Tuesday 30 September 2014

Day 20: Mindo: The tarabita


Health and Safety employees had better look away now. Today's excitement was to ride, with some fellow backpackers (hello Susan, Sue, Linda), across a deep ravine in a tarabita (pic). This is defined on Spanish Wikipedia as un primitivo teleférico utilizado en ciertas regiones de los andes. Primitivo it certainly is, but thrilling.


During the two-minute crossing of this milk crate suspended from coat-hanger wire (pic), which Lonely Planet stresses is PERFECTLY SAFE, you get a good chance to examine the forest canopy from far above, and your own mortality.

On the other side there's a half-day hike to various pleasant waterfalls (pic). You can also see a wide variety of brightly-coloured butterflies, hummingbirds, and insects to be bitten by.

Then it was back to the hostel for a dip in the river that fronts the bar, and a beer. I like Mindo.

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