Description: If unable to visit the jungle proper while on a trip to Puyo and are only stuck with alternatives close to the town itself, you can't really go wrong with Parque Pedagogico Etno-Botanico Omaere. Not only do you get a slice of the jungle within walking distance, but guided tours of between one and two hours (your choice!) come free with the $2 admission cost.
From Puyo town centre Botanico Omaere is only a ten minute walk away at the north end of town near 9 de Octubre next to the Rio Puyo. The best way to find the park is to follow Calle Loja north out of town for 500 metres until you come to a bridge where the hostel El Jardin is visible. Cross over the bridge and follow the rather treacherous stone pathway (unsuitable for anybody with walking difficulties) for five minutes and Botanico Omaere appears before you.
Once through the gates a short walk to the reception sees you warmly greeted by the guides, none of which speak English. After paying your admission and choosing your choice of hikes, you are led off into the 'jungle' and within a matter of minutes any trace of urban life is completely lost behind you, with the scenery including a diverse range of tropical trees. It would be hard pushed at this precise moment to tell the difference between here and the real jungle.
Barely a few minutes after starting the tour you are led to some breathtaking views of the Rio Puyo viewed from above on a steep tree covered embankment. Once photos have been taken the tour begins in earnest. The guide during my trip was of an excellent standard and a native from the Shuar tribe. She stopped every few minutes to describe the flora and fauna around us and explained some of the very many uses they had to offer. As well as chewing a number of leaves vastly differing in tastes, the guide also showed that the bright orange sap from one tree works wonders for mosquito bites. Seeing that my legs were covered in such nasty little bites I happily agreed to have my legs covered in the orange sticky substance. Amazingly within a day the mosquito bites were gone. What the guide failed to mention though was the sap also died your skin a fake tan colour orange, and I was left nursing orange blotches all over my legs for a good few weeks afterwards.
Alongside various flora and fauna information the park also has a number of traditionally built homes of tribes that live nearby in the jungle. Each home, containing a number of every day implements are spoken about in great detail while demonstrations are given.
Overall, two hours spent here for the rather cheap price of $2 per person is well worth the effort, very informative and offers a great insight into jungle life. Open from 8am-6pm, more information can be accessed by calling Botanico Omaere on 886764.
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