{"id":2777,"date":"2015-09-10T14:42:39","date_gmt":"2015-09-10T14:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/?p=2777"},"modified":"2025-05-02T17:25:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T17:25:15","slug":"mindo-on-a-budget-ecuador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/mindo-on-a-budget-ecuador\/","title":{"rendered":"Mindo for the broke, Ecuador"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" data-start=\"365\" data-end=\"634\">Tucked away in the cloud forest on the slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes lies the sleepy town of <strong data-start=\"459\" data-end=\"468\">Mindo<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a lush, misty haven perfect for all kinds of adrenaline-pumping activities.<br data-start=\"546\" data-end=\"549\" \/>Tubing, canyoning, mountain biking, ziplining, hiking&#8230; you name it, Mindo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"651\">But not for me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"653\" data-end=\"905\">Due to a physical limitation, I was unable to partake in any of those thrills \u00e2\u20ac\u201d so I had a very different Mindo experience than most visitors. And yet, it became my <strong data-start=\"818\" data-end=\"855\">favourite place in all of Ecuador<\/strong>.<br data-start=\"856\" data-end=\"859\" \/>There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something magical in the air in Mindo.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2795\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2795\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2795 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"lodge Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SLEEP.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2795\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">our cabin in the cloud forest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"946\" data-end=\"1238\">Since I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t chase waterfalls at full speed, I came up with my own itinerary \u00e2\u20ac\u201d let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s call it <strong data-start=\"1043\" data-end=\"1069\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mindo for the Broke.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><br data-start=\"1069\" data-end=\"1072\" \/>Now, to be fair, we weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t actually broke. But I figured this was also how I would explore what Mindo if I had run out of money: without splurging on pricey (albeit relatively cheap) adventure sports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1268\">Turns out: it was wonderful.<\/p>\n<p>My &#8216;Mindo for the broke&#8217; itinerary mainly consisted of&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eating. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1295\" data-end=\"1338\">Broke or not \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a woman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got to eat, right?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1340\" data-end=\"1553\">Mindo may be tiny, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s packed with <strong data-start=\"1380\" data-end=\"1398\">excellent food<\/strong>. I made it a mission to eat in nearly every caf\u00c3\u00a9 and restaurant in town \u00e2\u20ac\u201d not hard, given the town\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s small size \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and every single dish blew my socks off.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1555\" data-end=\"1750\">Granted, we arrived after spending nearly two months in a remote beach village with very limited food options, so that may have heightened the experience. Still, some meals were truly next-level:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1873\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1801\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1754\" data-end=\"1801\">The <strong data-start=\"1758\" data-end=\"1783\">steak in coffee sauce<\/strong> at <em data-start=\"1787\" data-end=\"1799\">El Quetzal<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1802\" data-end=\"1873\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1804\" data-end=\"1873\">The\u00c2\u00a0<strong data-start=\"1821\" data-end=\"1837\">Mindo burger<\/strong> with <strong data-start=\"1843\" data-end=\"1871\">chocolate barbecue sauce at <\/strong><em>Inti Killa\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1875\" data-end=\"1889\">Unforgettable.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2787\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2787\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2787 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"german food, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2787\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">German inspired plate of finger food in &#8216;the beehive&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2788\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2788\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2788 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"vegetarian burger, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/EAT2.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2788\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">delicious veggie burger. Not the best looking plate of food we&#8217;ve had but we attacked the best dishes with such haste, it was impossible to photograph them before eating.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Coffee and cakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1916\" data-end=\"2074\">Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153budget\u00e2\u20ac\u009d itinerary veers off course. Because let&#8217;s face it, caffeine and sugar aren&#8217;t technically <em data-start=\"2021\" data-end=\"2032\">essential<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 (or are they?) But I figured, <strong>if I can&#8217;t have the adrenaline rush, why not go for a sugar and caffeine rush?!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2076\" data-end=\"2309\">Rain is a frequent guest in the cloud forest, so we took every rainy opportunity to duck into caf\u00c3\u00a9s, sip something warm, and indulge in carbs.<br data-start=\"2211\" data-end=\"2214\" \/><strong data-start=\"2214\" data-end=\"2228\">El Quetzal<\/strong> served what I can confidently call the <strong data-start=\"2268\" data-end=\"2298\">best brownie I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever had<\/strong>.<br data-start=\"2299\" data-end=\"2302\" \/><em data-start=\"2302\" data-end=\"2309\">Ever.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2311\" data-end=\"2359\">I would go back to Mindo for that brownie alone.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2785\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2785\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2785 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"brownie, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BROWNIE.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2785\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">on a quest to find Mindo&#8217;s best brownie. This wasn&#8217;t it. But that view though&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2786\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2786\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2786 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"carrot cake, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/COFFEE.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2786\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">carrot cake and a latte while we wait for the rain to stop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Joining a chocolate tour.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2409\" data-end=\"2650\">Still dreaming of that brownie, I noticed El Quetzal also offered a <strong data-start=\"2477\" data-end=\"2498\">$6 chocolate tour<\/strong>. It sounded a bit cheesy, but I caved and joined a friendly group of older tourists to learn how chocolate is made \u00e2\u20ac\u201d from bean to bar to brownie bliss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2652\" data-end=\"2719\">Was it a little touristy? Yes.<br data-start=\"2682\" data-end=\"2685\" \/>Was it still worth it? Absolutely.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2796\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2796\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2796 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"chocolate Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/beans.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2796\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">raw, fermented cacao beans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Hiking to the waterfalls.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2756\" data-end=\"2896\">Just outside of town lies a trail network leading to a series of <strong data-start=\"2821\" data-end=\"2846\">enchanting waterfalls<\/strong>, surrounded by thick foliage and misty air.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2898\" data-end=\"3107\">To reach the trailhead, we soared over the canopy in a <strong data-start=\"2953\" data-end=\"2966\">cable car<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a short but spectacular ride that might feel like an adrenaline rush if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re afraid of heights. For everyone else, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pure scenic joy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3109\" data-end=\"3330\">Once on the trail, we took our time \u00e2\u20ac\u201d breathing in the crisp mountain air, chasing butterflies, and splashing our faces with icy spring water.<br data-start=\"3251\" data-end=\"3254\" \/>The hike itself is free, and the cable car costs just a few bucks. Easy win.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2791\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2791\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2791 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"cloud forest, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE3.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">the cable car to get to the waterfalls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2789\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2789\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2789 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"cloud forest, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2789\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">an easy trail to follow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2790\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2790\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2790 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"cloud forest, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE1.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">dense cloud forest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2792\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2792\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2792 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE4-520x780.jpg\" alt=\"waterfall, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"520\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE4-520x780.jpg 520w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE4-660x990.jpg 660w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE4-585x878.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HIKE4.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">chasing waterfalls in Mindo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Hummingbird gazing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3376\" data-end=\"3577\">My absolute favourite Mindo moment was spent in a <strong data-start=\"3426\" data-end=\"3448\">hummingbird garden<\/strong>.<br data-start=\"3449\" data-end=\"3452\" \/>We paid a dollar or so to enter and sat with a drink in hand, surrounded by <strong data-start=\"3528\" data-end=\"3576\">hundreds of hungry shimmering hummingbirds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3579\" data-end=\"3754\">I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never experienced anything like it \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the soft whirr of their wings, the electric movement, the colours. It was hypnotic.<br data-start=\"3704\" data-end=\"3707\" \/>I could have easily spent the entire day there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3756\" data-end=\"3892\">To find the hummingbird garden, just walk into any tourist office in town and ask where to go. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2793\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2793\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2793 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS-780x520.jpg\" alt=\"hummingbirds, Mindo Ecuador\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS-990x660.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HUMMINGBIRDS.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2793\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">hungry hummingbirds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And so ended our <strong data-start=\"3916\" data-end=\"3952\">four relaxed days in Mindo lindo<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201d full bellies, no adrenaline, lungs filled with fresh air, and hearts filled with that warm fuzzy feeling only truly magical places can give you<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Are you into adventure sports?\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><em>The post &#8220;<a title=\"Mindo for the broke, Ecuador\" href=\"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/mindo-on-a-budget-ecuador\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mindo for the broke<\/a> &#8221; first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travel Cake<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tucked away in the cloud forest on the slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes lies the sleepy town of Mindo \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a lush, misty haven perfect for all kinds of adrenaline-pumping activities.Tubing, canyoning, mountain biking, ziplining, hiking&#8230; you name it, Mindo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got it. But not for me. Due to a physical limitation, I was unable to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100,75],"tags":[38,18,98],"country":[190],"class_list":["post-2777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ecuador","category-latin-america","tag-backpacking","tag-budget","tag-south-america","post_format-post-format-image","country-ecuador"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2777"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4858,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2777\/revisions\/4858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2777"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=2777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}