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From Mindo we drove east through Quito and on to the Oriente - or the Amazon Basin. To get there you have to drive up and over the eastern Andes and onto the flatlands that cover almost all of eastern Ecuador.

The rainy season got off to a late start this year so the rivers and lakes of the area were not navigable a couple of weeks before we arrived. But when it does rain in these parts - it's heavy and the landscape fills quickly.