The classic South American tradition of enjoying restaurants and cafes is evident in Quito. The Quitenos with a vibrant dining scene enjoy time around the table, exploring the art of conversation and lingering over steaming coffee. The city at a whopping 9,350-feet above sea level, surrounded by steep-sided hills, volcanoes, and the Andes Mountains, affords the opportunity for adventurous outings.

To me he was always Gary, my little brother who thought a lot, laughed a lot and dreamed a lot. His philosophy in life was greatly influenced by Atticus in the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In fact, that was one of his names. He became a lawyer and a scientist ... a Director for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in Washington DC for about 30 years. A series of events (like his dissatisfaction with government corruption) made him quit his job and he found himself alone in a village called Mindo in the jungles of Ecuador which is the northernmost tip of the great Amazon Rain Forest. All throughout his career, he saw the importance of preservation. He made feasibility studies of Ecuador, and then plans which he presented to scientific bodies and received a huge grant from MIT.

I am in Mindo to study the cloud forests around me. Each cloud forest is a unique habitat, a home to scores of plant and animal species that are found only in Mindo. Over eons, these forests formed when the Pacific Ocean's warm vapors wafted against the cooling Andes peaks, creating the ideal environment for orchids, bromeliads, and ferns. These mountains are home to Guadua Augustoflora, the South American bamboo that, with greater efficiency than most plants, sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into material used to build local houses.

Without a doubt, most people from North America and Europe visit Mindo because they read that it is one of the world's top sites of biodiversity for bird species. The central role that ecotourism plays in Mindo can be observed in the pueblo's central plaza. In the plaza, you can see the stone statue of a hummingbird. Sitting on one of the benches, you can look around and see the famed cloud forests of Mindo in the mountains around you.

Quito, the proud capital of Ecuador, stands majestically beneath wandering clouds that drape the city with long shadows that shift dramatically as the clouds are blown about by fickle weather patterns. At an incredible 9,350 feet above sea level, the city is the second highest official capital city in the world after La Paz, Bolivia.

From the balcony of the Hotel Castillo Vista del Angel high on the eastern flanks of Quito, the sky above seems sprinkled with a dew of diamond stars, while below thousands of flickering city lights like radiating fireflies create a fascinating glow. A keen, piercing wind skims across the dramatic volcanic-edged cityscape intensifying the remarkable sensations created by the majestic vista.

I feel like I made it home… but in a strange way. The welcome at the airport lobby, the nauseating drive through the hills, the exhaustion of climbing up only two flights of stairs to my new living area (I like to blame it on the 10,000 ft. elevation), walking up to the roof and seeing patches of clear stars between clouds, waking up to the constant sound of dogs barking and car horns honking through the window...