Outbound to Lago Agrio
Time to catch up a little on our December and January travels! We had a great time touring Ecuador with the Gallup family. Right after Christmas the nine of us took off in a big van with a hired driver. We traveled over several days to Lago Agrio in the northern Amazon (close to the border with Colombia), and then over the course of sixteen hours climbed back up to Lago Quilatoa at 12,800 feet in the central highlands. I never cease to be amazed at the incredible variety of climates, ecosystems and communities in Ecuador. Here are a few highlights from our trip, to be continued in the next post.
Ingapirca
A few hours outside of Cuenca is Ingapirca, the largest Incan ruin in Ecuador. When the Incans conquered this part of South America (i.e., what is now Ecuador) in the early 1500s, they built structures on top of important indigenous sites partially because those cultures and the Incans shared astrologically based religions. In this case, Ingapirca was built on top of a Cañari religious center. The modern day Cañari continue to live in the area and manage the archeological site. The central structure is the Temple of the Sun (for the Incas- the Cañari were more interested in the moon) used for astrological observation. The site was connected to the broader Incan empire by the famous Camino del Inca or Inca Trail. The phrase “Inca Trail” is a misnomer as there was a vast network of roads, not just one as the term implies.
Salasaca
Our next stop was Salasaca, a small town in the central highlands. We spent the night at a hostel run by an indigenous man, Alonso Pilla, and his family (www.hostalrunahuasi.com/es/). Alonso and his wife were incredibly gracious hosts. The hostel is right behind their family home, with views of the valley and farmland. In that area plots of farm land are divided by rows of agave plants, not fences. At the hostel, the kids particularly enjoyed the bunk room in the attic and the hammocks in the sideyard. We all enjoyed the tasty traditional meal of soup and vegetables and the warmth of an open-pit fire in the courtyard - it was a cold night! It was an extra treat to hear from the Pilla family about their heritage and the international student program they provide for several universities.
People in Salasaca share heritage with Bolivians, thanks to the Incan Empire’s penchant for relocating entire villages in order to prevent uprisings. The Salasacans dress in a style similar to that used in parts of Bolivia, and are talented weavers. The women are constantly spinning wool that the men will use to weave on backstrap looms. When we asked our hostess about the constant spinning she said she didn’t feel right if she was walking around and not spinning. Now that is an attitude a chronic multi-tasker can identify with. We were treated to a visit to Alonso’s weaving workshop and a demonstration of the backstrap loom that Salasacans use.
Our next stop was Salasaca, a small town in the central highlands. We spent the night at a hostel run by an indigenous man, Alonso Pilla, and his family (www.hostalrunahuasi.com/es/). Alonso and his wife were incredibly gracious hosts. The hostel is right behind their family home, with views of the valley and farmland. In that area plots of farm land are divided by rows of agave plants, not fences. At the hostel, the kids particularly enjoyed the bunk room in the attic and the hammocks in the sideyard. We all enjoyed the tasty traditional meal of soup and vegetables and the warmth of an open-pit fire in the courtyard - it was a cold night! It was an extra treat to hear from the Pilla family about their heritage and the international student program they provide for several universities.
People in Salasaca share heritage with Bolivians, thanks to the Incan Empire’s penchant for relocating entire villages in order to prevent uprisings. The Salasacans dress in a style similar to that used in parts of Bolivia, and are talented weavers. The women are constantly spinning wool that the men will use to weave on backstrap looms. When we asked our hostess about the constant spinning she said she didn’t feel right if she was walking around and not spinning. Now that is an attitude a chronic multi-tasker can identify with. We were treated to a visit to Alonso’s weaving workshop and a demonstration of the backstrap loom that Salasacans use.
Baños
From Salasaca we wound our way down the mountain through the town of Baños, which is known for its warm climate and waterfalls. It is a popular tourist site for Ecuadorans and international travelers alike with roadside stands featuring a wide variety of treats, including sugar cane and freshly pressed cane juice. As we descended from Baños toward the town of Puyo in the Amazon basin we stopped for a hike at the Pailon Del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron) Falls. The trail to the falls is quite developed with a well-maintained path and a series of signs giving advice about how to live life. There are a number of handicraft stalls clustered around the beginning of the trail along with a restaurant and mini-store. A nice counterbalance to the touristy feel of the excursion was a sighting along the way, thanks to our resident birder, of the brilliant Gallo de Peña, Cock-of-the-Rock, just off the trail.
After the hike and lunch, we drove a little further down the canyon and we watched people zip line across the ravine to another set of falls. Some of the zip lines originated as a way for residents to cross the rivers during the rainy season – not a mode of transport I would want to rely upon, but a huge hit with the tourist crowd. The many food vendors were a big hit as well. We bought some very yummy fried dough balls that were gone in no time flat.
From Salasaca we wound our way down the mountain through the town of Baños, which is known for its warm climate and waterfalls. It is a popular tourist site for Ecuadorans and international travelers alike with roadside stands featuring a wide variety of treats, including sugar cane and freshly pressed cane juice. As we descended from Baños toward the town of Puyo in the Amazon basin we stopped for a hike at the Pailon Del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron) Falls. The trail to the falls is quite developed with a well-maintained path and a series of signs giving advice about how to live life. There are a number of handicraft stalls clustered around the beginning of the trail along with a restaurant and mini-store. A nice counterbalance to the touristy feel of the excursion was a sighting along the way, thanks to our resident birder, of the brilliant Gallo de Peña, Cock-of-the-Rock, just off the trail.
After the hike and lunch, we drove a little further down the canyon and we watched people zip line across the ravine to another set of falls. Some of the zip lines originated as a way for residents to cross the rivers during the rainy season – not a mode of transport I would want to rely upon, but a huge hit with the tourist crowd. The many food vendors were a big hit as well. We bought some very yummy fried dough balls that were gone in no time flat.
Waterfalls and Energy
The landscape changed markedly as we descended toward the Amazon Basin, becoming much greener and wetter. We stopped often to take pictures of the rivers we crossed and of the lush hillsides covered with waterfalls. One of our last stops was at the San Rafael Falls on the edge of the Amazon Basin. According to our guidebook it is the highest waterfall (131 meters) in Ecuador. It made the waterfalls in Baños look like a trickle. It amazed me to see such an incredible volume of water with no connection to melting snow or ice. This isn’t spring run-off. It is water flow that is re-generated on an ongoing basis with rainfall. I’m particularly glad we got to see the falls since Ecuador, with Chinese financing and oversight, is in the process of building a rather controversial hydroelectric plant a short way upriver that will reduce the flow of the falls.
One of the reasons Ecuador is developing hydro-electric power is to reduce its dependency on oil production. We followed an oil pipeline for most of our trip. It is striking how exposed the pipeline is, and easy to see how spills have been catastrophic in the areas where they have occurred
The landscape changed markedly as we descended toward the Amazon Basin, becoming much greener and wetter. We stopped often to take pictures of the rivers we crossed and of the lush hillsides covered with waterfalls. One of our last stops was at the San Rafael Falls on the edge of the Amazon Basin. According to our guidebook it is the highest waterfall (131 meters) in Ecuador. It made the waterfalls in Baños look like a trickle. It amazed me to see such an incredible volume of water with no connection to melting snow or ice. This isn’t spring run-off. It is water flow that is re-generated on an ongoing basis with rainfall. I’m particularly glad we got to see the falls since Ecuador, with Chinese financing and oversight, is in the process of building a rather controversial hydroelectric plant a short way upriver that will reduce the flow of the falls.
One of the reasons Ecuador is developing hydro-electric power is to reduce its dependency on oil production. We followed an oil pipeline for most of our trip. It is striking how exposed the pipeline is, and easy to see how spills have been catastrophic in the areas where they have occurred
Amazonia
The towns in the Amazon feel very different than those in the highlands. Along with the differences brought about by the warmer climate, the buildings and people have a rougher edge to them – perhaps as a result of having grown primarily from the increase in energy development. They lack the colonial architecture the Spanish brought to the highlands. It was fun to walk around Lago Agrio and get a sense of the somewhat livelier and more chaotic vibe of the lowlands.
The towns in the Amazon feel very different than those in the highlands. Along with the differences brought about by the warmer climate, the buildings and people have a rougher edge to them – perhaps as a result of having grown primarily from the increase in energy development. They lack the colonial architecture the Spanish brought to the highlands. It was fun to walk around Lago Agrio and get a sense of the somewhat livelier and more chaotic vibe of the lowlands.