The hidden, lesser known Ecuadorian cloud forest region of Intag is a natural spectacle. Just about 70 km north of Otavalo, its short distance is highly deceiving. The route to Intag is not an easy one, and travelling 70 km by bus takes you on winding detours through the mountains; the landscape and vegetation thickening with each advance. During the dry season dust will dart through the windows and infiltrate your eyes and nose.
The town of Cuellaje lies deep in the Intag region. An isolated, tranquil town that is often regarded as "boring;" there are absolutely no restaurants and the closest thing to a bar is a house attached to a corner tienda. In other words, it's not a town for the faint of heart. The morning milk truck is the only efficient way to travel to the seven parishes nearby, and other than that you'll have to know someone with a motor bike. Staying for an extended amount of time and getting to know the people is the only way to find comfort in this style of living. The benefit is understanding a part of Ecuador many travelers fail to even hear about.
Somehow this remote region has been washed out by Western culture. There was nearly no trace of traditional clothing. The Sunday vendors merely had pirated DvDs, watches and second or third-line designer wear. I fear this lack of aesthetic culture might cause a hindrance to the development of eco-tourism there, when the Andes is a road away and the Amazon within hours. Luckily, they've got the land. If the mining companies don't end up earning rights to tear through it, that is.
This area has been plagued by controversy stemming from the big-buck mining industries in Ecuador. I tried to grab hold of this controversy while I was there, but I had limited contact with English speakers and absolutely no method of transport to talk to higher up officials who were more directly connected to the subject. But I did find an important man in the community: My host father.
While these subsistance farmers seems to have technical skills inscribed in their brains through an almost collective consciousness, they face many problems securing the future of their crops and livestock. The largely sought after bulls are often too expensive, and inbreeding churns out weakened and disabled offspring, threatening profits from milk. "You can see it in the people too; disabilities from inbreeding," the volunteer coordinator told me.
Slash-and-burn is a serious threat to food security, weakening fields until they are unable to produce sufficient yields of maize. Each year families will increase their usage of fungicide to balance out the Ph of the soil until it's deemed unusable. While purchasing this fungicide is a time-saver, it's hurting their profits. Sometimes at night while I'd be trekking back to my house I'd cock my head up and sigh at the fires, knowing fully well these weren't natural. But until a better alternative comes along, or eco-tourists provide the necessary time and labor to instill greater methods into their minds, these people will use slash-and-burn like it's their second religion.
One of the most lucrative crops from this region is the Agave plant, which produces thick fibers used for making baskets and rope. Often times the fibers are donated to women's collectives, who weave the baskets. This type of plant is also one of the most grueling plants to cultivate and harvest, along with sugar cane.
But all these issues can seem like an easy fix until you actually live with and understand the minds of the people in this region, as well as the obstacles they face if they are to openly invite development to occur.
The town of Cuellaje lies deep in the Intag region. An isolated, tranquil town that is often regarded as "boring;" there are absolutely no restaurants and the closest thing to a bar is a house attached to a corner tienda. In other words, it's not a town for the faint of heart. The morning milk truck is the only efficient way to travel to the seven parishes nearby, and other than that you'll have to know someone with a motor bike. Staying for an extended amount of time and getting to know the people is the only way to find comfort in this style of living. The benefit is understanding a part of Ecuador many travelers fail to even hear about.
View of Cuellaje from the Parish
Somehow this remote region has been washed out by Western culture. There was nearly no trace of traditional clothing. The Sunday vendors merely had pirated DvDs, watches and second or third-line designer wear. I fear this lack of aesthetic culture might cause a hindrance to the development of eco-tourism there, when the Andes is a road away and the Amazon within hours. Luckily, they've got the land. If the mining companies don't end up earning rights to tear through it, that is.
This area has been plagued by controversy stemming from the big-buck mining industries in Ecuador. I tried to grab hold of this controversy while I was there, but I had limited contact with English speakers and absolutely no method of transport to talk to higher up officials who were more directly connected to the subject. But I did find an important man in the community: My host father.
While these subsistance farmers seems to have technical skills inscribed in their brains through an almost collective consciousness, they face many problems securing the future of their crops and livestock. The largely sought after bulls are often too expensive, and inbreeding churns out weakened and disabled offspring, threatening profits from milk. "You can see it in the people too; disabilities from inbreeding," the volunteer coordinator told me.
Slash-and-burn is a serious threat to food security, weakening fields until they are unable to produce sufficient yields of maize. Each year families will increase their usage of fungicide to balance out the Ph of the soil until it's deemed unusable. While purchasing this fungicide is a time-saver, it's hurting their profits. Sometimes at night while I'd be trekking back to my house I'd cock my head up and sigh at the fires, knowing fully well these weren't natural. But until a better alternative comes along, or eco-tourists provide the necessary time and labor to instill greater methods into their minds, these people will use slash-and-burn like it's their second religion.
One of the most lucrative crops from this region is the Agave plant, which produces thick fibers used for making baskets and rope. Often times the fibers are donated to women's collectives, who weave the baskets. This type of plant is also one of the most grueling plants to cultivate and harvest, along with sugar cane.
But all these issues can seem like an easy fix until you actually live with and understand the minds of the people in this region, as well as the obstacles they face if they are to openly invite development to occur.
Agave basket
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