As
capital of
Pastaza
Province
and with a
population
of some 25,000,
Puyo is one
of the most
important
trade centres
in the Oriente.
But for tourists,
the town is
one of the
main jumping-off
points for
trips deeper
into the selva
[rainforest].
Travellers
mostly stay
overnight
in Puyo if
they are waiting
for a connecting
flight or
a bus going
back up into
the highlands.
Though human
settlements
have existed
here for many
thousands
of years and
the town was
founded by
Dominicans
in 1899, Puyo
is only just
adapting to
gringo travellers.
The
author Philippe
Descola described
its atmosphere
succinctly
as ‘a subtle
blend of barbecued
meat, overripe
fruit and
damp earth,
sometimes
overlaid with
the pestilential
exhaust fumes
of a huge
truck or jolting
bus.’ That
was in the
1970s, and
it hasn't
changed much
since. Its
name comes
from the Quichua
word for 'cloudy'
and if you
spend any
time here,
you'll soon
understand
why. If you're
very fortunate
you might
spot both
the incisors
of the El
Altar
and the dome
of the Sangay
volcanoes
in the distance.
Last
updated 29th
June 2006
| |Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton||| |
