Mindo’s fresh air made us thirsty for adventure. Setting aside our fear of heights for the exhilaration of gliding above the cloud forest, Laurene and I set out early to go ziplining.

Making our way through the cloud forest

A local named Giovanni picked us up in his truck for the winding drive up the hill. We were racing against time since I had to return to Quito to work in the afternoon so I was glad we had decided to fork over the $3 for the lift up the road.

Learning the important safety rules - in Spanish

That daring Laurene on the flying trapeze

The views were vast and endless. It was hard to imagine that just over the mountain lay Quito in the distance. Mindo was a world away.