I was worried about how my stomach would handle a series of ziplines after Gustavo’s driving, but it ended up being fantastic! We did a course of seven different ziplines. Each time, we climbed higher and higher until we reached the last one, where we zipped down to the spot where we started. I even did one of the courses hanging upside down. It was such a free and liberating feeling.
There always seems to be more traffic on the way home, which helped slow down our progress. We stopped at a little coffee shop where you can see hummingbirds and other types of birds on the patio while you enjoy un cafecito (a little coffee) and a pastry. That’s one of Ecuador’s favorite past times.
My second trip to Mindo included a tour of a local chocolate producer, who showed us how cacao is harvested, as well as the process it goes through to become a delicious chocolate bar. All the chocolate they make is in small batches and sold there. They have different flavors added to 80% pure chocolate. The other 20% is natural sugar. I bought several bars to send home as gifts, and a few for myself.
The friends I traveled with were from the U.S. Forest Service working with a youth group in Quito. My friend Maria Fernanda ("MaFer" for short–everyone has cute short nicknames) brought her two teenage daughters. They have been coming to Mindo for weekend trips since they were little girls.
My most recent trip to Mindo was back in January. I went with my husband while he was visiting me. We arranged a trip on a tour bus. It was great fun and reasonably priced. There were tourists from different countries in South America: Argentina and Colombia, Canadians, and someone from the Netherlands.
