We find the perfect wave, but surfing takes its toll
Mindo, the gateway to the cloud forest
Tanagers, hummingbirds and toucans - the colorful bird world of the cloud forest
Ecuador's cocoa and coffee culture
We have been travelling along the coast for about a month now, first in Peru and now for some time in Ecuador, with the aim of surfing wherever possible. Not all surfing beaches are suitable for us as beginners, some we rule out straight away, others we try in vain. Often the waves are too high, too weak, the beach too rocky and so on. Surfing definitely takes its toll - lost wedding rings (Micha), strong currents that carry us away, a laceration on the forehead (me), a torn wetsuit (me) and even a sting from a stingray (Micha) make us struggle now and again. Micha is even more persistent than me and doesn't give up hope. If he thinks a surf is good, I try my luck too. Mompiche is the northernmost beach in Ecuador that we head to. From then on, the coastal region will probably be very unsafe. Our next destination is also the capital Quito, from where we will fly to the Galapagos Islands. When we arrived in Mompiche, we were disappointed at first - there were no waves. We stayed for the long weekend anyway; on November 2nd it was Dia de los Muertes, when the dead were honored. There were lots of parades and processions on the streets - not ideal for driving. The town was quite nice, there was a good café, fresh fish and of course sand for Diego. And then they came back, the waves and how!!! We postponed our departure for a few days.
Last but not least, we even get to see howler monkeys in the dry forest of the Ecuadorian coast.
Now we head towards the highlands. We hope that this will also get rid of the mosquitoes. Even the best mosquito repellent doesn't help, especially in the evening. It's a shame that I have to carry Diego to sleep every night. It goes without saying that this isn't possible in the camper. We make another stop in Mindo. It is also known as the gateway to the cloud forest, an area of the Andean forest that lies between 960 and 3,440 m above sea level. As the name suggests, the forest is often shrouded in low-lying fog - a mystical atmosphere. The clouds provide permanent moisture, which creates the biodiversity of the native flora, which in turn provides a home for many animal species. Micha especially wants to get the colorful bird life in front of his lens. Our first overnight spot is perfect for observing hummingbirds. There is a lot going on here at sunrise. However, we don't see a single toucan. So the next day we set off with a guide. It's worth it - we find 3 of the 4 species native to this area, the golden-throated toucan, the coastal toucan and the red-tailed toucan. At this time of year there is enough food in the forest, so the toucans are quite difficult to find. Abel does his job well, sometimes imitating their sounds and he also has a fantastic eye.
Mindo is also known for its butterflies. The Jardin de las Mariposas is home to more than 25 species. We are allowed to follow the process of creation from the egg and even see a butterfly hatching from its cocoon. The butterflies here are much larger than those in Europe. This is due to the warmer climate. However, they only live for about 90 days before their wings slowly decompose - the circle of life.
In Mindo we also want to learn more about Ecuador's cocoa culture. A few small chocolate factories have settled here. We visit the family business Yumbos. The cocoa is of course from Ecuador, the best quality in the world comes from here. Only the rarer, yellow cocoa beans are used in production. They grow in the coastal and Amazon regions. The beans are fermented and dried on site. The dry regions are more suitable for this than the humid climate in Mindo. The production process then takes place exclusively there. We are allowed to follow everything from grinding to roasting to conching. And the best comes last - the tasting. 10 different varieties with different cocoa contents and flavors are waiting for us. Very tasty. Diego tried his first chocolate and we learned a lot. By the way, did you know that the most expensive chocolate (50 g) costs around $500? The reason is the raw product, which comes from cocoa plants that are around 300 years old; the older the better.
There are also smaller coffee productions in Mindo. We accompany the entire process from the bean to the finished coffee and help out. All I can say is that it is very time-consuming. It starts with the harvesting of the individual fruits, continues with peeling (3 times!), drying, roasting and finally grinding. Here, too, we learn a lot of new things and finally get to taste the coffee we have produced ourselves.
Now it's time to head to Quito. We still have a lot to do before we reach Ecuador's biggest highlight on Monday - the Galapagos Islands.
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