Mindo: Our last two weeks

Mindo is a small village on the western slope of the Andes where two of the most biodiverse regions in the world meet to form what is known as a “cloud forest”. The serene landscape, unique species, and rapid elevation changes make this community a popular destination for tourists where 200,000 flock annually. In addition to birdwatching, butterflies, and herping (searching for reptiles & amphibians), the Mindo area offers rafting, tubing, trekking, mountain biking, canyoning, horseback riding, ziplining and chocolate making. So we’ve had plenty to do over our two weeks here.

The day typically starts with roosters crowing around 5am. This sets the neighboring pack of wild dogs barking, which is our analog alarm clock announcing the time to wake up. The dirt road we live on leads out of town along the Mindo River and up to a series of nearby waterfalls, which makes for a great morning run (plenty of elevation gain minus the smog and traffic of Quito). After getting ready (complete with a hot shower!), we walk 1 km into town for breakfast at a restaurant associated with the hostel where we’re staying and then to the preschool for our volunteering project. We leave at nap time to have lunch ourselves then fill our afternoons with homeschooling, outdoor activities, and terrorizing Erin with a house cat named Juanita who will eat virtually anything (including picante Doritos). After dinner in town, we wind down by playing cards, reading, and listening to the nearby rushing river or invariable rain. ‘Tis life here.

We were originally supposed to be involved with a conservation project here in Mindo, but we’re really not sure what happened. We were instead afforded a temporary role at the community preschool “Rayitos de Luz” for our first two days while an alternate plan was arranged. Our third day we were placed with a local social services outfit that coordinates a variety of different activities across the surrounding communities. However, when our afternoon commitment to help “people with disabilities” involved our spending 15 minutes setting up chairs and the rest of the time watching a presentation on domestic violence and then some type of group therapy exercise involving props and role playing (entirely in Spanish), we decided project probably wasn’t the right fit for our family. So back at the preschool we’ve landed, where we’ve arguably been a bit more helpful (e.g. lizard whisperers).

There is a 90% chance of rain every day so we’ve learned to take advantage of sun if/when it emerges. We are literally close enough to throw coconuts into the river, which also makes for some great tubing. Want to take a dirt road excursion to nearby waterfalls in some dune buggies? No problema. And the lack of any minimum thresholds for age, height, weight, or even a liability waiver means amazing ziplining for the whole family: Connor, Keegan, tandem, Erin, and me. (No insurance helps keep the prices down…🤪)

Mindo has been a fun way to spend our waning days here, experiencing life in a small town, a variety of different outdoor activities, and the natural splendor of this country. We can’t believe our time in Ecuador is almost done. Leaving will be bittersweet — like the chocolate made in this town — but we’re all ready for the sweetness of coming home.