El paraíso de la selva

Ubicación

La selva virgen de Cuyabeno que embellece al oriente del Ecuador, selva hermana del Yasuní. Es una reserva natural de producción de fauna mismo que abarca una gran cantidad de especies únicas. ¿Cómo llegar a este paraíso? desde cualquier zona del país se debe dirigir hacia Lago Agrio y recorrer un tramo en lancha por el río Aguarico.

En esta zona hay varias zonas de biodiversidad cultural, fauna y flora. Las comunidades a las que se tiene acceso es una de las más antiguas de nuestro territorio comunidades en las que se puede aprender de su cultura, compartir tiempo con ellos y hasta memorizar una que otra palabra indígena. Entre las comunidades que se encuentran en esta zona son:

• Siona,

• Secoya,

• Cofán,

• Kichwa y

• Shuar.

Fauna

Mono, captado en los alrededores del lodge.

Una de las especies más reconocidas en Cuyabeno y por la que muchos turistas le apuestan a este lugar son los delfines rosados, delfines que viven en el río Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge es uno de los lodge que cuenta con sus cabañas a la orilla de este río para poder apreciar a los delfines en su mejor esplendor.

Así mismo se puede encontrar una infinidad de especies como: monos, serpientes, sapos, aves, mismos que tienen gran característica porque así mismo se cuenta con animales nocturnos, que son un gran atractivo de esta reserva. El armadillo gigante también es otro de los iconos principales de esta zona, mismo que en la actualidad se encuentra en peligro de extinción.

Flora

Lodge en Cuyabeno, amazonía de Ecuador

Con respecto a la flora se cuenta con gran variedad de plantas flores y hortalizas que son de gran importancia para esta zona, misma que se relaciona con el clima tropical húmedo de la selva mismo. Los arboles que viven en Cuyabeno son suprer atraídos por los comerciantes de madera, entre los arboles más importantes están: guayacán, laurel, pambil, ceibo, cedro entre otros.

Visitar este lugar va a ser una de las experiencias más refrescantes como ser humano, puesto que como no existe señal de Internet, te encontrarás totalmente aislado del mundo para poderte relajar, meditar y disfrutar de aire puro, del aire que la selva, nos provee. Disfrutar y conocer personas de todo el mundo que compartan esta apasiona por perderse unos días del mundo será uno de los enfoque que tenemos como lodge.

Disfrutar de alimentos locales, de sabores únicos es otro referente importante para que sea más única tu experiencia en el lodge: Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge.

Otra de las actividades que se puede realizar en esta hermosa reserva natural es nadar en una de las lagunas más importantes de la zona donde se podra observar uno de los atardeceres más bellos del mundo entero, recuerda que para visitar esta zona tambien debes ir equipado y sabiendo algunas restricciones que se tiene para poder conservar de mejor forma este paraíso natural.

Uno de los tips que te damos a continuación son de gran ayuda para preservar este lugar.

Tips

• Recuerda agendar con Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge.

• Consulta sobre las botas de caucho pues serán tus zapatos más utilizados para poder realizar las excursiones.

• Ten a la mano tu cámara en todo momento, nunca sabrás cual es el momento indicado para fotografiar a las mejores especies de la zona.

• Recuerda comentarle a tu guía cualquier inquietud y no te preocupes por el idioma, nuestros guías tienen conocimiento en los idiomas Ingles y Español.

• No olvides llevar blusas y camisetas manga larga, y shorts, ni tu bikini o pantalonera pues podrás broncearte en nuestro lodge.

• Podremos recargar nuestras baterías de cámaras y celulares por la tarde, contamos con paneles solares.

Feast of thanks to the Sun and Mother Earth (Pachamama)

The Inti Raymi is one of all the festivities that are in force and has managed to survive to this day, the feast of the indigenous peoples of the South American Andes. As it is an Inca tradition this celebration remains a rite in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Formerly the Inti Raymi lasted 15 days that had dances, worship of ancestors, rituals and sacrifices to worship the Sun God, it is known that the last celebration in the presence of an Inca emperor was given in 1535. As recounted by the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-1616), the Inti Raymi meant that the sun god was reborn to start a new annual cycle.

It is said that the preparation of the celebration was strict, three days before the feast only ate a little white corn, raw, yerbas chúcam and pure water, in addition that no fire is lit throughout the city and refrained from sleeping with the women. At sunrise the Inca king and his relatives waited in the square in squats with open arms, the nobles did not mingle with the lower class, the subdued leaders delivered offerings of their lands, among the festin is the meat of cattle and a lot of chicha.

The outfits they wore were colorful, with plumage, the warrior costumes covered in gold, silver, turquoise and emeralds stand out. During the celebration the sovereign was seated on his golden throne carried by his loaders, wearing a kind of dress with a sash on his waist of various colors, also had a large red robe with beautiful embroidery and on his head a gold helmet.

He was accompanied by a entourage of important officials such as indigenous women with embroidered skirts and multicolored blouses, wearing branches of cedroncillo, with which they are deterring evil spirits. Others spill yellow flowers, while others load wicker baskets with offerings, including fruits, flowers and gold amulets. It should be noted that in that celebration all were barefoot. The soldiers of the Inca used their shields in one hand and in the other they had a star made of wood, and they also wore a helmet.

The holiday assesses whether the maize harvest was good, appreciated and if it was bad, begging for the coming year to compensate them with good production. In addition, the  Power or Energy was held, and then begin a planning of the unfulfilled activities to start others such as: educational, organizational, social, political and economic; complying with the norms and principles of Man and the cosmic power of the Pachamama.

On the occasion of the festivity of the Inti Raymi, in the city of Quito and in other cities were held round tables, where cultural activists, intellectuals and the academic world discussed the importance of this Andean and Inca festival in honor of the Inti, the Sun God.

The Chacana or Andean Cross

First white grains are placed, representing the air, then the red grains that symbolize the fire, the yellows that are the earth and the blacks are water. Once they managed to make the cross, a perfect four-pointed figure, they began to decorate the interior. At the north tip they put cups full of water and jugs with rose water because it is the door of water itself.

«Water symbolizes fertility, life.» To the south is the air gate, where the tobacco is placed because while they smoke them and release the air, they connect with their ancestors. In addition, a cane with the eagle and the falcon representing the northern and southern peoples, respectively.

The east door corresponds to the sun, to the fire. A few lit incenses placed in that sector while in the west gate is placed fruits and vegetables to represent the land or the Pachamama and the fruits it provides.

Main activities

• June 24: Kallpashun, Puruhá Road. This race with routes of seven and 15 kilometers, summons the indigenous and mixed-race athletes from all over the province and consists of running through the moors of Cacha, just as the messengers of antiquity did.

• June 24: Inti Raymi Ceremony. The celebration will be held at the Pucara Tambo viewpoint at 10:00. The yachaks will perform a ceremony of thanks to the sun for the energy, traditional food and indigenous dances.

• June 28: The Shaythes of St. Peter and St. Paul. The Catholic festivities of the patron saint of Riobamba, San Pedro, coincide with the celebration of the Inti Raymi. Traditional dances and artists will participate in a cultural show, where there will also be shaizas.

The inti Raymi is commemorated in several provinces of Ecuador where there is a joint knowledge but various acts are held to commemorate the Sun God and the Pachamama, among the main provinces can be known:

Inti Raymi in Cañar

In the province of Cañar, this celebration takes on special significance since the chosen scenario for the ritual is the Zhinzhuna hill, in the Ingapirca parish, where the archaeological ruins of Ingapirca are located. The perfect setting for the Inti Raymi is Ingapirca, The Inti Raymi Ingapirca is a beautiful celebration has a lot of enhancement. With the establishment of the Spanish colony, the festival was camouflaged in Catholic celebrations such as Corpus Christi or San Juan, which produced a syncretism between the two traditions.

Inti Raymi in Pichincha
In Cayambe

In this canton the festivities in honor of the sun combine with the mixed and religious tradition in honor of St. Peter. The festival contains traditional activities of the Kayambi people such as the Taking of the Square, Comparsas Parades with warmis and dancers, recitation of coplas and choice of the Ustas.
Principals:

• June 21: Ceremony in Honor of the Sun.
• June 29: Symbolic Take of the Plaza and the Sacred Site of Puntiatzil.

Inti Raymi in Otavalo

This festival has a very important meaning for the Andean world, as well as religious celebrations for the Western world. It is considered the largest festival in the Andes, which has a prominent role in the culture of indigenous peoples. This is largely due to the fact that it is time for the ripening of the fruit of the Pachamama, so there is a massive participation of the community in the crops they have seen throughout the region.

Armay Chishi – Ritual Bath

This ritual takes place on June 22, the day of the summer sunset. Waterfalls, rivers and springs have special places where energy is concentrated during the year and the ritual bath tries to register them to load new forces, eliminate the negative energies accumulated during the year, and thus begin with Celebration of Inti Raymi.
The bathroom has a clear sense of cleanliness and is associated with the rural concepts of the party.

The Songs and Dances

For the night, every day of the party, the atmosphere is filled with music and streets, and the chaquiñanes can see companies with which you can see pingullos, flutes and harmonics, and most groups have instruments such as guitar and violins. Very few teams include aroundr and, on the other hand, you can see some modern influence with the use of the melodic.

The Roosters Branch

This is one of the most interesting traditions of the Inti Raymi ceremony. Its origins take us to the era of the colony, where the uyanza or the celebration of joy after the harvest took place on the farms. Over time, this tradition has been lost and, remembering it, this ritual was repeated with a change in its shape: the turtle industry.

Undoubtedly an important festival for the Andean peoples that commemorates a feast for the crops and that must be maintained so as not to lose the roots of us linking us with the ancestors. Same you’ll be able to meet and even become part of our Otavalo tour.

Bibliografía

Marín, I. (14 de mayo de 2018). Cultura científica. Obtenido de UTPL: https://culturacientifica.utpl.edu.ec/2018/05/inti-raymi-la-fiesta-del-sol/

Comercio, E. (19 de junio de 2017). Así se celebra el Inti Raymi en las provincias de la Sierra . El Comercio – Actualidad.

Tourist destination of the Ecuadorian Andes

Cotopaxi Tour, Photo Patricio Guaras; 2019

The Cotopaxi is located within the Cotopaxi National Park, which was created in 1975 and has an area of 33,393 hectares.

The National Nark has the majority visit in the continental area of the equator, for the large natural spectacle offered by the colossus and its surroundings.

The Cotopaxi volcano has 5,897 meters above sea level, «19,347 feet» and is considered or not of the highest active volcano in the world, such that national and foreign tourists want to reach the top of the emblematic volcano at the equator. In addition, the Cotopaxi Volcano records its last pre-eruptive activity that began in 2015, in that year the volcano expelled gases and great amount of volcanic ash, for this natural phenomenon the Cotopaxi National Park was closed until 2016, after the volcano had a moderate activity, the Ecuadorian government decided to open the doors to whole visitors who wish to know and admire this beautiful natural treasure.

Activities within Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi Tour, Photo Patricio Guaras; 2019

The Cotopaxi National Park is considered one of the favorite sites by tourists for practice some activities such as:

Climbing Mountain: You can perform this sport and try to get the summit of the volcano and you only need two days.

Mountain bike: Very easy to do, cause there are some trails and enjoy a spectacular view of valleys covered by a great variety in flora and fauna, surely will be good memories among your family or friends.

Horseback riding, Camping

Inside of The National Park, we can find the beautiful valley Limpiopungo so extensive that you can do horseback riding, camping, bird watching and we will see volcanoes around of it.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WITHIN COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK.

We can find how:

• The Limpipungo Lagoon, is located at 3,800 m.s.n.m (12,769. feet) and covers 200 hectares, in which we can observe different types of birds,

• Rumiñahui Volcano has a height of 4,721 m.s.n.m (15,489 feet), very ideal for the practice of half a mountain and acclimatization to achieve higher peaks such as Cotopaxi volcano.

Tour Cotopaxi, Photo Patricio Guaras; 2019

HOW TO GET THERE?

From Quito is 1 hour and 30 minutes to access by the Caspi control or «enter south» of the Cotopaxi National Park

COST ENTRY

Free

VISITING TIME.

The whole year.

CHECK IN TIME

From 8.30 am to 15:00 pm

PERSONAL CONCLUTION.

The Cotopaxi National Park is one of the places you should visit here we can find  great variety of flora, fauna, volcanoes, valleys, rivers, among others, it is definitely a treasure worth knowing and passing unforgettable moments in this natural landscape.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ARMANDO PATRICIO GUARAS CALUGUILLIN.

NATIONAL TOPURIST GUIDE

INSTRUCTOR SOME SPORTS SUCH ASS:

 ROCK CLIMBING/MOUNTAIN CLIMBING/ PARAGLIDING PILOT APPI P3.

E-MAIL: patricio-g1060@hotmail.com

QUITO-ECUADOR.