Tranquil Mindo is surrounded on all sides by steep mountainsides of cloud forest. We kicked off our stay here with the 'Birdwatchers' Breakfast' - a Full English served by Carl and Laura from Leeds in their rather large and luscious back garden. Armed with a 'Birds of Ecuador' guidebook, we got spotting! Our next stop was a butterfly farm where 1000s of colourful 'mariposas' fluttered around us.

Our hostel was conveniently located next door to 'El Quetzal', an artisanal chocolate maker . Here we saw and tasted the stages of production from cacao pods to richly baked perfection. The brownie was pretty good too!

As dusk fell, we took a fascinating nighttime walk around a lake spotting various species of frog and other nocturnal creatures. Highlights included seeing a hummingbird finally resting its wings asleep up in the trees, and the glow-in-the-dark wood due to the bacteria decomposing it.

Onward bus to Quito airport, 2 hours. Flight to the Galapagos Islands, via Guayaquil, 3 hours.