South America, Days 40 to 46 - Stage 10: Quito & Mindo, Ecuador

The main plaza in Quito and this is the Presidential Palace, sadly shrouded by barriers due to the State of Emergency currently in force in Ecuador. The flag indicates the president is in residence

Day 40 Sunday 

We were eventually collected at 16.40, just into scheduled time. Our lovely hotel lady had let us keep our room right up until that point, what a star.

Despite having checked in I still queued at the desk. Everyone had told us we would have to get our luggage in Santiago (2hours in entirely the wrong direction) and recheck in but I wanted to confirm. The very helpful young man said no, he could check it all the way through to Quito, and he promised it would get there. This was good news, though I had actually been comforting myself that if I saw my luggage in Santiago it would take some of the stress out!

Despite the State of Emergency we felt safe in areas where there were other people. Entering deserted streets was not advisable, particularly after dark. This is the Catedral Metropolitana and, inside...

First flight down, we walked past the luggage belt, and I was promised, again, that our luggage would go straight through. We had to go out of the domestic terminal and into the international, through immigration which took an age, but we had time! I used all the time though wanting a MacDonalds. This has never happened before, but I'd been struggling with food for a few days, so we'll try anything. It was about a 20 minute walk away from our gate so by the time we'd got back to our gate, wolfed down our takeaway, we were boarding. We did expect they'd feed us on the plane, but at gone midnight I just wanted to sleep.

Its beautiful!

We did both sleep a bit, on the 5.5 hour flight and me a bit more in Bogotá, as we waited for 5 hours. Breakfast and flight number 3. Short flight, but long immigration queue. Will our taxi driver still be waiting? Came through and there on the belt was both our bags, phew. Out, and there is a board with our name on, double phew. 45 minutes to the hotel, Friends Hotel & Rooftop, where we were welcomed like friends. Asked about power cuts to discover that because they are next to a medical facility, they don't have power cuts. Wow, that's amazing.

Friends Hotel & Rooftop, a very nice place, friendly staff, very centrally located and with a rooftop breakfast room with fabulous views over the city

Shower and out for a snack, how Brian is hungry I don't know. Quito Old Town was absolutely buzzing. The fortnight around independence day on the 6th December. There were stalls selling all sorts of handicrafts and so many people. The State of Emergency is still in force in Ecuador and we'd heard much about petty crime, so we did keep our wits about us, but it all seemed ok.

We were surprised when we came out of the hotel to go to dinner to find a security guard with a big baton. He walked us to the corner where we intended to eat, but I suspect so he could show us in so he might get a kickback. Oddly we haven't seen him since.

Our free walking tour started at the Basillica and, first off we went up that fragile looking tower at the back. Later we returned to go up the two towers disappearing off the top of this photo. One had a cafe and the other a bar! Yes, a bar selling alcohol, well, it had to be done 

Day 41 Monday 

A free walking tour. We met 24 year old Steffy on the steps of the Basilica, along with a couple from London and a couple who live in Scotland though she is Italian and he is from Quito, though left when he was 13.

To get to the tower we had to walk up the inside to this fabulous stained glass window

It was a great tour, billed as 3 hours, we took 5. We tried fruit, candy, spirits, ice-cream and chocolate, but she also knew her history, geology and all the facts and figures. I suspect the main reason we took such a long time is that as a group we all had much talking to do, but she didn't rush us, or cut us short despite having to reorganise the single woman she had booked on for 3pm!

With an amazing view down into the Basillica

We finally said our goodbyes and we went back to the basilica. Steffy had persuaded them to let us have a second entry to see all the things she didn't have time to show us. We also wanted to stop in the bar at the top of one of the towers to have a beer, just to be able to say we'd had beer in a basilica!

Up higher above the ceiling of the Basillica but below the roof to go along this causeway

Dinner was in an amazing rooftop restaurant, the Vista Hermosa, she had recommended despite the fact it looked like rain we had a thoroughly good steak to round off a great day.

then up an exposed metal ladder into the tower. Good head for heights required

Day 42 Tuesday 

Mitad del Mundo. Had to be done, a place called centre of the world, how could Brian not? An Uber, about 45 minutes north to a big monument, on the Equator, and because of it's height treated as the centre of the world in the 18th century for scientific study.

We did snack sampling (the blue 'sweets' had some sort of local powerful alcohol in it)

We were almost first there which meant we got some really good bird photos before the standard 'half in the north half in the south' photos in front of the monument.

Local food sampling

There is then a second museum Intiñan Equator Museum, next door, which puts itself more accurately on the Equator, has some history and some 'experiments'. Brian has been dubious about the coreolis effect on water down the plughole since hearing about it from Ian and Helen. There was the obligatory sink and plug and yes, on the line it went straight down, 1m to the north it went one way and 1m to the south it went the other. It was noticeable however that the sink itself turned to face different directions and that it's bottom was not completely flat. She did confess, under duress, that this was a representation and that 2m wouldn't actually make that marked a difference! We also both got a certificate for balancing an egg on the head of a nail, but we don't really know what that was all about!

Have a look at this YouTube of water draining on and on either side of the equator. Do you believe it?

Back to the Old Town for lunch and planning, it's amazing how much time it all takes.

Local spirit sampling (very nice!)

Day 43 Wednesday 

07.45 collection, from the hotel, not a plaza 15 minute walk away (that's what had taken some of the planning) to go to Cotopaxi, a still active volcano. We weren't planning on summiting, that takes a lot more effort. The majority of trips just go to the Refuge, but that was probably enough. It had rained overnight in Quito which had been snow there and added to the overall view. We stopped for breakfast, at the interpretation centre and at the lagoon which actually gave us a view of the summit between the clouds.

Chocolate sampling. There's our host Steffy, only 24 and full of knowledge, character and humour

The drive up to the carpark was interesting enough on the wet grit, the driver got a spontaneous round of applause as we'd all thought we were in for a longer walk! Brian and I were the first to reach the refuge at 4864m, shortly followed by Mattius from Germany who had only arrived the previous day so had had no acclimatisation. Brian had probably worried him a bit, but he seemed to romp up it. He was a lovely guy, really easy to talk to. The whole group was interesting though, a Japanese girl, a couple from Canada who didn't make it, probably because they were wearing the wrong shoes, a lady from Spain who was following in the footsteps of her dead husband and a trio from the Dominican Republic. Of the trio only Roberto made it, and was very slow, so it was raining by the time he arrived, but he was so proud of himself it was lovely. 

Followed by a visit back to the Basillica and the bar in one of the towers

A late lunch and back to Quito for 17.00 after another thoroughly enjoyable day. Pack a small bag to take to Mindo cloud forest tomorrow and a beer in the rooftop seating area. See short Relive video of our Cotopaxi walk with a few photos: click here

Sitting on a balcony in the tower with a beer. Where else in the world could you do this?

Day 44 Thursday 

We are currently sitting in an Uber on our way to Mindo cloud forest. Don't ask me what the difference between cloud found rain forest is, I don't know.

A beer, incidentally, made specifically for the church. There it is La Basillica on the top left

Oh how things have changed, last time we would have been on the bus, and that's why we have only brought small bags for our two nights, in case we have to return on the bus, but the bus station is a 45 minute taxi ride away, in a slightly unsavoury part of town, and then a 2 hour bus ride. The Uber is a smidge over 2 hours and goes door to door, so why make life difficult? Don't think the driver had actually looked where we were going though when he agreed the fair as he was a bit surprised when we said Mindo. He's messaged home to say don't do me lunch and is a really nice guy. No English, but is still chatting and interacting, correcting our Spanish and settling a pronunciation dispute, just what we want.

Our evening meal at the Vista Hermosa (beautiful view) rooftop restaurant

We've asked him to come back and collect us on Saturday, not expecting he would, but he was really keen, so that's a bonus.

We are the only people staying at our hotel, the Temple 1 Lodge, which is a bit of a shame, though it does mean we've got the run of the hammocks and the kitchen, so we got take out for dinner which we are very pleased about as it's currently hammering down and it's a 15 minute walk!

Next day on our visit to the Mitad del Mundo saw this very beautiful bird. We thinks its a vermillion flycatcher

We arrived to be met by a nice young man from Colombia, who is a volunteer apparently. The owner is away so, so is the cat, Luna, which I am very disappointed about, but it's a lovely setting, so we are enjoying relaxing.

We walked into the town (or one street as it actually is) for lunch by the river before going to the hummingbird walk. The whole area is a twitchers paradise, but there is one place that they sit you down and give you a plastic bottle top full of sugar water to balance on your hand and you wait for the hummingbirds, and they came. Such beautiful little birds, so many different colours, iridescent, tiny. We loved it. Then there was the rickety tower to go up and the woodland walk on which we were accompanied by a small boy who kept chattering away despite us having absolutely no idea what he was going on about.

The Mitad del Mundo monument and this yellow line was originally thought, in the 19th century to be the equator. However, more accurate measurements in the 2000's shows it to be about 100m north

We shopped for water, beer, an ice-cream and take out and got back and into our hammocks for a lovely relaxing hour or so. Think it might now be time to open the beer and do the crossword! Oh, it's now throwing it down, how smug are we to have brought beer and dinner home?

Day 45 Friday 

It hammered down most of last night, which made for a comfortable sleeping temperature, hurrah. Out for a little walk before breakfast as it wasn't served till 08.30. Finally got out about 10.00 after sorting out our early morning bird spotting trip for tomorrow.

Nice view from the top with the yellow line going off into the distance. More people getting their photos on the line down there

Walked into town to get a taxi to take us to the Tarabita, a funny yellow cable car, to get across the valley to the waterfall walk. Our driver persuaded us that it would be better if he came back and collected us, which having seen how far it was seemed like a good plan, plus $5 rather than $6 each way.

He'd originally said we should allow 2.5 hours, but when we arrived he called to someone to ask how long, they replied 4 hours. I said be back in 3. We always walk fast. The man at the map said 35 minutes to the first waterfall, we did it in 20. There were a very noisy, irritating group of women ahead of us, so when they were down at fall no3 we went passed them, and had a much better time. It was hot and sticky, this despite there being no sun, doesn't bode well for the Amazon! It was a good walk, though apart from the 7 falls there was little to see, so we were back at the start of the walk after an hour and a half, and our man's going to be 3 hours! See our Relive video of our walk with a few photos: click here

Another bird spotted in the grounds. An America kestrel we think

We had a drink before returning to the other side, where we had lunch and talked to the dogs. We thought we'd start walking about 15 minutes early. Bang on time a taxi came up the road, but it's number plate was one letter different. He stopped and said Victor had sent him so we got in. We half expected to meet a cross Victor coming towards us, but we never did so it all worked out.

Into town to get a pizza and beer for tonight before going to a butterfly farm. The 'best' one is 3km past our place, and there is one in town. We'll go there, it's just easier. The chrysalis' that they had waiting to hatch were amazing, some of them just looked like jewels. Beautiful butterflies, but trying to get the blue one with open wings? Very difficult!. More hummingbirds, they are such a joy, and so many different sorts.

Got back, desperate for a shower. While Brian was in first, it's started to rain again, don't we feel smug, again?

Here we are at the real equator line at the Intiñan Equator Museum. No, of course those aren't my real shoes!

Day 46 Saturday 

An early start, up at 05.00 to walk to the MINDO sign in the centre of the village for 06.00 to meet William for our bird spotting trip. It was just us so that's fab. He pointed out a few birds where we were, but the photos weren't very good as it was too dark really.

We then walked to the nature park, with me dashing into the open bakery. Why I was starving that early I don't know. Once in the park we arrived at a platform surrounded by forest, places for fruit and hummingbird feeders, all empty. The 41 species of hummingbirds found here are hungry little things. Again, they were a joy, they make such a noise as they whizz past at a ridiculous speed before perching, hovering and even flying backwards, the only species of bird that can do that.

This isn't a sundial, it measures the seasons. Because its on the equator and its almost mid summer in the southern hemisphere at the moment, the shadow is on the north side due to the tilt of the earth. In six months time the shadow will be on the southern side. At midday on the 21st March and 21st September there is no shadow at all as the sun is directly overhead

We were also hoping to spot toucans, until he said it was likely, because there were lots of hummingbirds, and that is their food! We were very lucky, and did see two of the three available species though the picture of the orange breasted wasn't good enough so you'll have to make do with the choco toucan.

Amazing little viewing platform, electricity for making coffee, running water to wash sugar syrup off your hands and a lovely clean toilet. A lad also appeared about 8.00 with a bag of sugar and set about thoroughly washing every feeder, to keep the birds safe.

A lovely outing.

Here's a short YouTube of some hummingbirds drinking out of our hands

We've enjoyed our stay in Mindo though the hotel has been very weird, we are the only ones here, apart from Diego, from Colombia. He apparently is a volunteer, but gets to stay here for free I assume. He was nice enough, but has a bad tooth that is obviously giving him a lot of grief so we barely saw him. It was us who locked up after we'd had dinner each night and made the place safe. It wasn't him who did breakfast yesterday, or him who has come into clean, as we lie in our hammocks waiting for our taxi driver to arrive so all very odd. My biggest disappointment though is that Luna cat is apparently on holiday with her owner in Argentina, so I still have to meet a friendly cat.

This is a sundial giving the correct time of 11:30 as you can see by the shadow. But it is double sided as the sun will be on the other side for the next six months of the year. Note it starts at 6am and finishes at 6pm, because here, there are roughly always 12 daylight hours and 12 night hours all through the year (except for a few minutes variation)

Jackie having just triumphed by balancing an egg on a flat headed nail (I did it too!). Not quite sure of the relevance of this as I'm sure you could do it anywhere in the world, not just at the equator

Because we could!

Next day, our Cotopaxi day. Not to the summit (you apparently have to do several other peaks to acclimatise and then stay at the refuge overnight before embarking on a 6 hour ascent where full winter ice climbing gear is needed). We just went to the refuge at 4864m (high enough, as it was in the snow line)

There she is! A brief parting of the clouds to show its full glory. An active volcano, last erupted in 2016. Our trip was just into the snow line from a car park not very far below. It was only about a 4km walk, but it was steeply uphill and on unconsolidated gravel and at altitude, so far from an easy walk

Photo, just as it disappeared back into the cloud

Zooming right in, there's our target, the Refugio Jose Rivas

On our way up

Jackie looking relaxed

Last 100m or so

We make it first closely followed by Mattias from Hamburg who had never been above 2500m before, but romped up with no problems

Celebration photo

Followed by a hot chocolate inside while we wait for the rest

On our way down in drizzle and fog

And celebrations in the bus on the way to lunch. It was a great group, even though we couldn't understand everyone. At the front, standing up was our excellent guide, Carlos, on the left at the front are a Canadian couple who didn't speak English, they didn't finish, behind then a Spanish lady who spoke reasonable English, in front of Jackie, two girls from Dominican Republic who spoke no English. On the right was the other Dominican Republic man who did make it up, behind him Mattius and the girl by Jackie is from Japan and spoke some English. I sang my rendition of one line of 'My Grandfathers Clock' in Japanese to her. She laughed and said it was good. I believed her!  

Off to Mindo and this was our balcony outside our room in the cloud forest. How nice is this. Those hammocks just had to be used and they were comfy!

A birdwatchers paradise here in proper jungle. It was fabulous! We think this is a Tanager

And after lunch a visit to see the hummingbirds and let the drink from our hands. I took so many photos, but have a look at the YouTube above to get an idea of the lovely, delicate creatures. They are just a joy

Love this one

What about this little cute we saw in the trees just by. We think its a Masked Tanager

Next day, the waterfall walk. 7 in all and, to get to them you need to cross a very wide and very deep gorge in this yellow cable car, called the Tarabita cable car and costs $5 each return

Its driven by this old car engine and gearbox with a disc brake on the end. What could possibly go wrong?

Off we go. It certainly is a long way down, hope the engine doesn't break down now

At the other end these were our options. Take a photo it says in the bottom left corner. We'll do the 5 waterfalls on Route 2, which started off steeply down for some distance before levelling off and then going up hill. You know what steeply down means? It means steeply back up at the end!

There's the cable car going back overhead

Off we go on our own along the undulating, wet jungle path

Waterfall number 1. Many people go swimming in these, which we didn't fancy as we'd be walking around wet. The alternative is canyoning where you'd abseil and swim down these. I could have been tempted by that, it would have been a lot of fun

Waterfall number 2

Time for a drink. It was very humid

This was the last one (I won't show you them all)

We'd had to walk over these stones to see the waterfall round a corner. It was easy enough stepping over them, but Jackie lost her confidence on coming back so decided to paddle back rather than balance on the rocks

Visit to the butterfly enclosure and these are butterflies in the making. Look at the ones on the lower level, they are shiny

Look at this one

We loved these huge butterflies that look like they have a big eye on them. When flying they open up to a bright blue colour on the inside that is really hard to photograph

Fortunately this one was resting with his wings open

They were quite happy to land on our hands

Lots of different varieties

They had a section of hummingbird feeders too, so I took some more pictures!

This morning, early, was our birdwatching walk. I included this photo even though its a bit blurred as you can see this Golden Rumped Euphonia feasting on the berries of a PicaPica tree

And this one a Saffron Finch, another Tanager

But our favourites were still the hummingbirds. I managed to snap this photo of one almost in flight. I promise you its not manipulated in any way, it's just how I took it. William, our guide reckoned I could sell this photo for a lot of money, but here it is for free!

They are such cuties, we could have stayed there much longer and, of course I have hundreds of photos! Deciding which to put on here was difficult, but I like this one of one with his tongue out very slightly and another hovering behind waiting to swoop in

I can't help myself, cause he's so cute!

Nothing to do with birdwatching, but I'd been wanting to get a descent photo of an Agouti for a while and spotted this one creeping down the bank by us

William, our guide was quite excited to see a Toucan (who feed on hummingbirds apparently). We'd crept through the jungle after then for a while and, after a lot of poor photos I managed to get this one. Lovely birds, we just don't like the idea of them eating little hummingbirds.

Jackie took this photo of me taking a photo of some hummingbirds

This was us at lunchtime today in a very nice restaurant in Quito. We're back at Friends Hotel and Rooftop again for three more nights here before our flight to Coca on Tuesday and our Amazon experience. We had a good taxi ride back from Mindo with the same taxi we went out there with. He's a nice guy, but speaks no English so we get by with our Spanglish! We've booked him to take us to the airport on Tuesday which he seemed quite keen to do