| Bellavista Cloud Forest |
| After the weekend in Vilcabamba, I left Loja and went to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and arranged for a few days in Bellavista Cloud Forest. A cloud forest is like a rain forest, but it is higher in altitude and doesn�t rain as much. Moisture is provided to the plants by condensation from clouds that blow into the forest every afternoon and form a dense fog. Scientist believe that cloud forests are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. |
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| I stayed on the top floor of this geodesic dome lodge which was made primarily from local materials. The meals they served were incredible, similar to what you would receive in really nice restauraunts. |
| This was the view from my bed that I woke up to each morning! |
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| There were a dozen or so hummingbird feeders around the lodge and during the day there were always several dozen hummingbirds feeding all day who didn�t mind us being within a couple feet of them. Bird watchers come from all over the world to see the variety of birds in the reserve. |
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| There are about 10 miles of trails in the reserve and you can go on guided hikes or hike by yourself. Here are some pictures I took during the hikes. |
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