Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lago Agrio east to Tarapoa and led to several oil spills and massive
forest clearing. As a result, the Ecuadorian government changed the
borders of the reserve and increased its size to 1,499,000 acres, mov-
ing its boundaries east and southeast from Tarapoa to the Peruvian
border. Recent government administrations have all vowed to protect
the reserve as it stands today. We'll see.
In addition to the Quichua ethnic group, traditional inhabitants of
this the Sucumbíos Province also include the Shuar, Secoya, Siona
and Cofan. For the most part, however, they are now confined to
small reserves and are quickly becoming assimilated into the
Quichua, Latin and Western cultures.
Flora & Fauna
F
rom the eastern slopes of the Andes, the AmazonBasin
is born - a massive tropical blanket that covers the en-
tire eastern half of Ecuador. This region is all about water.
The upper Amazon Basin itself receives from 60 to 160
inches of rain every year. Volcanic lakes and
páramo
ponds thou-
sands of feet above sea level seep into streams, drain into rivers, and
create deep gorges and massive cascades. This water, the lifeblood of
the Amazon, flows eastward, slithers through Brazil, and winds
nearly 1,900 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.
The vegetation of the Amazon rainforest is straight out of a fairy tale.
Thick vines hang low and lush; giant strangler figs, flooded palm for-
ests, bromeliads cupped upward on larger trees, and baby ferns and
orchids carpet the forest floor. In fact, the vegetation is so dense, so
impenetrable, that it's unlikely you'll see many of the exotic animals
hidden within it. Such fabulous creatures as the puma, jaguar, and
ocelot are extremely solitary and secretive, preferring to prowl and
hunt at night. Further, they make their livings at the top of the food
chain, and therefore require large expanses of contiguous forest. As a
result, they're the first animals to disappear when human develop-
ment occurs.
A visit to the rainforest will likely provide sightings of monkeys,
sloths, bats, colorful butterflies and other insects. As for birds, rely on
your ears. Better yet, rely on your guide's ears. You may spend an
hour without a single sighting (unlikely) and then come across an en-
tire flock of mixed species. Among types of birds living here are tou-
cans, parrots, and macaws, predatory hawks and eagles, and various
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