| Amazon Region of Ecuador |
The Amazon Region begins on the eastern slopes of the Andes. This region, completely covered by the
Amazon rainforest, contains vast animal wildlife and vegetation. The rivers formed in the mountains by the melting
snow of the volcanoes empty into the Amazon. The Napo River is the longest river in Ecuador and flows for
530 miles.Visitors to Ecuador typically enter the country via its capital, Quito. Flights from the U.S. arrive from Houston, Texas, and Miami, Florida, daily. The flight to Quito from either of these two airport hubs is approximately four and a half hours with the usual arrival time being between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM. The weather in Quito is cool (in the 40's - Farenheit) in the evening, so travelers should wear a Spring jacket. There are several quality hotels in Quito, although mission visitors usually prefer to stay at the HCJB Guest House in Quito where rates for room and board are far below those of the average hotel. 
The Amazon portion of Ecuador is known as the "Oriente" or east. Shell is located in the
Pastaza province.
The trip to Shell can be accomplished in one of two ways. Folks can either hire a taxi for approximately $140 or take the public bus for around $6 to Shell.
For those who know the language and are traveling with just a backpack, the bus is one way to get to know the
people and culture. For those who are not fluent in Spanish and/or have large suitcases, renting a taxi is advised.
Either way, you can count on a five to six hour drive along the Pan-American highway and through the Pastaza River
valley as you travel to Shell. The mountain scenery is breath-taking though some might be taken aback by the lack of
guard rails along certain narrow portions of the mountain roads!
If you allow one day for travel between the U.S. (or whatever part of the world that you are traveling from) and
Quito and another day for travel from Quito to Shell, you should have enough time without feeling too rushed.
Of course, you'll need two days for the return trip as well, so if you plan to spend two weeks in Shell, you'll need
to allow 18 days in your schedule.
There are many opportunities for brief tours and site-seeing out of Shell. Visits to an orchid farm, the "Fatima" animal refuge, or the "Hola Vida" waterfall are easily arranged. Perhaps one of the most fascinating tours is an MAF plane flight further into the jungle. Here visits to Quichua, Shuar, or Waodani communities can be arranged. Many visitors to the mission have flown to Toñampade where five missionaries were martyred by the Waodani Indians on "Palm Beach" in 1956. This is also where Rachel Saint lived out her life working with Dayuma to bring the message of God's Word to the Waodani Indians. 
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