matter what tactic I used he wouldn't stop. That was the longest ride ever!

When I arrived in Quito I was really hungry so I went out to eat with my roommate, it was late in the evening and I appreciated his company because I felt safer walking with him in the dark. We passed this one lady who approached us trying to sell bracelets. I swear my heart did double flips as I panicked thinking she was going to try robbing us. I literally froze and started shaking. Believe it or not I am now more scared of women on the streets than men because it's the women who got physical and aggressive with me when I was getting mugged. The people you suspect the least are the ones that shock you.

Speaking of being scared of women on the streets, so today while I was walking around Baños I saw these four girls seated at the park and they started looking at me one of them had this glazed look like she was high or something, have you seen a girl do a 360 degree turn within a second? I was out of there ASAP! actually when I think of it I just laugh at how dramatic I bolted but for real, I don't know how to fight so I was imagining if they jumped me I would be done for. I really hate being this paranoid.