Bruce contributes

Wednesday February 17, 2010

We had to get up early today so that we could catch the bus to go to Mindo. Mindo is a little town in a cloud forest about 2 hours northwest of Quito that has an abundance of butterflies, birds, and wildflowers. Jane popped up immediately, but Max was a little slow to let go of his slumber. We could have taken a city bus to the main bus terminal for 75 cents, but we opted for the $6.50 extravagant taxi ride. We got to the bus terminal and met two retired, Canadian teachers who were also on their way to Mindo. The cost of the 2 hour trip was $7.50 FOR ALL OF US! We all slept a bit on the way to Mindo. We got to Mindo by exiting the main highway and descending into a plush, green valley. After some confusion, we arrived at our cabanas to be greeted by Leo, a very friendly man who runs the Cabanas Bambu. He showed us to our cabana which was a very lovely two bedroom, one bathroom abode with a porch which was where we had to leave our shoes before entering the cabana. The porch had a hammock that Max and Jane loved and fought over. At one point, I heard a loud crash on the porch and a dramatic Jane crying, and discovered that Max had poured Jane out of the hammock because he felt it was his turn in the always exciting “carnival like ride” of the apparatus. We unpacked and went to town to eat. Beth got fairly crusty about the restaurant that the rest of us picked, but when she ate the fresh trout that I’m certain was pulled from one of the nearby mountain streams she was very pleased. We then walked up a dirt road for about 30 minutes to Mindo Canopy Adventure, a series of 13 zip lines that zigzagged across the forest valleys of Mindo well above the canopy of the forest. Our guides were Alex and Diego, two kind and gentle young men who were very and patient with us. It was exhilarating to be zipping across the valleys on a cable so high above the trees. We were all a bit nervous or scared the first time, but it was so fun and safe that we hooted and screamed each time after that. We were always excited to see what the next ride would be. The last line was the fastest and longest, about 500 meters. It was too dangerous for the kids to go by themselves, so they went first with Alex. The clouds had begun to descend so we were now in them. I saw Max, Jane, and Alex zip and then disappear into a cloud. I could hear Max and Jane howling. I was next to go. When I zipped into the cloud, I had no idea how thick it would be. I was moving very fast and couldn’t see Alex and the kids at the end of the line. I felt like I was literally flying in the clouds which, I guess I was. I finally saw a faint image of what looked like some trees and my party waiting for me. When finally I could clearly see the end of the line, I was very close and applied the brake (a thick leather glove with which to wrap around and pull on the cable.) I came speeding into the landing and could see some padding attached to a tree at the end, but I stopped before hitting it. WOW!!! I waited in anticipation for Beth to come soaring out of the clouds, and she did not disappoint. She was flying and I was sure that she was going to crash into the padding, but she, too, finished with a strong landing. We spent two glorious hours traversing the treetops of the mountain valleys of Mindo. We all had an adrenaline rush. One last tidbit; Beth, Max and Jane did some tricks with our guides. They flew like superman/superwoman and zipped upside down with their legs and arms spread apart so that they looked like a butterfly. I opted for no tricks because I really loved flying solo. We went back to the cabana, went to town to eat, returned to the cabana and went to bed (with the usual Max and Jane bickering.) I wonder what adventure tomorrow will bring.