Oriente (Ecuador)

Although the Pacific defines the coast and the mountains comprise the Sierra, the Oriente finds its heart in the rivers that tie it to the Amazon basin and, eventually, the Atlantic Ocean.

The inexorable waters can undercut a huge clay bank or snip a bend overnight, stranding an oxbow kilometers long.

The muddy Río Napo, more than one kilometer wide in spots, drains the Ríos Coca and Aguarico and heads off into Peru.

The Quijos region east of Coca was well known to the Incas, who ventured downhill to meet lowland tribes in peace and battle.

[2] La Selva Jungle Lodge located 100 km (62 mi) down the Napo river from the town of Coca, has been operating since 1984 and is widely regarded as the pioneer in Ecotourism in the area.