Though it lacks any tourist industry or infrastructure whatsoever (or maybe because of this, depending on your view), the charmingly minuscule and picturesque town of Mendez is a great place to break up the nine-hour journey between Macas and Gualaquiza. Time marches slow in this town, whose richlypainted colonial houses precariously perched on jungle ledges and squeezed into lush valleys make it an ideal place to stretch your legs and wander for a few hours or a few days, whatever your pace may be. Just don't go in expecting to pepper a tourism office with questions or find an adventure travel agency, the sole purpose of visiting Mendez is to mellow out in the languid jungle heat.