C & C globetrotting around the world…

We took a 3-hour bus ride from Quito to Otavalo on the Panamericana Highway. There was not one kilometre where the road was straight, always winding and going up and down, but it was in perfect condition and they even working on widening it. The hillsides were mainly covered in shrubs, but as we approached Otavalo we also saw lots of rose plantations. Otavalo is a prosperous town North of Quito at an elevation of 2,550m famous for its Saturday market. After checking into our hostel and having lunch, we followed the old train tracks until the indigenous village of Peguche. There we hiked to the “Cascada de Peguche” and came back the same way, following the train tracks. On the way back, we visited a weaving factory and even bought 2 shawls. We had dinner in our hostel’s rooftop kitchen and chatted with other travellers, so it was a very pleasant evening.

The next day was the big market day. The Otavalo market dates back to pre-Inca times and is said to be the largest handicrafts market in South America. First we went to the animal market where indigenous men and women buy and sell their pigs, sheep, cattle, chicken and guinea pigs. It’s fun to see all that activity and especially the indigenous people in their traditional costumes. Men wear white pants to the calves, string sandals, a poncho with a pony tail and a dark felt hat. Women wear beautifully embroidered blouses, long skirts and a folded cloth on their head. There are hardly any tourists here – the market is for the locals. Lots of village people descend into town on Saturday to do their shopping. From there we went to the handicrafts market, where there are lots of traditional clothes, hammocks, blankets, ponchos and some souvenirs. Compared to other markets we’ve visited, this one is not geared towards tourists. Everything was so nice and colourful. On the way back, Christoph almost got mugged, but luckily he outsmarted them and they didn’t get anything. It’s really interesting how they operate in groups though and you really cannot tell who was the thief. We spent the rest of the day in our nice room with a beautiful 360 degree view of the surroundings.