El Monte Lodge in the Cloud Forest

After  Banos we returned to Quito and were then driven to El Monte Lodge. in the Cloud Forest  This was in many ways more remote than the Sani Lodge in the Amazon.  No internet, no TV,  no radio,  no newspapers and the people who run the lodge are a different  breed.  This one is owned by an  ex pat American  who knows nothing about world events and doesn't seem to want to.  He and his Ecuadorn wife and 8 mo old child are immersed in the beauty of the land and sustainability issues.  He has a degree in Forestry. 

THIS is how you arrive at El Monte.  The seat is pulled by hand across the following stream. 

The only other visitors when we arrived were 3 generations  of a family. These are the Cuban grandparents.

On the left is Lucia (of El Monte) who was our guide while at the lodge and the other woman is Belgain daughter in law of the family,

This is the other daughter in law who is English.  They ALL now live in Ecuador.  Note the raspberry juice. One of the many juices we had at El Monte.

 

 

The grounds are beautiful

 

Our cabin.  All the windows are part of large panels that open

 

                                                   Just one of the open panels

How is THAT for a bathroom.  The entire wall next to the sunken tub opens to the jungle.

 

 

                            Once the large family left we had the place to ourselves.  Norbert went out each day to see birds and orchids and butterflies and some of the many species of plants.  I had other activities as you can see :)

 

 

 

A toucan outside our window.