Ecuador travel blog by Mark Berman -
July 2011
»
View Photoset (23 Photos)
I travelled through the night from Quito to Tena, one of Ecuadors jungle towns in the eastern Amazon basin - The Oriente. It took 5 and a half hours. I
arrived at the shabby and dusty Tena bus terminal at around 4am and stayed here for a few hours until it was light. I found a budget hotel and rested
until lunchtime. Adventure and Tours
Tena is located right where the 2 rivers Tena and Pano converge, it is the home of rafting and kayaking. Jungle trips can be organised
and trips to waterfalls also. There is a kayak school in town with
Rios Ecuador. There are tours to Misahualli which includes a visit to the island of monkeys,
'La Isla de los Monos'. It is possible to visit river and jungle communities on some tours and participate in activities such as panning for gold, eating
local food, swimming, hiking, bird and animal watching and arts and crafts. The Amazon Park in Tena, Parque Amazonico has an island and trail for self-guided
walks through the jungle to see animals and exotic flora and fauna.
Town and Riverside
The town itself is a pleasant place with its constant backdrop of jungle and warm
climate hanging around 24 degrees. A park in the center of town has a monument of a pair of indigenous people - a man blowing a dart from a tube and a
woman gutting an animal. It is called Tena Kichwa y Ancestral. A couple of churches are also nearby, a blue and white one with twin towers and the mustard
colored cathedral. There are monuments to Ruben Cevallos Vega and Jorge Rossi and one called La Mision Josefina 'Centenario de la Muerte de San Leonardo
Murialdo' 1900-2000 commemorating 100yrs since the death of Italian Priest Leonardo Murialdo in 1900. Beside the bridge across the river is a little park
that has exotic plants, golden pots and little figures sitting or standing on rocks, birds dart around the trees.
Bus 2hrs 30mins to Puyo
From Tena I bought a bus ticket for $5
for the 2hr 30min trip to
Puyo, the jungle and scenery along the way is
beautiful with mountains, jungle huts and small communities. The road is in good condition but the bus-driver did drive a little slow. We passed through
Tola, Napo, Pastaza and Santa Clara. There are quite a few things to see and do between Tena and Puyo including Zoorefugio El Eden - a zoo refuge,
Zoocriadero Fatima - a breeding zoo, Cavernas Rio Puyo and Cavernas de Fatima - river caves, Cabeceras Rio Puyo - river headwaters, Dique de Fatima and Dique de Murialdo - natural pools and Centro de Rescate de Fauna Yanacocha - a rescue center.
Tweet
The bridge in the jungle beside the river in Tena.
Gold pot upon rocks sculpture beside the river in Tena.
Gardens beside the river in Tena.
The mustard colored cathedral in Tena.
