Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Tena - A Town At The Ecuadorian Amazon - Wednesday Facts



Today is Wednesday. It's no Friday but it's not Monday, either.

To honor the fact that we are in the middle of week, I will tell you five facts of life, about me or someone else, faith, world and existence in general.

And what I want from you, my readers?

I want to know about you! 

Leave me your facts, so I can enjoy reading them!

They can also be about you, your life or anything you find fascinating in this world or in the world beyond.
Where do you live?

What facts can you tell my about the town or city where you live.

Have you lived there all your life?

Is is the place where you want to live the rest of your life in?

1. The capital of Napo province, Tena was founded in 1560 by missionary explorers and Spanish conquistadores. It was plagued by early indigenous uprisings. Jumandy, chief of the Quijos, led a fierce but unsuccessful revolt against the Spaniards in 1578. He was finally caught and brought to Quito to stand a judgment, and later on publicly executed.
Tena is also known as the “cinnamon capital” of Ecuador and it was once an important colonial trading post in the Amazon. Although it is the commercial center and the capital of the Napo Province it has a population of just over 13 000 people and it still operates as a small town. This has made it possible for Tena to retain much of its culture and traditional lifestyle.
At the same time Tena is the home to a major regional hospital and many tourist related businesses, including a small size airport and a vital bus terminal. The anniversary of Tena’s foundation is celebrated on November 15, when live music and community events take place the entire week.

2. Tena isn’t a very large city. Actually it is small enough so that there is not much trouble getting around. The city is divided into two halves by the rivers Tena and Pano and connected by two bridges, one for pedestrians and the other one for motor vehicles.
There are several sand and pebble beaches on both sides of the river where you can enjoy fresh river water on a hot day. As well as a number of plazas and parks, the most conspicuous of which is the Parque Amazonico, in the center of the city. 

There is also a botanical garden and zoo located on a small peninsula between the rivers Tena and Pano and visible from the pedestrian bridge. A nice riverside walkway goes on the western bank of the river Tena where you can watch the scenery and enjoy the river’s breeze.
But Tena’s claims to fame are the rainforest and rivers that surround it. The jungle, especially if you get outside the city 15 or 20 kilometers, is impressive. First-timers will be changed forever after they lay their eyes on a pristine stretch of Amazon.

3. Tena is surrounded by forested hills and is located at the edge of the Andes, which are visible to the west.   

The climate in Tena and around is hot and humid. But for a rainforest city, Tena’s climate is surprisingly comfortable. It’s cooler, due to its elevation, and drier than most people expect. 

There’s rainfall year-round and the heaviest rains come in June, July, and August, but even in this very wet time it doesn’t necessarily rain every day or all day when it does rain. The rain is pleasant and warm, like the rain that those of us from the northern hemisphere only get in the sweltering heat of summer, but if you plan to be outside for long periods even warm rain can bring down your body temperature so it’s wise to have a raincoat.

4. Tena is popular with travelers, since it is known as being peaceful, orderly, clean and more geared towards tourists. Many inexpensive hotels, tourist agencies, and restaurants cater to backpackers who commonly use the town as a jumping-off point for trips into the rainforest. 
It can be seen as the quintessential South American jungle town, the kind of place you expect to run in to Indiana Jones stocking up on supplies before setting out in search of a lost city. Many tourists come here with that image in their heads, and in some sense it is true. Because if you’re in Tena, you’re in for an adventure and it is an adventure that involves jungle trekking, river crossings, amazing views and wild animals. 
Sumaco volcano is located in the isolated Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park. Reaching it is one of the most intense experiences to be had in Ecuador. The volcano soars 3732 meters above the jungle and is surrounded by precipitous ravines and dense jungle, which have largely kept humans out and preserved its flora and fauna.

5. Just six hours southeast of Quito in bus, Tena is the perfect launching point for a jungle trek, a spelunking expedition, or a rafting or kayaking trip down one of the countless rivers that pass through or by the city.
Tena has reached near legendary status with whitewater enthusiasts and boasts the best rafting and kayaking in Ecuador and, some say, the world. The jungle rivers on the Amazon side of the Andes are bigger and have more consistent flows than their west-Andean counterparts. They are also the cleanest and most scenic rivers in Ecuador.
According to Lonely Planet, Tena has evolved as the ambassador of the jungle, a cheerful hodgepodge with two fat rivers intersecting at its heart. White-water paddlers get giddy in the rafting and kayaking capital of Ecuador; there are so many rafting options and a cold beer and toasty bed back in town. Even if the river’s not your cup of tea, this is a good place to kick back and visit nearby waterfalls and indigenous communities. Breezes off the Río Tena and Río Pano keep the climate comfortable.

6. Today, the area around Tena is largely agricultural – cattle ranches and coffee and banana plantations abound. The area surrounding Tena supports a large population of lowland Kichwa Indigenous people, who live further out in the forest outside the city.
It is possible to visit many of these communities and to observe and sometimes participate in traditional dancing, the preparation of chicha (an alcoholic drink made by masticating corn, rice or cassava and fermenting the juice), festivities, traditional life and communal activities.
Tena and its surrounding indigenous communities are also bases for many volunteers working for reforestation projects, with community support in development initiatives in diverse, but connected areas such as bio-piracy, ecotourism and capacity building. 

Ecuador has one of the best politically organized indigenous populations in Latin America and Tena houses two major confederations, Fonakin (Napo's Kichwa Nationality Organizations Federation) and Ashin (Napo's Indigenous Shaman Organization); one of the major stand-offs during the 2001 indigenous uprising in Ecuador, took place here.

66 comments:

  1. Awesome pictures!! For me, I have lived in Massachusetts all my life. I live in a town now that is about 20 minutes from the town I grew up in. It's the cranberry capital of the world & that is it's only claim to fame.

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    1. The important thing is that it's your home and you're happy there :)

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  2. I love the photos. It's always nice to get a look into another part of the world. I have lived in South Florida almost all of my life with the exception of three years in Colorado. I wish we had that much natural beauty!

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    1. Thank you! It is beautiful here and I love the take pictures because there just is so much to see. But South Florida must have it's atractions also.

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  3. What great photos and such a rich history you shared. I live in Florida and aside from about 11 years of my 34 I have lived here pretty much all my life. I am such a beach girl so it's where I am happiest :)

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    1. It's good to find your own niche, Toni. When we know what we love, we can truly be happy. Florida sounds perfect fit for you.

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  4. Beautiful photos and interesting facts! Thanks for sharing! I live in Ontario Canada. I grew up near Toronto and am now living in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

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    1. I'm glad you liked it, Tracey. It must be very different from Canada.

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  5. Tena sounds very interesting! I wouldn't mind visiting one day. I live in a small town in Georgia, where there is very little to do!

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    1. Hope you can come here, Kecia. I would love to visit Georgia, it has always seemed such an interesting place to me.

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  6. In a lot of places in the US, they call Wednesday, Hump Day. You are over the hump and only have 2 days left until the weekend.

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  7. Everything is so rural! I take for granted that I live in the city with so many modern ameneties. I live in Atlanta, which is one of the largest cities in the USA. It's also has the world's largest airport

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    1. It is very rural here, Lindsey. There are the basic things you need for life and not much else. Not many things to do and see besides the nature and culture.

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  8. Great photos and thanks for sharing the history of Tena. I live in NJ - not far from NYC - but totally suburban where I can enjoy grass, trees and wild turkeys (yep, they run rampant in our neighborhood!)

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    1. Rampant wild turkeys sound intresting, Debra. There are many turkey related wild birds here but the actual wild turkey don't like so much the heat.

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  9. A fact about the town that I live in is that only 100 people live there. Also, our police force consists of 1 guy whose office is in a cinderblock building next to the railroad :)

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    1. Well, that is a real small town, Cassie :) But it would be interesting to experience it some day.

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  10. I'm not sure if it's just me, but some of the photos are taking over the screen. I am loving all the photos and info you've shared here about your city.

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    1. It is true the photos are close to the edge but I can see them completely with Firefox. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

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  11. I am a native of Miami Florida and I love it! We have lots of heat, lots of sunshine, great food and crazy people!

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    1. I think all the cities have their share of crazy people, Jenn. Sad to say.

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  12. Love all of these pictures! We live up and out of a town, so country-ish. I love being away from things :) I like my privacy! Not sure if we will be here forever, but for now it is perfect for us!

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    1. I love my privacy also. I'm lucky to have found a house in a very quiet neighborhood. First we lived a bit outside the town and it was just too dangerous.

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  13. Thank you for sharing all of these great facts and pictures! I love learning more about other places. I'm in St. Louis - Gateway to the West!

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed. St. Louis sounds like an interesting place also.

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  14. What an interesting place to live! Such great pics!

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  15. I live in Iowa and it's cold and snowy here. Hmm, I would have to check on the facts of my city. lol

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    1. Iowa is where they grow a lot of potatoes, Teresa. Or am I totally lost here, lol

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  16. You're really plugged in to be able to do lots of different kinds of activities! My city is not nearly so interesting. In fact I doubt I stay here for too many more years.

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    1. There are a lot to do on one hand, Liz. But it's all weekend/holiday stuff. Not something you can do during an afternoon. But still, I love it here.

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  17. What gorgeous pictures. I've had the honor of visting Ecuador and it has so much to offer. I would love to go back. I'm from the Domincan Republic but have been in the USA since I was 6 yrs old, currently living in Florida for the past 25 years.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to Ecuador, Myrah. There is a lot to see and experience here. Hope you get to come back!

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  18. I enjoyed looking at your photos and seeing this place through your eyes. It was so very nice to get a peek into your time there.

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  19. AWESOME pictures!!! I'm a born and raised Hoosier. Lived in Indiana all my life. I've never traveled outside of the US. I've only been to the ocean 2 times in my life...I need to go back!

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    1. Ocean is wonderful, Jenni. I love it too. It's so relaxing and beautiful and huge.

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  20. I love learning about and seeing pictures of where others live. I really enjoyed reading this and looking at all of your pictures. What a wonderful place to be. Lots of culture and people together!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the post, Brandy. Hope to see you here in the future too :)

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  21. That's a wonderful overview and history that you gave us of where you live!! I live in the northern part of the US, having moved here from Florida. I don't like it in the winter, at all (driving in the winter is scary and I have to do it every day), and I do not want to live here the rest of my life.

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    1. I don't like driving in the winter either. I've had to do it couple of times while I've been visiting Finland and it's really scary. Especially when it's snowing.

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  22. Great photos you have shared. I live in the Sacramento area in California. Born and raised here my whole life.

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  23. I love your photos! I was born and raised in Minnesota, but moved to the NY/NJ area for 15 years. I came back to be near family, but otherwise not sure if I would have come back. (It is an awesome state, but after this winter it's hard to love it.)

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    1. Winter is hard to love, I agree. But it's good to be close to family also, especially when the children are small.

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  24. The cinamon capitol, I love cinamon and I'm sure I would enjoy visiting Tena. I live near Atlanta Georgia whichwas named for King George II of England.

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    1. I had the chance to chew cinnamon leaves yesterday for the first time in my life, Yolanda. And they taste amazing. I was also given some cinnamon, picked from the same tree (or pulled, how would say it).

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  25. I love all your pictures. I'm Maryland born and raised.

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  26. Love the photos as always. Where do you blog from? The photos show a very remote area.

    I am in Florida and have been here forever!

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    1. Thank you, Krystal. I live in Tena but visit the communities around regularly because of my work. It has been a real priviledge to be able to get to know so much about this area. And how the people have also opened their villages and homes.

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  27. Ecuador is simply beautiful. I love the photos :)

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  28. Ecuador is gorgeous! The photos that you share make me want to visit.

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    1. Thank you, Rachee. I hope you can come here. It really is worth the while.

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  29. I think that Ecuador looks amazing!! I love that you shared this piece of culture with those of us who cant experience it ourselves!

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    1. Thank you! I hope you will be able to experience it also. Ecuador really is worth the visit and there is so much to see and do here.

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  30. I live in Camp Lake Wisconsin - located in SE Wisconsin. This is a retreat location for people of Chicago. We have numerous freshwater lakes with great fishing and nice beaches. I have lived in this area since 1978 and we do plan on spending our last days here. Beautiful small town USA!

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    1. Sounds like a really beautiful and peaceful place. A bit similar to Finland. There are lots of lakes there also, not so many beaches though, the lakes are smaller.

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  31. Tena looks like an idyllic place to visit... I love the photos and all the live events you shared. I live in a small suburbs north of NYC.. Not much going on there Haha.

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    1. Thank you very much! This is a great place to visit! There is so much to do and see.

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  32. I'm glad you have enjoyed the blog, Dave. Sounds like you have a passion for volcanos and live an interesting life. I would recomend visiting Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Cayambe, El Altar and Tunguragua if you come to Ecuador. All of them are volcanos, there are more also, but those are the most famous ones.
    Cotopaxi has a beautiful nature park around it with wild horses, catle and llamas. You can get tours from Quito to get a guide to climb up till the volcano's caldera.
    Chimborazo is the highest mounting in Ecaudor with more than 6000 meters. Cayambe is the highest mountain in world in the equatorial line. El Altar is in a natural park where condors live. And Tunguragua is very active, it is erupting righ now and you can climb up to see the lava. I have been there by the lava and it's a very interesting experience.

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  33. Ecuador looks amazing! You have experienced so many incredible things, just in daily life. I live in Atlanta. It's not nearly as exciting ;)

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  34. Hello from Southport North Carolina.
    My husband Steve myself and out little Schipperke Bogey are seriously considering expatriazation to another country. We keep coming back to Ecuador. We are in the beginnings of our journey. We are reading and trying to absorb any and all information.

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    1. I hope you will find the perfect spot for you! And I really think Ecuador has a lot to offer. Maybe one day we'll meet here :)

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