The Oriente
El Oriente is the term used by Ecuadorians to refer to the Amazon basin in eastern Ecuador. This is a primeval world of virgin forests and exotic flora and fauna, still mainly inhabited by Indians. In January 1999, the Ecuadorian President issued a decree blocking future oil exploration, mining and colonisation by oil companies of the Cuyabeno-Imuya and Yasuni national parks. These parks are home to thousands of indigenous people, including the Huaorani, the Tagaeri, the Taromenare, the Secoyas and the Sionas. In recent years, the region has experienced ongoing conflicts between oil companies seeking to develop the area and indigenous communities afraid that development will lead to the destruction of their ancestral homeland and loss of their traditional way of life. The principal towns of the area are El Puyo, Lago Agrio, Macas, Suca, Tena and Zamora. Tourist excursions are available along the rivers, which provide the principal method of transport. One of the main rivers in this region is the Napo which, like most of the rivers in the Oriente, is a tributary of the Amazon (which lies further east in Peru). Baos is worth visiting, taking its name from the numerous springs and pools of hot and cold mineral waters. It is also the gateway to the Amazon region, passing through the spectacular gorge of the River Pastaza.
|
