Day 6 - Chalua Yacu, Loreto (Province of Orellana)

Our last breakfast at Mushuk Allapha Lodge before we head east to Loreta, Province of Orellana. We were missing Pepe, the favourite parrot who was still sleeping in the house.

 

We settled our bills and started our journey around 8am.  On our way out, Catalina had to say goodbye to Pepe and fed him his favourite scramble eggs!

 We were delighted by the beautiful scenery along the way, and Oli graciously obliged us to make a brief stop to capture some photos.

We took a slow drive due to numerous potholes on the road. Thanks to Oli's expertise in navigating such conditions, he skillfully maneuvered around the potholes to ensure a smooth ride, avoiding any bumps along the way.  This monument of the Indian tribe was located about 83 kms from Loreta.

We were delighted by the beautiful scenery along the way, and Oli graciously allowed us to make a brief stop to capture some photos.

 

After driving for about an hour, we stopped at a small lodge, Cascade Hoslin by the waterfall, which has lots of butterflies too and we managed to capture some photos there.

Our curiosity got the better of us when we noticed numerous local stalls selling medicinal leaves and tree barks.

....and a local orange like fruit, which apparently are packed for export to Colombia too!

We eventually arrived at our butterfly spot destination, and to our amazement, it was indeed a haven filled with  butterflies!  

 

 

 

 

 Please click for more Butterflies of Ecuador

 

Butterflies highlights of the day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was yet another fulfilling day until the rain arrived. We packed up and headed to Hosteria de Ojo Aqua. 

Upon reaching the town of Loreta, Catalina excitedly spotted a Chinese restaurant. Despite the heavy rain, we couldn't say no to stopping, to satisfy her craving for Chinese food! 😀😀

We opted for an early dinner, and it pleasantly exceeded our expectations. The portions were generous, and the meal was surprisingly inexpensive. We also had a nice chat with the owner from Shantong, who shared stories about living in Ecuador for over 10 years and had married a local.

  

 

 

Hosteria de Ojo Aqua was merely 5 minutes away from the restaurant.  We checked in and found our rooms are rather big and comfortable, and overlooking a small lake.