Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 611

EATING
El Fogon Atahualpa. Barbecued meat dishes and jungle
specialities, including guanta (a type of Amazonian rodent).
Mains $4-6.
Ì El Jardín Barrio Obrero. In the lodge of the same
name, this is the best restaurant with specialities including
pollo Ishpingo (chicken with cinnamon). Mains $5-10.

Tour operators Most travellers book tours from Quito
or Baños but there are a few good tour operators in
Puyo offering tours to communities close to town. Other
communities, such as the Huaorani, are only reachable by
light aircraft from the Shell airport 10km west of town;
these tours are more expensive. Further information
about Huaorani communities can be obtained from
the political body ONHAE ( T 03 288 6148). Amazonía
(Atahualpa, at 9 de Octubre; T 03 288 3219) offers a
range of tours to indigenous communities close to Puyo
from $35/day. Papangu (27 de Febrero, at Sucre; T 03
288 3875, W sarayaku.com) is an indigenous-run agency
offering tours to nearby Quechua communities and
further afield to Sarayacu and Río Curaray (travel by
light aircraft). Tours $65/day not including flights. Selva
Vida (Ceslao Marin, at Atahualpa; T 03 288 9729,
W selvavidatravel.com) offers two- and three-day jungle
trips from $35/day, plus five-day trips deeper into
the rainforest.

6

MACAS
MACAS is Ecuador's southernmost and
most remote jungle town, five hours
south of Puyo and seven hours northeast
of Cuenca. Most travellers enter the
jungle via the northern towns but quieter
Macas has a certain charm. In the midst
of Shuar territory, a people once
renowned for headhunting, indigenous
pride burns strongly here and there have
been recent confrontations with the
government. Tourists can only visit the
traditional villages that surround Macas
with approved guides. Local tour agencies
also arrange jungle treks.

ACCOMMODATION
You didn't come to Puyo to stay in the bland, central hotels,
so it's best to avoid these options and stay on the outskirts
of town or head straight to a jungle lodge.
Hostal Araucano Ceslao Marín, at 27 de Febrero T 03
288 5686. Worn, weathered rooms but very friendly
service in this cosy, basic budget option in town. Breakfast
included. $16
Ì El Jardín Barrio Obrero T 03 288 6101, W eljardin
.pastaza.net. North of the centre towards Parque Omaere,
this rustic wooden building, set in a large garden with
chirpy parrots, is a real find. The restaurant is award-
winning and one of the best in the region. Breakfast
included. $66
Las Palmas 20 de Julio, at 4 de Enero T 03 288 4832.
This pleasant yellow building on the ed ge o f town has
economical rooms and breakfast included. $24

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
In the centre of Macas, the main attraction
is the large modern Catedral on Parque
Central, which commands good views of
the town. A block southwest of the park
is the small archeological museum at the
Casa de la Cultura (10 de Agosto, at Soasti;
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; free), which has Shuar
exhibits including headdresses, blowpipes
and a replica of a shrunken head. To the
north is the Parque Recreacional , which has
even better views than the cathedral.

CROSSING INTO PERU: NUEVO ROCAFUERTE
For adventurers wanting to emulate Francisco de Orellana and float deeper down the
Río Napo into the Amazon Basin, improved relations between Ecuador and Peru in the past
decade have made it easier to cross the border via Nuevo Rocafuerte. There are even plans
afoot to make the trip possible all the way to Brazil's Atlantic coast, although it remains to
be seen if and when this will happen. This is not a trip for those who like comfort, as it's
some eight hours downstream from Coca. Boats leave Coca at 7am Sunday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday ($15 one-way), usually stopping off at Pañacocha. (On the return
journey from Nuevo Rocafuerte to Coca there are usually departures Wednesday and
Sunday.) Come prepared with adequate supplies of food, water purification tablets and
insect repellent. In Nuevo Rocafuerte there are a few very basic, cheap places to stay but
nowhere good enough to linger long. From Nuevo Rocafuerte you receive an exit stamp
and boats cross the border to Pantoja, where you get an entry stamp . Pantoja also has a
small amount of basic accommodation. Boats leave to Iquitos (Peru) from Coca via Nuevo
Rocafuerte only once a month, a trip that takes six days.