We crossed the Andes and entered the forests and jungles to the East of the Andes. The climate was significantly wetter than the high mountains and the deserts of Peru and the dry landscapes of Patagonia. Everything was very green and the ground damp.
Our first destination was near the town of Baños in the cloud forests of the Eastern Andes. There were multiple waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides leading into rivers, which often crossed the roads as there was so much water. The vegetation was deep green with many different shades of dark green giving the impression of a very fertile landscape.
The town of Baños is the centre for adventure sports in Ecuador, with white water rafting, rock climbing, canyoning and many other activities. On our first full day there we climbed up the surrounding mountainsides and were right in the clouds. The climb was very damp and also one of the steepest climbs of the whole journey. The altitude at nearly 4,000 metres also made the climb quite challenging but I was pleased that the many previous days at high altitude, made the whole climb manageable. Some of our fellow travellers on the truck took part in some of the more active pursuits.
From Baños our journey took us into the high Amazon near the town of Tena and the Rio Napo which is a fast flowing river that joins the Amazon in next door Peru. Here the climate is much more wetter than the cloud forests around Baños, with regular downpours of rain every day. The rain forest here has largely been reclaimed and is beginning to fully re-establish itself. The environment is very fragile, despite the intense greens and multiple trees and plants. This is because the soil is not very deep and as a result the many competing trees end up with roots that extend horizontally across the ground rather than going deep into the ground.
There is a lot of running water, but much of the water flows into caves and caverns underground, so the landscape is peppered with many small lakes at the foot of waterfalls, which then simply flow underground. The many plants form the basis of traditional medicines, which highlights the importance of protecting the Amazonian forests and the local cultures that live in the area.
Our second day in Ecuador’s Amazonian Region was spent on the Rio Napo. The day started with a torrential downpour, which was so intense that the river traffic was suspended. Once the rain eased up we went on a traditional riverboat down the Rio Napo, which was very wide and fast flowing. Down the river was an animal rescue centre called Amazoonico where various rescued animals and birds are rehabilitated, with the aim of being reintroduced into the wild. It is staffed by volunteers, and while, like the Bird Park in Foz do Iguacu in Brazil, it is not possible to release every animal, an important number are released into the wild, especially the monkeys.
A number of traditional indigenous communities still live in this area and we visited a homestead, where we were shown how they make the local drink from yucca roots that are at the heart of their diet and also their festivals and celebrations. In addition we were given a lesson in the highly skilled hunting technique of blow darting using a three meter wooden tool that they use to dart monkeys and other animals for food.
Nearby the traditional communities and again on the Rio Napo was the small town on Misahuallí where the local monkeys simply gag around the main square and act as if they own the town. Locals and tourists feed the monkeys, which provide a totally absorbing spectacle full of individual personality and playfulness. The capuchin monkeys in particular chase and harass the local dogs and seeing the mischievous interaction between the two and the astonished reaction from the dogs is a sight to behold.
Date: 30/05/2018 to 04/06/2018