The view from my 5th floor room (at $10 a night). Quito is about ten times longer than wide. It was originally settled by pre-Incas and then by the Incas, who burned it down rather than surrender it to the Spanish. Most of what i learned in school about the Incas and the Spanish conquest was wrong. Only now are the many sources being compared and contradictions being examinded. 52% of the population is still 100% indigenous, 8% pure European and the rest meztico (the mix).

Grazing is one of the few commercial acivities in the steep and heavily wooded forests of Mindo. This is sub-tropical because of the altitude.

Berries were right in season. We ate until we were ready to burst!

No bridge to cross the Rio Cinto. We had to remove our boots and wade across with the packs still on our backs. The crossing was much wider and faster than shown here.

I didn't see the animal, but these prints were FRESH! Note that there are no claw prints. (Dogs cannot retract their claws, cats can.) This one was five inches across and all along our trail.

"The map must be wrong!"

"Yes, I'm sure the map is wrong!"

This was the best of the trail. Most of it was muddy with ponds several inches deep. My leather boots became wet, then my socks. I developed five bleeding sores and two other blisters! This was the worst of my entire experience. At last, I hitch-hiked a ride the last four miles before the blisters ruptured. It now has been five days and i still limp!!