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Mindo: Canopy Adventures in the Cloudforest

September 13, 2012 by Arianwen Morris 8 Comments

Ecuador was the second country along my South America route and by the time I arrived in Mindo, I’d already been rapelling down Juan Curi waterfall and paragliding in San Gil, Colombia. You might think all of this adventure would have prepared me for zip lining, but when it came down to it, I was still petrified!

Mindo - ready to go!

MINDO CANOPY ADVENTURE

Mindo’s ‘Canopy Adventure’ has 13 different cables adding up to 3500 metres. After the first couple of goes, they ask if you’d like to try a different position. I’d done the ‘superman’ before while zip lining in Costa Rica, so I decided to give the ‘mariposa’ (or butterfly) a try this time. How hard could it be for a hardened zip liner like myself? It turned out to be impossible.

ATTEMPTING THE BUTTERFLY

Mindo - me attempting the butterfly

They attached my harness so that I was facing the wrong way and asked me to lean back. The guide then lifted up my legs and spread them wide in front of his face. As you can imagine, I was already feeling a little uneasy.

Before I’d had a chance to even try out the dangling position, we were accelerating along the line with the guide yelling ‘No manos! No manos!’

Was he fricking kidding me?! The harness felt loose around my waist and legs and I was sure that dangling upside down would lead to me slipping out head first towards the blurry forest beneath.

Instead, I leaned back as far as I could and held my breath as the ground sped by over my head.

HOW IT’S MEANT TO BE DONE

Mindo - how it should be done

As it turned out, everyone else in my group who tried it was just fine, and I watched each of their cheesy grins as they slid towards me all arms and legs a-flailing.

As you can see from the photo above, the guides have an interesting technique for ensuring that your legs don’t touch the wire as you fly through the canopy!

BUTTERFLY FARM

Mindo - holding butterflies

If zip lining isn’t for you, there are other, more tranquil, activities to enjoy in Mindo. We spent 30 minutes in a butterfly garden where it was possible to watch them hatching from the chrysalis and to hold them on our fingers as they sucked mushed banana through their probosci.

MINDO LINDO

Mindo - Mindo Lindo

For birders, Mindo Lindo is a must see spot. There’s a centre with lots of identification guides where you can sit sipping tea on a balcony while watching humming birds on feeders just a few feet away.

There are also a number of easy trails into the forest, where it’s possible to spot many interesting bird species, as well as tarantulas and a few mammals too. The twitchers I met there were truly in heaven and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had booked an entire week’s holiday just in that one spot so they could peer through their binoculars until their eyes went numb.

MINDO TOWN

Mindo - cute kids in street parade

Mindo is a peaceful and beautiful hideaway just a couple of hours outside of Quito. One evening, I found myself alone for 10 minutes in the hostel garden listening to the stream trickle by and watching fire flies light up the night’s sky sporadically.

If you go there, by all means get the adrenaline pumping with a spot of zip lining or river tubing, but make sure you set some time aside to appreciate the natural beauty of Mindo too. It’s a charming spot and one I won’t easily forget.

Comments

  1. Les Petits Pas de Juls says

    September 13, 2012 at 12:51 am

    Oh my Ari, you always have the best activity sources! I’m always eager for more adrenaline stuff and don’t seem to find them around as easily as you do!
    But, I wouldn’t qualify you as a wuss! Are you kidding! well, it didn’t work this time, but now you know, so next time you’ll be ziplining, you’ll know what to do to look cool! ;-)

    Now, those birds and butterfly were beauties to look at, thanks for the pictures!
    Keep having fun!
    Cheers!
    Jul’
    Les Petits Pas de Juls recently posted..Bellezas escondidas a la frontera con GuatemalaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      September 13, 2012 at 2:54 am

      I do my best! It’s all about the adrenaline and the wildlife for me!

      Reply
  2. Mary {The World Is A Book} says

    September 17, 2012 at 7:22 am

    The wildlife pictures here are beautiful especially the bird. I had never hear of Mindo before. I love the picture of the local kids – their clothes are so colorful. I did my first zip line a few months ago and I don’t think I can do any other positions. Good for you for doing the Superman!
    Mary {The World Is A Book} recently posted..Jewel in the Rough: Mission San Juan CapistranoMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      September 17, 2012 at 5:53 pm

      Haha. Thanks. That makes me feel better about not managing to do the butterfly! Yeah, Mindo was beautiful and the wildlife was really amazing.

      Reply
  3. Donna Spears says

    September 18, 2012 at 1:05 am

    I have never seen big butterflies like that.
    Wow. I am amazed.
    Donna Spears recently posted..Brisbane a Great Place To LiveMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      September 18, 2012 at 12:05 pm

      Haha. You wouldn’t want one of those to land on your hand and suck up mushed banana would you?!

      Reply
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    Reply
  5. Tanya says

    October 29, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    WOW! Your all picture are really nice. I like your all picture so much. I think both of you enjoy most. I want visit this. Give me a plan.

    Reply

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