Day 2 & 3

Last I left you, we were in Quito leaving for the Pululahua Crater.  We got to our lodge around 9am.  It was gorgeous!  Our group of 15 took over the entire place.  Our rooms practically hung over the edge of the crater.  When it wasn't cloudy, we could lie in bed staring straight into the foggy abyss.  We only had a few minutes to scope the place out before we left for our first hike.  

This first hike was quite ambitious.  Our Ecuadorian guide, Pablo, took us into the crater.  There is no way my description could do this place justice but I'll try...  About 300 people live inside the crater.  The earth is really fertile so the locals live off of their small farms.  Everything is green and vibrant.  Descending into the crater took time as we were overwhelmed with picture taking.  We chronicled every flower, every plant, every insect, every bird.  Once inside the crater, we became friends with some of the local dogs.  They have free range and playfully ran beside us.  Their energy was inspiring!  Once we walked the circumference of the crater, we realized the only way out was the steep trail we had come down.  After a short pause for energy bars and water, we made our way back up.  The altitude was killing us!  Every couple hundred yards we had to take a breather.  The only people who seemed unphased were the old Ecuadorian men and women.  The elderly people were easily overtaking us on the trail...totally shameful!  5 hours after we began, we crawled out of the crater and enjoyed one of the best meals of the trip!  The rest of the day consisted of napping, discussion, dinner, and sleep.

Today, we woke up early had another delicious meal, said goodbye to the Pululahua Crater, and shoved off for Mindo.  Halfway there, Pablo told us to get off the bus for a quick hike in an orchid reserve.  An hour later he told us we were only halfway up the mountain.  Once again we were feeling the altitude.  Our new Ecuadorian guide, Roberto, was basically skipping up the slopes texting friends as he went.  Once again, it's difficult to describe where we were.  Imagine the movie King Kong--huge rugged mountains with deep cloud filled valleys and a light rain that felt awesome.  And talk about biodiversity!  Our senses were overwhelmed.  The way down was super slippery.  Mike blazed our trail and warned us about treacherous spots (by wiping out before we could).  We started keeping a tally but lost count.   Every time he slipped, we reassured him how much we appreciated his chivalry.  Bethany and Mary shared a few spills too.  Once our "short" 2+ hour hike was over, we boarded the bus and made our way to Mindo.

So, here I am, writing to you from the Sachatamia Lodge in the Mindo Valley of Ecuador. We enjoyed another afternoon of late lunch, napping, discussion, and dinner.  We haven't gone exploring yet, but have already seen more hummingbirds than we can count.

For the moms out there: no one is going hungry!  I can't emphasize this enough.  Meals are served in courses.  Dessert is mandatory.  We're replacing every calorie we burn.  Life is great!