Moving on day. It’s always a sad day moving on to a new place. Sad to leave behind what has now become familiar, enjoyable and dear to your heart, but excited about what’s to come and what new things you have yet to discover.
Our arranged transport arrived on time, a big black 4×4 driven by Willem. We loaded our cases in to the flat bed and jumped in to the back of the cab. We set off through Quito at just before 9:00 heading for Mindo and a few nights in the cloud forest, staying at El Monte Sustainable Lodge.
The journey was windy with our driver, obviously a local, perfroming over-taking of slow traffic like a Formula 1 driver. Lots of pot-holes, mud-slides and damaged crash barriers indicates the terrain and what the locals have to live with.
Pulling up at our destination, we needed to cross a river to get in to the lodge, a bench suspended on a rope with pulleys was to be our transport across the swollen river. Our bags crossed first, pulled by our guide John, who swiftly returned the carriage for us to climb aboard.
We were shown to our cabana, number 1, that looked across the river and the forest beyond.
Swiftly dropping our cases off we walked through the woods to the large thatched lodge were we shared a cold lemonade and discussed the plan for the day. Our host/guide John then took us – after supplying us with wellies – for an easy hike around the grounds, planning on taking about an hour. John pointed out some incredible things. Tiny frogs no bigger than your fnger nail. Tiny orchids. Colourful local plants and trees and so many different kinds of birds it was hard to keep up with them all.
After our walk we quickly freshened up in the cabana heading back to the lodge for lunch. We joined two other families also staying at El Monte around a huge communal table. Our hosts, Tom and Mariella introduced themselves and joined us, sitting at the head of the table. Great food and delightful conversation.
After lunch it was back on the wellies with our guide John taking us up the steep forest behind the lodge. Our path was mostly gravel and steps had been cut in to the steeper sections. Every now and then a bird call would stop our guide in his tracks, binoculars would be whisked out and something would be shown in his battered bird book. Toucans, hummingbirds, hawks and all manner of different wildlife. Mrs Y was very keen to see a Quetzal, a bird that had appeared in one of her childhood encyclopedias, luckily native to the area. We heard them, but never actually saw one.
Once again a freshen up in the Cabana before joining everyone at the lodge for dinner.
Again, we all sat around the giant table and once again a huge and delicious meal was served up. A log fire was lit as the evenings get chilly and lots of candles we lit along the table. Our hosts were wonderful and the conversation rambled as good conversations do.
We returned to our Cabana by torchlight and enjoyed a cozy and comfortable sleep, lulled in to unconsciousness by the tumbling river outside.
mrandmrsyoung 