The Upper Amazon Basin - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 328

Touring & Sightseing

Baeza
Heading into the Oriente fromQuito, themain road passes
just north of Volcán Antisana and the thermal hot springs
at Papallacta (see page 99 for more on Papallacta). Con-
tinuing through the eastern slopes of the Andes and
within relatively close proximity to ecological reserves, Baeza offers a
potential home base for exploring this majestic transition zone be-
tween the higher altitude páramo habitats and the lower tropical
rainforests. It is a relatively unexplored area, and youwill most likely
have the countryside all to yourself.

Lago Agrio
Lago Agrio, the capital of the Sucumbíos Province, serves as the
jumping-off point for jungle excursions into the Cuyabeno Wildlife
Reserve. An important oil town of over 20,000 people, its official name
is Nueva Loja. The majority of tourists spend very little time here. In
fact, most people arrive at the airport and continue straight into the
jungle with their tour group. Regular flights are available fromQuito
to Lago Agrio. Buses fromQuito take at least eight hours and cost less
than $10. Driving from Quito, take the main road to Baeza and then
head northeast on the Baeza-Lago Agrio Road.

The main road in town offers services and
supplies for the jungle traveler. Note that this
area has seen an increase in problems
associatedwith its close proximity to Colombia.
Inquire at the South American Explorers Club
in Quito ( /fax [phone], [e-mail].
ec) about current safety concerns before
traveling here and into the surrounding, more
remote parts

of the Oriente, including

Cuyabeno.

The name “Lago Agrio” means Sour Lake, which is what
the town, Nueva Loja, is commonly called. It received this
high honor after becoming the home base of Texaco. No
prizes for guessing why. For more insight into the name
and the effects of the growing oil industry on this part of
theOriente, read AmazonCrude by JudithKimmerling.