If there is something that stands on a map of South America is a huge green patch occupying nearly half of the subcontinent. The Amazon conjures up images of danger and adventure in the mind of any traveler, a difficult challenge to avoid. One imagines a dense jungle to beyond the horizon, strange animals, dangerous insects, unknown fever and aboriginal tribes fleeing from civilization. All that is still true, but also the progress of civilization has jeopardized this giant.
During my visit to Ecuador I couldn't (nor wanted) resist the call of the wild
In my time Ecuador I could not (nor wanted) resist the call of the wild. Without hesitation, adapt our tour of that country in order to know the region. We chose a very particular part of the Amazon, that which is at the foot of the Andes. The journey started at City Toilets that, with their 1.800 meters, you're halfway between the highlands and the Amazon basin. In this interesting city, the Pastaza River runs encased letting gravity take its stormy waters far below, the rainforest. We passed the smoking Tungurahua volcano following the road along the river while we admired the waterfalls falling from the hills.
As the road bends sift not stop, the mountains looked increasingly vegetation lush. Finally, when my gps indicated 400 meters we reached a plateau. We had finished our descent from the Andes. On leaving the tarmac the road became so bad I could barely move to 30 kph. It took several hours to reach Punta Ahuano, the place where the canoe started taking us to The house of the Swiss, one lodge that alternates the benefits of civilization to the jungle habitat integration.
While the canoe progressed I imagined that some centuries ago a group quéchua have colonized this part of the jungle, perhaps descending from the mountains by the river Pastaza
Once we left our luggage in the cabin, out to explore the neighborhood, a paradise for nature lovers. In the afternoon we were assigned a guide and a canoe for a journey far more extensive in the area.
As we navigated the waters of Napo River the boy we spoke to the region. Aboriginal family was their mother tongue was the Quichua, much like the Quechua spoken in the Andean highlands. This ethnic, linked to Inca, occupies a small region of the Amazon (o Amazonía, as they say in Ecuador), since the vast majority of the Amazon rainforest is inhabited by ethnic groups linked to the Guarani Indians. The Quichua, although lead a lifestyle like other Amazonian tribes, have an origin, a language and physical appearance very different.
While listening to this remember that the peopling of South America, about 15.000 years back, gave two slopes. A group advancing populated south through the highlands west of the continent while another did for jungle plains of central and eastern South America. To the north and central Argentina are noticed these two strands, distinct, that inhabited South America. While the canoe progressed I imagined that some centuries ago a group quéchua have colonized this part of the jungle, perhaps descending from the mountains by the river Pastaza, the same way we had come we.
The vastness of rainforest are lost in the horizon. We arrived quietly and leave us your sounds
We stopped at a corner and jumped down to the muddy coast. We began a walk in we stopped every so often for the boy to show us native plants and trees and we talk about their particular. A tree walk, diminuta a frog venenosa, 's hiding a huge spider, sheets or hallucinogenic healing powers ... Before us passed wonders of the rainforest we would never have noticed if we were accompanied by a qualified guide. After a few 40 minutes we reached a high point from which we had a spectacular view. The vastness of rainforest are lost in the horizon. We arrived quietly and leave us your sounds. In the distance I thought I heard a howl monkey. "Are there many animals?”, asked. The answer surprised me: "There are few."
As we continued in the canoe, towards an animal shelter, The guide explained that hunting was decimating the local fauna. "Although it is prohibited, the locals hunt ". While the villager population had grown accustomed to eating farm animals themselves raised, in their traditions deeply rooted was the custom of eating wild animals in certain events. "Monkeys, ocelots, lazy ... all have a special way of being cooked ". It reminded me of a phrase that says Argentine gaucho: "Every animal that camina va stop al asador". The population of the area had grown a lot in recent years, so the jungle animals were becoming harder to find.
In Ecuador the main danger was another: petroleum. They had just finding oil in the Ecuadorian jungle
Back in the house of the Swiss, I was thinking of that fabulous Amazon rainforest and the threats that lurked. Having lived in Brazil knew that there agriculture and finding gold were the main reasons why thousands of square kilometers were deforested year after year. But in Ecuador was reading that the main danger was another: petroleum. They had just finding oil in the Ecuadorian jungle.
The next day we had an interesting down the Napo River, but no canoe or boat, but floating on a tire ...! The French who accompanied us were worried about the piranhas, but I was interested to know why the Napo river were much hotter than the Pastaza that comes from the mountains. The guide explained that Napo Basin is entirely in the Amazon, where temperatures rarely fall in 30 degrees. Overboard!
The next day we had an interesting down the Napo River, but no canoe or boat, but floating on a tire ...!
As we were leaving along the water, paraded before us the mighty jungle. My mind went back over the main threat of this area. From what I had read, wild oil exploitation entails not only lengthy clearing alleys where pipelines run ... That is the least! The real tragedy is that the pipelines always have small losses, in the jungle, are rarely met. These spills are accumulated black gaps forming not only permeate the water but, much worse, find their way into a stream and, thence, to major rivers.
For a second, my mind made me imagine floating in front of a coast marked by a black strip where coastal cormorants died oiled. Luckily, none of that was true and, floating and floating, returned to the house of the Swiss.
The two days had passed very fast and canoe guide and dropped off at the pier where we had left the car. As I said goodbye I came to mind a phrase from a traveler: "We were long enough to know all the wonderful things that we were missing."
By putting the car running I thought of oil and how to about his discovery is a blessing and, for other, a curse.
And my readers ... what do you think? ¿Blessing the Curse?
