Today was our last full day in Ecuador and it was my first day back actually feeling like a normal person. I was so happy to wake up hungry and without a stomach ache and feeling like I was going to die. We started the day with a nice hike on the hotel property, the cloud forest was so beautiful and so full of life. Although we did not really see any forms of wildlife we say an abundance of plant life. The most abundant wildlife that we saw was at the hotel with all the hummingbirds! It was like a hummingbird paradise, especially with those sugar water feeders. I was kind of on the fence about the whole sugar water feeder idea for the humming bird especially in this area and at an “ecolodge”. Having these feeders available to the humming birds everyday makes birds dependent of that food source and takes them away from the native nectar producing flowers that are dependent of the humming birds for seed dissemination, dispersal of pollen and overall regeneration of the plants. It also makes these birds evolve to only know those feeders as their food source, if the ecolodge one day closes and they stop putting out the sugar water everyday what happens to all the species of hummingbirds that used to call the area their home? This is a very unwanted situation especially in an area as biologically diverse as the cloud forest of Mindo.
Anyway, we continued our hike and saw all different plant species including tons of orchids. We got to the end of the trail and stood at a creek that ran through the forest. Diego was telling us that small pieces of gold have been found in the sand of the stream and Tait started to tell us about streams like this and how people use mercury to melt the pieces of gold together to increase their value. Often they do this in the stream which is very harmful to the environment as mercury bioaccumulates in organisms. He also said that eventually these people would start to go crazy die because of their long-term exposure to the mercury, however others thought it was because they were making so much money and it was going to their head. We then headed back towards the lodge of the hotel and had an option to go on another hike before lunch. John and I opted out to going the hotub and relax especially recovering after my sick day, I then took the rest of the time that everyone was gone until lunch to work on my notes and get caught up on everything. After lunch we went over to the small town of Mindo to go ziplining. It was so much fun!! I had a great time and am so glad that we went, it was a perfect ending to the perfect trip.
We then made it back to the hotel and got ready for dinner, after dinner we had a nice post trip reflection and went over what we liked, didn’t like, and suggestions. I was so happy that I spent this time with the group that we did. It was a very enjoyable 15 days and everyone got along for the most part, it was a trip that I will never forget and also one that has changed my life and way of thinking through the things I saw, the people I met, and the experiences we all shared together. Amala Vida!
Anyway, we continued our hike and saw all different plant species including tons of orchids. We got to the end of the trail and stood at a creek that ran through the forest. Diego was telling us that small pieces of gold have been found in the sand of the stream and Tait started to tell us about streams like this and how people use mercury to melt the pieces of gold together to increase their value. Often they do this in the stream which is very harmful to the environment as mercury bioaccumulates in organisms. He also said that eventually these people would start to go crazy die because of their long-term exposure to the mercury, however others thought it was because they were making so much money and it was going to their head. We then headed back towards the lodge of the hotel and had an option to go on another hike before lunch. John and I opted out to going the hotub and relax especially recovering after my sick day, I then took the rest of the time that everyone was gone until lunch to work on my notes and get caught up on everything. After lunch we went over to the small town of Mindo to go ziplining. It was so much fun!! I had a great time and am so glad that we went, it was a perfect ending to the perfect trip.
We then made it back to the hotel and got ready for dinner, after dinner we had a nice post trip reflection and went over what we liked, didn’t like, and suggestions. I was so happy that I spent this time with the group that we did. It was a very enjoyable 15 days and everyone got along for the most part, it was a trip that I will never forget and also one that has changed my life and way of thinking through the things I saw, the people I met, and the experiences we all shared together. Amala Vida!