Mindo

I only gave myself a day to explore Mindo and immediately regretted that upon arrival. This small town caters to travelers who want adventure or peace and just a little bit if culture.  It is a small town though, dogs roam the streets, you can hear roosters at all hours of the day and the towns people line the curbs at dusk to chat and play. 

I went to Mindo to do some hiking in the forests and maybe see some waterfalls. I was not planning on doing any of the thrill seeking activities (zip lines, tubing, rafting) or the super expensive bird watching tours.  So I basically had 4 options left. Chocolate, butterflies, chillin and walking... After an americano in a small cafe I was ready for some walking.  

One of the tourist info offices tried to sell me a tour but I insisted I would just do some hiking( later in the day I realized that might have been a better option).

The trail I went on was about 8km to the main entrance, then 3-5 to the waterfalls.

Along the way I met an English doctor who had traveled the entire world (often working on healthcare while visiting) and was still fiercely determined to see more and give more. We had a great conversation, but by the time I got back to the main town 5 hours later I didn't have time to do anything else. 

Mindo is definitely a place I could return to with a set of watercolors for the day and a few friends to keep me company at night.