Mindo is a small town that’s only about 2.5 hrs away from Quito but lightyears away in terms of lifestyle. Ecuador’s capital city is a sometimes chaotic collection of sights, sounds and smells that tends to overwhelm even the most experienced traveler while Mindo is almost the exact opposite in everyway.  In Mindo there is a main road that has everything you need from a pizza place, tour operators, small general stores and internet cafes with the mountains and surrounding cloud forests only minutes away on foot. We got to Mindo around 10 am on a Thursday where we checked into our awesome hostel  that was tucked away in the the thick of the jungle along side a little creek that provided the perfect backdrop for lounging on the hammock with a little aguarardiente, the local firewater made from sugar cane and good company. Wildlife and nature abound in this little piece of heaven.  Just from walking around we spotted orchids, butterflies, humming birds and breath taking scenery. This is the place to go if you feel trapped by civillization and need some time to get away from it all.