Our 4 days in the Mindo area turned out to be fantastic. Next, we made our way back to Quito since our flight to the Galapagos left the next day. On the way, we stopped at a reserve full of native orchids found in the Andes.

Many of these orchids looked different from the types I'd seen in nurseries in the US.

There were also many beautiful streams at the reserve.

We crossed the equator monument on the way back to Quito. Being near the equator with large elevational changes is what resulted in so many different habits with enormous biodiversity.

We made our way back to Quito and were very happy that our extra days due to the availability of frequent flier tickets resulted in an amazing rainforest experience. Thanks to Vinicio photography became a more serious hobby for us and we made many more trips to the rainforests of Central and South America.