2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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
5. Beginnings: Missionaries
In the late 40’s two missionary pilots went to Shell to launch
Mission Aviation Fellowship
MAF’sgoal 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
6. 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
7. Beginnings: Hospital
Shortly after the MAF tragedy, the HospitalVonzandes 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. Rainforest
Just outside of Shell lays “one of the world’s
megadiverseregions’’
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
12. HikingTrail
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
13. HikingTrail 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
14. 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
15. Works Cited
"Ecuador: Four Months to save the World's Last Great
Wilderness from 'oil Curse’”. The Guardian. Ed. JohnVidal.
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. LuminitaCuna, 2007.
Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
17. Works Cited Cont.
"Ecuador Rainforest Home to One of theWorst Cases of Oil
Pollution Ever." EcuadorRainforest And Its Devastation by Oil
Production. Ed. Irina Gray.Tropical-Rainforest-
Animals.com, 2008.Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
"The Ecuador Rainforests." EcuadorTropical Rainforest
Project.World LandTrust, 2011. Web.22 Feb. 2013.
"Where Is Shell Mera in Pastaza, Ecuador Located?" Where Is
Shell Mera in Pastaza, EcuadorLocated?GoMapper, 2013.Web.
22 Feb. 2013.
Editor's Notes
(Cuna, Lumita. “Huaorani Indians: Warriors of the Amazon”)
(Vidal, John. “Ecuador: Four Months to save the World’s last Great Wilderness from ‘Oil Curse’”)(Matt. “Facts and History of Shell Mera”).
(Mission Aviation Fellowship. “Nate Saint”)
(Matt. “Facts and History of Shell Mera”).
(Matt. “Facts and History of Shell Mera”).
(Imagine Ecuador. “Whitewater Rafting Tours Ecuador – Tena, Banos and Near Quito”).
(Ecuador-Travel.net. “New World Monkeys”)
(Tripical-Rainforest-Animals.com. “Ecuador Rainforest Home to One of the Worst Cases of Oil Pollution Ever”)(World Land Trust. “The Ecuador Rainforests”)
