I finally managed to make it out of Quito for a weekend, and headed to Mindo for much needed Thanksgiving celebration. An educator at FCAQ and his wife own and opperate a hostel, and for the past 6 years or so, they have held Thanksgiving Dinner there. Although I didn't stay at their hostel, I will definitely be returning in the future.
Friday after school a few of my co-workers and I took a 1.5 hour bus ride from Quito to this small rural parish and arrived early evening. Because my RSVP for the Thanksgiving celebration was a little late, I ended up staying at a different hostel than most of the staff. From the outside it looked like a dump, but in the end things worked out well, and it was actually pretty cozy. Located off the main street and very quaint, for $21 a night I got my own room with a private bathroom, and I even had my own patio with a hammock. Along with that price came free daily breakfast of coffee, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, juice, and rolls. I still can't get over the prices here. My entire weekend (food, lodging, birdwatching tour, food & drink, and transportation) cost me just over $100!
5:45 Saturday morning myself and two others began a birdwatching tour. Our guide, Marcelo, was recommended as the top guide for birdwatching in Mindo (later after the tour, I looked in my Moon guidebook, and low and behold, his name was one of the first to be mentioned). Unfortunately for us, the first 3 hours of the tour were sucked in with fog and mist, so we couldn't see a lot of the colors of the birds. However, Marcelo did an awesome job in showing us the different varieties of flora, and despite the fog, was able to magically spot dozens of birds from upwards of 100 yards away, simply by noticing their silhouettes against the fog. He was also able to mimic their calls perfectly, and would often times get the birds to respond back and show themselves to us. After the fog cleared around ten, we were able to see dozens of birds and got to take pictures though Marcelo's telescope. Whereas I have only seen pictures of exotic birds in National Geographic, it was surreal to see tucans, quetzals, and dozens of others in their natural environment. Well worth the trip.
The rest of my afternoon was spent in my hammock reading, napping, and getting lunch. Dinner was at 6:30, and the kitchen staff at the Dragonfly Inn busted their ass. It was a three course meal, with the first: ceviche (of course), second: turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans w/bacon and nuts, and third: was a dessert plate of pumpkin pie, and a shot glass of dulce de leche topped with guava. They also continued to pour full (like to the brim, full) glasses of red wine throughout dinner, which helped assist with the merriment. There is no doubt I will be returning to Mindo regularly, and without question, I will be there next Thanksgiving.
 |
| Birds of Paradise |
 |
| My balcony hammock |
 |
| Ceviche |
 |
| Grilled tilapia lunch |
