Last week we spent a few days in the Amazon, called the Oriente by Ecuadorians. We had wanted a little time in warmer weather (Cuenca has been pretty cold all of August), so when a local tour operator said he wanted to do an exploratory trip and was looking for two people to join him, we jumped at the chance. We started in Sucúa, a sleepy little village about 15 minutes drive South of Macas.
When I was a kid in Cub Scouts, I was told that if I was ever lost in a forest, I could look at the moss on the trees to help me get out. I was told that it mostly grows on the North side of the tree, so I could always know which way North was. (Being 7 years old, they did not discuss Southern Hemisphere being opposite.) One of the highlights of Sucúa is a botanical park, which we visited. Turns out it is really just a walk in the forest. Looking at the trees, I was reminding of that Cub Scout lesson, and realized if I tried to use it here, I would get totally lost — on the Equator, moss grows on all sides (since the sun is directly overhead all year).
The other major stop we made in the town of Asunción, where we visited with a Shuar native family just outside of town. The kids did a ceremonial dance, and the men took us on a short hike to a waterfall, where they performed more rituals.
Enroute to Macas, we stopped at a small park that consisted of statues of Ecuadorian historic leaders. Each small town had a statue in the center of a roundabout, signifying something related to the city. Oddly, the signs announcing the city limits actually had a temperature printed right along with population and elevation. Apparently, the temperature is pretty consistent in this area?
Macas has a huge statue of Mary on a hill overlooking the city. The road is dirt and difficult to travel, but we got to the top, which allowed a nice panorama of the city below.
We had to divert around part of the downtown area of Macas, because some protesters had taken over the governor’s office and barricaded the streets. There were lots of police in the area, but they let the protesters alone, standing by only in case of violence. This protest was independent of the National Strike of a few days before (see earlier blog posts on the strike in Cuenca). Here, they were unhappy that a road had not been completed between two villages — apparently because the needed environmental impact studies had not been done.
An unexpected find were some of the best beef and fusion restaurants in Ecuador. If you go to Sucúa, be sure to check out Roncos, whose owners were formerly from New York, and know what “medium rare” means. We heard that the beef was better in the Oriente, and we had the most tender filet mignon ever. The fusion flavors of Dulce Carbon were scrumptious, however our favorite place was Chocoberry, where we treated ourselves to their large bowl of fresh fruit topped with yogurt every day. And for lunch, be sure to check out the traditional meal called “Ayampaco“, which are goodies baked in a leaf, at the restaurant, Asadero Chelita.