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As the vehicles emerge
through the tick fog a the valley where Macara is
located is covered by a low dense clouds that huge the
surrounding mountains.
The
southern Andes mountains are older, the valleys more
abrupt and the mountains more eroded.
The Puyango
National Park contain a petrified forest. Scientist have
estimated using C14 that the age of the petrified trees
is 65 million years in one section and 120 million years
in another.
A naturalist
guide from the Puyango national Park explains to the
group that the got petrified due to a process resulting
from volcanic eruptions. The group visited the museum
where many fossilized pieces were observed. "Many of the
fossils in this museum have been studied by scientist
already, but we find more pieces every time there is a
hard rain that uncovers them" explains our guide.
The descent to the
Coastal lowlands of El Oro (Gold) province is marked by
miles and miles of Banana plantations at both sides of
the road. Ecuador is the largest exporter of bananas in
the world and also an important producer of cacao and
coffee.
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