The small town
of
Mindo
on the western
slopes of the
Andes, just
40km [
25 miles]
northwest of
Quito as the
condor
flies, is a
mecca for cognoscenti
bird-watchers.
In the dense
surrounding
cloudforest
some 450 species
have been observed.
Trophies include
the fabulous
scarlet-crested
Andean
cock
of the rock,
the
toucan
barbet,
the
plate-billed
mountain toucan
and the
velvet-purple
coronet.
But you don't have to be a dedicated “twitcher” to appreciate Mindo's charm. If you prefer, you can simply enjoy the novelty and privacy of staying in a luxury tree-house
cabana 10 m [
33 ft] above the ground high, in the cloud forest canopy. Here in your bamboo aerie you can lie under your mosquito net while listening to a chorus of toucans sounding like the screeching of rusty nails being clawed from old lumber. Or you can just wander forest paths observing the unique ecosystem of the western slopes of the Andes, enjoying nature at its most abundant.
Rio Mindo gushes down the steep mountainside, blazing a foaming path for hair-raising
white water rafting.
But if it's birds you're after, your
man is Vinicio
Perez, birdman
extraordinaire.
He can usually
be found by
asking around
at the few
bars in town,
or you can
leave a message
with Vinicio's
sister in
Quito
[02
- 612955],
who should
know the top
twitcher's
whereabouts.
If he takes
you birding,
be prepared
to get up
at 5am and
walk for two
hours up steep
slopes and
through thick
undergrowth.
Your reward
should be
a magnificent
arboreal show
starring the
incredible
crimson-coated
Andean cock
of the rock
chorus line.
Getting
there
Cooperativa
Flor
del Valle
[M.
Larrea and
Asuncion]
leaves frequently
from Quito
[US$2*,
3 hours].
Also, the
best access
from Quito
to Mindo is
via the Calcali-Esmeraldas
road in a
turnoff at
Km 59 to the
left leads
you to Mindo.
Where
to stay
El
Monte
provides private
riverside
cabanas from
where you
can experience
firsthand
the moss covered
trees, crystal
clear streams,
spectacular
orchids and
exotic birds.
Awaken to
the symphony
of forest
noises...
hear the sounds
and try to
imagine the
source. Experience
the cloud
forest with
all your senses,
a forest not
widely known
by name but
that could
be described
as the Garden
of Eden or
Paradise Found.
All
cabanas are
hand made,
and each one
has two floors.
The top floor
is for sleeping,
with two beds
and a small
loft plus
a comfortable
bathroom complete
with a full
size tub and
an unlimited
amount of
hot water.
The bottom
floor is for
hanging out
and has a
hammock and
two wooden
benches. The
forest is
all around
and the crystalline
Rio Mindo
passes just
in front of
each cabana.
See
www.exclusivehotelsecuador.com
for more information.
Places
to visit
Maquipucuna
Biological
Reserve
About 32 km [
20 miles] north of Mindo, on
the same western
slopes of the
Andes, is the
Maquipucuna
Biological Reserve,
most of which
is primary cloud
forest. In this
wildlife-rich
area, close
to 2,000 plants,
some 322 birds,
more than 200
butterflies
and 45 mammals
have been recorded.
It's no wonder
that
Maquipucuna
attracts naturalists
like moths to
a flame. For
information
about lodgings,
prices and transport
to the area
contact
Fundacion
Maquipucuna
[
+593
2 507200; 507202]
or fax [
+593
2 507201]
e-mail
abi@maqui.ecx.ec.
in Quito at
Baquerizo 238
and Tamayo ,
PO Box 17-12-167.
Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
A
couple of
gringos that
fell in love
with the wild
jungle landscapes
decided to
make the place
their home.
In 1991, British
backpacker
Richard Parsons
bought a 300-acre
[120-hectare]
abandoned
farm in the
Maquipucuna
area. Using
eucalyptus
logs and bamboo,
and with the
help of local
labour and
his wife Gloria,
Parsons constructed
an ecolodge
shaped like
a geodesic
dome on stilts,
with lots
of windows
and big balconies.
Built on three
levels and
roofed with
thatch, there
are five triple
rooms on the
first floor
and dormitory
rooms above.
Perched on
the edge of
a steep hill,
the futuristic
cupola looks
out over the
thick jungle
carpet of
the Bellavista
Cloud Forest
Reserve
[09
- 490891]
where tanagers,
toucans
and other
birds of this
paradise flash
brightly among
deep shades
of green.
*Prices
are approximate
Last
updated 19th
July 2006
| |Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton||| |
| |^|to top| |
