NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



667 



a voyage of about twenty-four hours. 

 Food and a cot or hammock for sleeping 

 can be obtained on board, but no bed- 

 ding. A light blanket should be taken. 

 It is necessary to arrange in advance 

 for securing riding and pack animals 

 at Santa Rosa, in order that they may 

 be sent from Portovelo or some other 

 point in the interior to meet the steamer. 



The journey from Santa Rosa to 

 Portovelo (Zaruma) requires two days, 

 unless the road is in bad condition, 

 when three may be necessary. This 

 trail was at one time notorious as the 

 worst in Ecuador; in recent years it has 

 been improved and it is now passable 

 even in bad weather. The country 

 between Santa Rosa and Portovelo is 

 for the most part thinly populated, and 

 practically no food can be obtained 

 between the two points. Leaving Santa 

 Rosa, the trail crosses a level plain for 

 some distance, and then enters the 

 canyon of the Rio Santa Rosa. Past 

 Limon Playa the canyon becomes 

 narrow, and the trail crosses the shallow 

 stream sixteen times. After a short 

 day's ride, the spot known as La Chonta 

 is reached. Here there are accom- 

 modations for several travelers, main- 

 tained by the company which operates 

 the mine at Portovelo. 



Immediately past La Chonta is a 

 steep ascent known as La Escalera (the 

 staircase) ; this continues to the crest 

 of the range (6300 ft.), through luxuriant 

 vegetation and typical rain-forest con- 

 ditions. After following along the side 

 of the mountain for some distance, the 

 range is crossed, and a descent made 

 through the small settlement of Aya- 

 pamba (4640 ft.) to the valley of the 

 Rio Calera, which is followed to within 

 an hour's travel of Portovelo (elevation 

 2100 ft.). 



The settlement at Portovelo (about 

 two mi. from Zaruma) is American 

 throughout, with modern buildings and 

 equipment. By making arrangements 

 with the company's agent in Guayaquil, 

 properly accredited naturalists can 

 probably secure accommodations from 

 the manager. The country round about 



is not interesting, but within a few 

 hours' travel excellent collecting ground, 

 of various sorts, can be reached. 



From Portovelo, the town of Loja can 

 be reached in two days. The main 

 route is as follows: From Portovelo 

 across the Rio Pindo (bridge), thence a 

 long ascent over the mountain known as 

 El Tablon, thence a long and gradual 

 descent to the village of San Pedro, 

 (one day's ride). From here there is 

 a slight descent into the valley of the 

 Rio Catamayo, and an hour is spent in 

 crossing the dry floor of this valley. 

 The region is arid and very hot, and 

 presents a number of interesting fea- 

 tures. Past the settlement of La Toma 

 there is a long ascent over the shoulder 

 of Villonaco Mountain; an elevation of 

 10,300 ft. is reached, and the trail then 

 follows along the side of the mountain 

 at about the same level for some dis- 

 tance, finally descending into the hoyo 

 (basin) of Loja, which it crosses from 

 west to east before the town of Loja 

 (7250 ft.) is reached. 



Accommodations are poor in Loja, 

 as in southern Ecuador generally, this 

 section of the country being poverty 

 stricken and not much cultivated. 

 Foodstuffs are difficult to obtain, and the 

 wise traveler will go well-stocked with 

 provisions. 



From Loja it is easy to cross the Cor- 

 dillera de Zamora, an extremely moist 

 region with a highly interesting flora, 

 and descend the valley of the Rio Zamora 

 to the village of the same name. This 

 brings one into the country of the 

 Jibaro Indians, and onto the Amazonian 

 watershed. 



It is easy, also, to make excursions 

 from Loja southward as far as the 

 Peruvian frontier, near which is the 

 huge and arid valley of the Rio Mala- 

 catos. There is considerable overland 

 travel between Ecuador and Peru, via 

 the route Loja to Piura. This trail is 

 said to be better than that from Loja 

 to Santa Rosa, and at certain seasons 

 of the year residents of Loja who desire 

 to visit Guayaquil sometimes go south- 

 ward to Piura, thence by train to the 



