From Puyo, the southern Oriente highway bumps and rattles along the eastern foothills of the Andes. Through the open sides of lurching rancheros, passengers look out at deteriorating concrete towns, cattle ranches, sugar cane fields, coffee plantations and dense, tangled vegetation. Inca gold came from some areas in the Southern Oriente, and gold is still mined in technologically primitive open-sky operations and by ever-hopeful individuals and families. The southern part of the Oriente isn't as popular with tourists as are areas to the north. But for those who like to travel way off-the-beaten track there is the advantage of visiting places where the rare gringo is greeted with more than usual friendliness. The town of Sucua, south of Macas, is the headquarters of the Shuar Indian federation, from where tours can be arranged to the Shuar territory near the Peruvian border.

Ecuador's southeast border with Peru has been a sore spot ever since the 1942 treaty between the two countries. Ecuador claims this was an unfair treaty that allowed Peru to expropriate territories which rightly belonged to Ecuador. From time to time there are border skirmishes. In 1995 an incident escalated into heavy fighting with many more casualties than either side was prepared to admit. Many people were evacuated from the strategically-located town of Macas.

Last updated 3rd July 2006

|Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton|||