Chesi (Vancouver, Canada – Honda Bushlander 200) and I left Quito Monday Tuesday morning and drove up over the dry Andes mountains surrounding Quito and headed north towards the Equator and on to Mindo.  We crossed the Equator twice on the drive which soon entered a cloud forest.   Perhaps unsurprisingly the clouds soon gave way to drizzle followed by full bore rain.   We slid down the last 2 kms to Mindo mid-afternoon to discover that the power was out in town.

Above Quito, Ecuador

We stayed at Casa de Cecilia a few blocks up a dirt lane from the central plaza where we camped on a half completed house for two nights.

Easy Camping, Casa de Cecelia, Mindo, Ecuador

On the second day, Daniel (Portsmouth, England) , Chesi and I went to the farthest waterfall outside Mindo – we met Daniel half-way up the hill and I drove him up to the second waterfall.  A short hike down a muddy path gave way to a river and small falls.  We hike farther until we reach a narrow canyon where we were told we could jump off the rock safely into the river below.   I took a bit too much of a jump apparently appearing as if I would land on the other side of the cliff.

Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador

Waterfalls, Mindo, Ecuador

On the third morning we woke up to mostly blue skies since arriving and set out to do what we were calling the ‘Medium Loop’ – Mindo to Santo Domingo back to the Pan Americana.  It started raining as we passed through endless construction projects and an accident where a container on a truck crushed a small red car.  We continued on the Pan American south of Quito through the Valley of Volcanos to ride the Quilotoa loop around a few indigenous villages and to see a crater lake.

Volcano on Loop, Ecuador

Mountains on Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador

Mountains on the Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador

We made it as far as Chugchilan     and spent the night at the Cloud Forest Hostel.  The next morning after finding some overpriced fuel from the man known in the village as ‘El Burro’ (the donkey) we drove through the mountains with some good volcano views to Laguna Quilotoa (a lake in an extinct volcano with emerald coloured waters).

Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador

Chugchilan to Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador

Then down into the valley and Pan Americana at Latacunga we drove on to the second highest active volcano in the world (according to the advertising) – Cotopaxi which is about 6000m at the summit. I couldn’t face climbing it or the $200 cost for the guided trip to the top.  Motorcycles weren’t allowed into the park although cars were.  Chesi and I parted ways there as I headed back to Quito for the weekend and he was going to Banos.

Laguna Quilotoa to Latacunga, Ecuador

Volcan Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Above Quito, Ecuador	Casa de Cecelia, Mindo, Ecuador	Easy Camping, Casa de Cecelia, Mindo, Ecuador	Chesi, Dragonfly Cafe, Mindo, Ecuador
Exciting Mindo Central, Ecuador	Playing Tarzan, Mindo, Ecuador	Waterfalls,Mindo, Ecuador	Waterfalls, Mindo, Ecuador
Waterfalls, Mindo, Ecuador	River, Mindo, Ecuador	Chesi, Mindo, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador
Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Chugchilan to Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador
Chugchilan to Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Chugchilan to Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Chugchilan to Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador
Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador
Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador
Laguna Quilotoa to Latacunga, Ecuador	Laguna Quilotoa to Latacunga, Ecuador	Volcan Cotopaxi, Ecuador	Volcan Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Volcan Cotopaxi, Ecuador	Volcan Cotopaxi, Ecuador	Volcan Cotopaxi, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador
Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador
Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador
Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador
Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador	Rock Jump, Mindo, Ecuador
Waterfalls, Mindo, Ecuador	Waterfalls, Mindo, Ecuador	Mindo, Ecuador	Mindo, Ecuador
Cloud Forest, Mindo, Ecuador	Unevenly warn rear brakes	Mindo Mountains, Ecuador	Mindo Mountains, Ecuador
Volcano on Loop, Ecuador	Volcano on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador
Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador
Mountains on Loop, Ecuador	Mountains on Loop, Ecuador

Mindo, Quilotoa Loop, Cotopaxi