Shell EcuadorOff the Beaten Path

Shell, Ecuador

Nestled between the Ecuadorian Andes and the Amazon Rain Forrest

Full of beauty and rich with indigenous culture

For adventure, natural wonder, cultural uniqueness, and breath taking wild life it is worth the ninety mile trip on a road with a mountain threatening landslides on one side and raging rapids up to 3,000 feet below on the other.

Beginnings: The Huaorani Indians

The Huaorani was once the largest indigenous group in Ecuador Known for being ruthless in their vengeance Armed with spears and poisoned blowguns No contact with the outside world until the 1930s

Beginnings: Shell Oil Company

Vast oil resources found beneath the bountiful Ecuadorian rainforest drew Shell Oil Company to investigate its potential

In 1937, Shell was established as headquarters for the research project

Due to hostilities from the Huaorani tribe, the company decided to abandon the project in 1948

Beginnings: Missionaries

In the late 40’s two missionary pilots went to Shell to launch Mission Aviation Fellowship

MAF’s goal to reach isolated peoples using aviation Nate Saint, one of the first two missionaries

Moved to Shell with his wife to help run the mission base where both of their children were born

The mission operated successfully for several years making contact with the Huaorani through air drops

Beginnings: Missionaries cont.

In the mid 1950’s, Shell took the center of the world stage

Four of the missionaries had gone missing Killed after finally making land contact with the

Huaorani

Beginnings: Hospital

Shortly after the MAF tragedy, the Hospital Vonzandes Del Oriente opened for business

The first of its kind in the area, thousands of native peoples were able to receive medical attention for the first time

The original location of the hospital remained standing until 2007

Modern Day Shell

Today, getting to Shell can still be fairly difficult

The airstrip is used primarily for the military and the mission base

The road leading from the capital at Quito to Shell is initially embedded in the Ecuadorian Andes Ninety miles, it can take anywhere between 3 hours

and 2 days to travel the distance The road follows begins to run parallel with the

Pastaza River Pastaza is a major tributary to the Amazon with class

IV rapids

Landslides

Due to the excessive rainfall in the region, the roadways leading to Shell are known for their landslides

At times, the highway is only wide enough for one vehicle to pass making even the smallest landslide potentially lethal

More often than not they are simply a source of delay for travel

Depending on the severity of the landslide, it can take several days to clear away debris

Local Life

Most restaurants are “mom and pop” owned and operated With open air dining rooms it allows diners to enjoy

the wildlife that roam the streets

More often than not, you will find yourself looking up to find a Capuchin Monkey has made his way to your table side Due to their natural habitat dwindling, the variety of

monkey wildlife has become more prevalent in even some of the larger cities in Ecuador

Rainforest

Just outside of Shell lays “one of the world’s megadiverse regions’’ 100 different types of trees 400 types of amphibians More than 1,500 different birds Wide variety of mammals there is no shortage of

exotic wildlife

Hiking Trail

The first stop on the hiking trail is a thirty foot waterfall

From there the route leads up and down mountain sides

Inevitably at some point on the journey, it will start to rain making the terrain a bit more slippery

At the top of the highest point on the trail there is a clearing towards the top of the foothill with a clear view of the surrounding rainforest

Hiking Trail Cont

The final stop makes any discomfort worth the effort

Running down the side of the mountain is a stream that has steadily fallen over the exposed rocks long enough to have smoothed out a path for itself

The smoothed out area is just large enough with enough water flowing through it to be a natural water slide

Conclusion

Over treacherous roads next to landslides and rapids making the journey to Shell Ecuador is worth the effort

With a culture that has changed in less than a century from complete isolation to showing tourists a way of life almost that is almost nonexistent

For an amazing variety of wildlife, a diverse rainforest, and a natural waterslide worth a long hike, a trip to the foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes where the Amazon basin begins is an amazing place to visit

Works Cited

"Ecuador: Four Months to save the World's Last Great Wilderness from 'oil Curse’”. The Guardian. Ed. John Vidal. Guardian News and Media, 13 Aug. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Matt. "Facts and History of Shell Mera." Eyes on Shell. HCJB Global, 06 Aug. 2010. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Cuna, Luminita. "Huaorani Indians: Warriors of the Amazon." Huorani Indians: Warriors of the Amazon. Luminita Cuna, 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Works Cited Cont.

"Nate Saint." Mission Aviation Fellowship. Mission Aviation Fellowship, 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

"Whitewater Rafting Tours Ecuador - Tena, Baños and near Quito." Rafting Ecuador, Whitewater Rafting, Rafting Tours, Adventure Trips. Imagine Ecuador, 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

"New World Monkeys." New World Monkeys. Ecuador-Travel.net, 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

"Global Eats: Ecuador." : Local Food, Cuisine & Recipes. FoodSpring, 2012. Web. 22 Feb.2013.

Works Cited Cont.

"Ecuador Rainforest Home to One of the Worst Cases of Oil Pollution Ever." Ecuador Rainforest And Its Devastation by Oil Production. Ed. Irina Gray. Tropical-Rainforest-Animals.com, 2008. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

"The Ecuador Rainforests." Ecuador Tropical Rainforest Project. World Land Trust, 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

"Where Is Shell Mera in Pastaza, Ecuador Located?" Where Is Shell Mera in Pastaza, Ecuador Located? GoMapper, 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.