Quito & Mindo
After changing planes in Guayaquil we arrived safe and sound in Quito. Unfortunately the last bus to Mindo left already at 3pm so we took the offer of our two Finnish friends from the Humboldt Team and jumped on their transport into town. They had a beautiful Home Stay with Ana Maria and Francesco, so we booked ourselves into a room and enjoyed the Christmas setting in their home.
The next morning we went for some sightseeing with Leena and Kimo. Since they had been already in Quito they knew their way around and it was nice once in a while just to follow. In the Old Town we wandered around the different Plazas and explored some beautiful churches. It was ideal for a half day trip and after checking out we took the Metropolitana Bus up to the North Terminal.
Here we jumped into a bus via Mindo. Since the direct bus would have left an hour later we decided to do it the local way and jumped of at the intersection to Mindo. That is where we waited for a car to bring us into town.
Checking out different options of accommodation we finally found our perfect spot to celebrate a quiet Christmas. The Cabañas Armonía y Jardín de Orquídeas where beautifully arranged in a lush garden full with orchids and hummingbirds. The breakfast was fantastic and the Owners were just lovely.
After getting up at 6am every morning on the Galapagos Cruises we found ourselves restless after 6:15am. So we started early but took it slowly. The hammock at the porch was a magical draw and we ended up relaxing and reading. Just as we wanted.
Sure we explored a bit the area of Mindo with all its birds and jungle and we bumped into Lance and Allison, our Canadian couple from the Humboldt Exploreer, at the Butterfly Garden. Here we looked in wonder about those beautiful, colorful creatures, fluttering around us. We spent hours and hundreds of pictures later we continued with our friend, which we named the Tramp, due to his resemblance.
He had waited next to the Butterfly Garden and was happy to see us again. This poor little dog needed not only love but we didn’t have anything with us. The Tramp seemed to be still happy to follow us since we gave him a lot of hugs and cuddles. He was smart enough not to follow us all the way into town since the dogs here wouldn’t have welcomed him.
Back in the Cabañas we relaxed some more before we headed out for great food at a local store. Mindo was just as relaxing and beautiful as we assumed it would be. To see more birds than only hummingbirds you would have to do a birdwatching tour but we were not up to get up at 5am after our Galapagos trip and all the diving. We just wanted to take it easy and that’s what we did.
Accommodation – Quito: Home Stay Ana Maria Ziritt, Juan Rodriguez 118 y 6 de Diciembre, La
Mariscal, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (via Airbnb)
Price: US $ 35 p. double room, own bathroom, wifi, kitchen, incl. breakfast
Comment: This feels like home and we loved the Christmas decoration and the super friendly
family.
Accommodation – Mindo: Cabañas Armonía y Jardín de Orquídeas, Sixto Duran Vallen y
Lluvia de Oro, Casa 2, Manzana 49
Price: US $ 34 p. Cabaña, own bathroom, wifi, incl. breakfast, free water refill
Comment: Beautifully arranged Cabañas in the lush garden of orchids and hummingbirds