Ecuador 2022 - Cloudforest, Coast and Craters Tour - Day 2 - Mindo to Canoa

We woke up to the sound of the forest surrounding us and headed out in search of some excellent Ecuadorian coffee to start our day.  The staff set up a scrumptious buffet of eggs and breads that filled us up.  Adrian and Anthony, the two Canadians that had rolled in about an hour after we did last night, sat with us and we planned our day to right together down to the next lodge.  There were a couple of off bike activities planned for the day so we were packed up and ready to head out by 8:30 am.

In the parking lot with all our gear loaded

As the ride in the previous night had demonstrated the low available clearance on the bike with both of us on it, Karen insisted on walking out the 300 yards to the main road.  I can't say that I minded as I was still getting used to the bike and the different handling characteristics from my regular road bike.  The Canadians were patient and waited for us and we proceeded out to the main highway where we were to continue east towards the coast.

Our first stop was a little over 30 miles away at the Cascades Verdes park, a private park that included 2 swimming holes below waterfalls. We pulled in an paid a paltry entrance fee and bought a round of beers before hitting the trail down to the first swimming hole.  The dirt path was well maintained and included rustic steps that made the steep descent bearable.  I was just dreading the climb back out.

Karen and I claimed the first swimming hole while the guys continued on to the second which was an additional 25 minute hike. The water was cold at first but that quickly passed and we thoroughly enjoyed having the spot all to ourselves.  Hell yeah, I'm swimming under a waterfall in the middle of the jungle in Ecuador.  Who would have ever thought such a thing!!

After about an hour of enjoying our spot of paradise, we packed up and headed back up the hill.  Not long after we reached the entrance pavilion, the guys arrived from their long round trip.  They said that they had about 10 minutes at the other pool before starting their journey back.  We took our time changing back into our riding gear and proceeded back out to the highway to continue our journey east.

Next stop was lunch at a recommended resort situated on an island in the middle of the river.  This is where we would have to cross a narrow single lane suspension bridge to get to the island.  Upon arrival at the La Isla Resort, we enjoyed an incredible fresh fish lunch in the open air restaurant/kitchen. When it was time to leave, Karen volunteered to cross the bridge and video each of us as we crossed back over.

Back out on the highway the Canadians took the lead and set a rather brisk pace that we managed to stay up with for the most part.  Until, of course, we hit the town of Puerto Quito and the guys misread their GPS and turned off on the road that led through downtown.  It was obvious that they did not have much experience with GPS units where I had the advantage of using them extensively in my rallying adventures.  Karen and I took the bypass and pulled over on the other side of town to wait for them to make it through.

After a few minutes they zipped by and we pulled out to follow.  Not far down the road we encountered one of those "conveniences" of living/traveling in a Latin American country, the random police checkpoint.  The Canadians whizzed by but, of course, the officer turned and pointed us over to the side of the road.  The tour staff had prepared us for such an occurrence and I played my role as the dumb tourist as best I could.  "Sorry, no habla espanol."  I finally showed him my license and I guess the proof of my motorcycle endorsement was sufficient so he waived us on.  Nothing like being interrogated by Police in a foreign country to get your heart pumping.

The Canadians had pulled over a few miles down the road to wait for us and we all enjoyed a good laugh at our expense before continuing on our journey.  Karen had indicated that she was a bit uncomfortable with the pace so I told the guys to go ahead and we would just meet them that night at the hotel.  We saw them once at a gas station as we passed by and that was the last that we saw of them until that evening.

We finally reached the coast in the small city of Pedernalas which is the largest shrimp market in Ecuador.  Shrimp is one of Ecuador's biggest exports and the coast was lined with shrimp farms for miles and miles.  Turning south along the coast the temperature had made a noticeable drop from the upper 80's into the low 70's which made the ride much more comfortable. We were about 60 miles from our destination and the sun was slowly dropping in the sky. After a brief stop at one of the shrimp farms for a rest, we scurried along the coast road to get to our destination.  We were warned about animals on the road after dark so we made haste but we still ran across a REALLY REALLY large Brahma bull who had decided he wanted to take a leisurely stroll across the highway.  We both just sat frozen on the bike while we waited for him to mosey his way to the other side.  I was a bit tired at that point but it sure woke me up for the rest of the journey.

Path to the beach at Canoa Suites

After 9 1/2 hours of traveling and activities that day we rolled into the parking lot of the Canoa Suites located about a mile south of town.  Darkness was falling quickly as the sun sets everyday at 6:30 pm in Ecuador.  Our hostess met us in the parking lot and led us to a very large family suite right near the bikes. The room had a separate bedroom with a queen bed and two double beds in the main room.  A large bathroom with a comfortable walk-in shower was wonderful after a long day of riding.  After cleaning up a bit, we walked out to the beach.  It was amazing how flat the beach was as we had to walk nearly a 1/4 mile out just to get water up above our ankles.  For dinner we were able to catch up with Arian and Anthony and met another couple of guys who were riding on one of the tour company's other routes.  We sat around and had a few beers and enjoyed a tasty meal provided by the staff in the hotel restaurant. That night it was wonderful to drift off to sleep listening to the ocean not far away.

A quick dip in the Pacific Ocean before dinner. It was sooo flat!

Day 3 tomorrow!...Enjoy.