Wings in the Mist: Finding Myself in Ecuador’s Cloud Forest

Here are a few birds i photographed in and around Mindo, Ecuador

Mindo sits tucked into the cloud forest just a couple hours from Quito, and it’s the kind of place that slows you down almost on arrival. I spent a month there, mid-November through mid-December, and never once needed a car — the town itself is small enough to walk end to end, with tour operators, cafés, and hostels all within a few blocks of the main square. Hummingbird feeders hum outside nearly every café, and it’s easy to arrange day trips to waterfalls, butterfly farms, or zip-lining through the canopy without much planning ahead. Buses run in and out regularly if you want to explore beyond town, but honestly, most days I didn’t need to go anywhere — Mindo has a way of making you want to stay put.