Mindo to the Coast

Lulu
Mindo, Ecuador, was full of surprises: The trees were taller then we imagined, the food was more delicious, the rain was more powerful. The biggest surprise of all, however, was the gift I found on my pillow at the beautiful Casa de la Piedra. I turned down my sheets to find a light green chicken egg resting, still warm, on the pillow. Further investigation revealed that this egg was placed there by Lulu, a rambunctious hen that loved the hotel visitors. The receptionist informed us that Lulu had taken to laying her eggs in the couches and beds of the guests rooms whenever she could get in, and had even cuddled with many a visitor. Her favorite friend was the salvadoran ambassador to Ecuador. Lulu loved to fall asleep on his big belly.

Nidia y Jonas:

On our bus from Mindo to Canoa (small Ecuadorian beach town), we met these two lovely school kids: Nidia who is 9 and Jonas, 6, were delightful conversation partners. Nidia told us all about her school and her friends and how annoying her little brother was.  When I asked about the pen-drawn heart surrounding an "N+J" on her hand, she promptly responded "that is strictly confidential information." After a little prodding I found out her fourth grade boyfriend was named Jonpaul and she burst into giggles as Jonas wrinkled his nose in disgust. They were by far our most entertaining bus companions.

 Winston

Our trip down the coast of Ecuador landed us in the beautiful, sleepy town of Puerto Lopez. We quickly discovered that you can't leave P.L. without taking a tour of the "poor man's Galapagos" or Isla de la Plata. Our fearless guide on the trip was Winston, who, much like the New Girl character, had a sense of humor worthy of a sitcom. As we walked across the barren cliffs of the island he pointed out the blue footed boobies hiding under the shrubbery. "This one had a long night in Montañita" (a local party town) or "look at her long legs, she's a top model."

Luis
Later on in P.L., I left Anna in a hammock bar for a few minutes to go grab some extra cash from the hostel. When I returned, she was talking to two guys from P.L. Luis was the more talkative of the two and we ended up chatting with them for a few hours. The next day, Anna and I explored the beaches of Los Frailes. When we came upon the last of the national park's protected beaches, we found Luis and his friend, sunbathing and enjoying their Sunday. At the end of our beach day, they offered us a ride back to Puerto Lopez. "Do you have room for us?" We asked. They giggled and said "sure." When we got to their vehicle we understood the giggles. It was a motorcycle with a wooden structure attached to the back where we were instructed to sit. It was a beautiful and bumpy ride home and we were grateful for the kindness of new friends.