I think I'm in love...

...with Mindo. This post was originally going to be called "Mindo is lindo" but lindo (pretty) totally doesn't do the place justice. This small pueblo is just two and a half hours (I believe west) of Quito. The town has one main street with restuarants and small shops, and a few other side streets with restuarants and a few bars. It's sitting in/next to a cloud forest, and is incredibly beautiful. It is also very much a tourist town in many ways, but not bad ways. There are tons of hostels throughout and advertisements for tubing, canopying, and the waterfalls.
We arrived Friday evening and went to our hostel. It was beautiful. A few cabins with double and triple rooms (and I'm sure some singles). I stayed in a triple with Marijanna and Catilin. We went to dinner at the Mindo Cafe and afterwards at our hostel, found out that the best birding guide in town was actually at our hostel! (I'm pretty sure he's married to the owner, though not sure exactly how he's related). It was $20 for the group (and considering all 7 of us went, that's like, $3 each). Our guide was so amazing and knowledgeable!! We all got up at 5:30 on Saturday and ate a great breakfast (including guayaba jam, which I now love). We finally left at 6:30 (the others were a little slow and less excited than me, haha). We walked along this long dirt road which actually leads to all the other activities you can do in Mindo. (Probably almost a 3 mile walk each way). We were out for a few hours and saw so many birds!! I got 38 new species in a few hours, we saw a total for 44 (which the guide said wasn't that many!) The guide could tell from the outset that I was the only one really into birding, so the entire time, he talked to me and pointed out birds to me (goodness knows I stuck close to him), and he always made sure I saw whatever bird he saw in his scope first. It was incredible. I saw two species of toucans, 10 species of colibris (hummingbirds), and a ton of others too. Let me just say, also, that lemon-rumped tanagers are EVERYWHERE in Mindo. And they're so flashy with their bright yellow rumps, they're impossible to miss. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any Cock-of-the-rocks. Maybe next time.
That afternoon, we decided to go canopying. Canopying is basically taking tons of zip lines over ravines filled with forest around a course. Most of you know I'm scared of heights, haha. The first one was so hard to do! I was terrified and almost didn't go! When I got to the other side, I felt like I was in shock! After that, though, I had soooo much fun! Also, on some of the lines, you can do tricks with the guides, and I got to do the Mariposa (butterfly). Basically, you hang upside down while the guide behind you (you're attached to them) holds your legs up in the air. It was such a rush! Next time, I want to do the Superman, which is where you are facing down, with no hands, and your legs wrapped around the guide behind you. The views were so incredible, and it was raining, which actually didn't take away from the fun at all!
That evening, we went to the hostel of some other kids from the Academy who aren't in the Pitzer group (seriously, like half of the Academia students went to Mindo this last weekend!) We hung out, and Aldis (a girl I know from the Academia who's from Iceland) and I watched them all play drinking games. Eventually, I left with Aldis and two others to buy more alcohol (I couldn't stand sitting there any longer) and when we returned, I ran into other people leaving to go to town to dance and stuff, so of course I joined them. I was with Josefine, a girl from Finland who I had met at the Academia, her cousin, Leslie, who is from Germany and I had had classes with, and Shane. Shane is from the States and is currently living in Mindo. He's been there for two and a half months working on setting up volunteer projects, and is a really cool guy. He was telling us about the town, and took us to what is usually the best bar. It wasn't too full, but the atmosphere was really nice and we ordered some beers. Eventually, Shane's host brother and friends arrived and started asking us to dance. It was a lot of fun. At first I danced with a guy who couldn't lead, and later, with Shane's host brother, Nelson. It was fun dancing with him, and I finally heard the Camisa Negra song by Juanes! (Cristina, aren't you proud? haha). Afterwards, the boys wanted to go to the discotek to dance, but the girls I was with wanted to go sing at the kareokee bar, so we all went there. I ended up singing "Underneath your clothes" by Shakira with Josefine, and then sang "Show me the meaning of being lonely" by the Backstreet Boys (Evelyn, you would have loved it!) haha! Apparently that place is hard to get above a 92 percent on your song, and I got a 98! It was exciting! Afterwards, it was probably 2, and we all went nearby to the river because supposedly there was going to be a bonfire (sometimes there are bonfires late at night after things close), but unfortunately, there was none. We had fun hanging out and talking. Eventually, I went back to my hostel, accompanied by Nelson (apparently his aunt owns the place, and his dad owns the place next to it!) There are like, three main families in Mindo. Also, when I was talking to Shane (everyone there calls him Patricio because apparently they can't say "Shane" and his middle name is Patrick), he told me about a bioresearch center in town that people are trying to get up and running again to do species counts, and are doing other projects as well and are looking for volunteers. After falling in love with the town, I've decided I HAVE to do my DISP (indepent research project) there. I'm going to see if I can switch it to bio and work in Mindo (which would be great, because I need another bio credit for my minor, and I love Mindo). I just hope Swat will approve it for credit.
The next morning, Marijanna Caitlin and I went to the Mariposeria to see butterflies. The place was so beautiful and all the butterflies were amazing! (and we got to see some being "born"!) SOO incredible! After that, we went to see the waterfalls, but of course, it started raining again! The Tarabita (this little cart that takes you on a cable above and across the forest) wasn't working at the time, so we decided to hike. If it hadn't been raining (and if I had been there with people who's company I enjoyed more), it would have been fine, but it was POURING. We ended hiking for a good hour or so, and saw three of the five waterfalls. Everyone but me decided to go jump in the last one, but it didn't matter, because I was just as wet as them from the rain alone! I ended up taking the Tarabita back across (the others didn't want to pay), and the view was so incredible! I was terrified (it was like the zip lines x 10), but so glad I took it. On the way back to the hostel in the camioneta (a truck you ride in the back of) we saw a bunch of the zip line guides on another one going home. Nelson, who's a guide, and a friend of his hopped on our camioneta and talked with us on the ride back. We all got into semi-dry clothes at the hostel and went to grab a quick, and late, lunch before our 5pm bus. Nelson and his friend Fernando came with us. It was really nice to make friends in Mindo, and I was really sad to get on the bus. When it started to pull out from Mindo to take us back to Quito, I felt like I was leaving home instead of returning to it.
This trip made me realize why I'm abroad, and for the first time, I literally thought "I'm so glad I'm not at Swat right now". It was incredible. It was the first time I wasn't homesick too (though I definitely spent half the time thinking "Roger HAS to come to Mindo!") Which is true, Rog, you have to come to Ecuador, and I will take you to Mindo. It will make your life! I've also realized I will probably never be able to feel truely at home in a city. I need to see the stars, the trees, and hear tree frogs and insects as I fall asleep. I can't wait to return to Mindo, and if my DISP plans work out, I'll be living there for a few weeks! ^_^