Shopping and a bartering (badly)

  Otovalo, Ecuador
Sunday, July 1, 2007

Hola otra vez

d. horrible hostel this, putting up hammocks

Well I finally succumbed to heading to the market in Otovalo, I was doing so well - only bought a few essentials (new pants, socks and some candles - when I left on Friday the electricity was out at the volunteer house, it was actually quite nice reading in bed under my mozzie net with a candle) and then just as I was headed out of the market a lovely pair of pink and yellow tie-die trousers caught my eye which I was somehow drawn towards. Next thing you know I´ve spent about a fiver on two pairs (the other pretty plain and boring) and I´m pretty certain I´ll only wear them once or twice, but you´ve just gotta buy something. Some of the peeps I was with are going to struggle even carrying they´re hauls up the hill back to the community. On my way back now but Otovalo is about 3 hours north of Quito and the reserve two hours west so I´m stopping here to break up the journey.

We headed to the animal market first thing which was essentially lots of people standing around with pigs and cows and sheep on ropes and I´m assuming try to sell them but not really needing to buy any livestock I didn´t enter too deeply into negotiations with anyone.

a. two cows

b. loads of animlas and locals

Then the main market which basically is about 10,000 stalls all selling alpaca socks and trousers for the gringos. The lowhlight had to be the food market which is where I´m guessing lots of the animals from earlier end up, it also had possible the biggest vegetables I´ve ever seen - seriously there were cabbages there that would need at least two people to carry.

c. sorry for any nightmares

After getting all marketed out a few of us headed up the hill for what turned out to be a good 5k hike up to a bird of prey sanctuary

e. the road is long...

That was pretty cool. I´ve got lots of photos of the sky and vague blurry shapes that could be a wing heading past.

f. bloody big birds

g. bird

h. bird (just)

i. really freaky looking bird

j. soz more nightmares

After that we went to find El Lechero - a magic tree that the locals hike up to, to do something magical I guess, dunno really details about it were a bit vague. After several abortive attempts hugging and saying abracadabra at the wrong trees we found it, it really does stand out when you actually find it. Had to laugh, found two americans on the way down who had hiked all the way up and failed to find it - thats a good 11k round trip.

k. not a magic tree at all

l. not this looks more magical

m. dunno how we missed it on the way really...

n. we´re off to see the wizard

o. Otovalo by dusk

Then spent another raucous saturday night partying it up, or to put it another way had some food, then everybody was knackered so used tínternet for a bit and went to bed about ten. Although the trip to bed was interrupted by a slight detour to see about 40 people on the street having a party where there was a group playing tradtional instruments, other people dancing to the music (all good so far and nice and traditional and seeing local customs), then other people carrying a long pole between them from which were hung about a dozen still live guinea pigs and another pole with chickens on! Thats a  kinda disturbing image - try going to bed just after seeing that... I can still see their little front paws moving and I´m guessing that when the pole carriers headed into the building the outcome was not good for either the guineas or chickens. Not good not good not good. On the plus side for otoval however, there was a cake shop there with some of the nicest donuts i´ve ever had. Actually eating some cheesy bread from there as I type. Muy bueno. More cakes I say, less disturbing animal festivals I say.