Otavalo Market

After the BBQ at Mamita's house we took the overnight bus to Quito.  Everybody came to the bus station to say goodbye and seemed to be a bigger deal than when we left Toronto for this trip.  The ladies checked to make sure we were on the right bus, and gave Mareen a small flashlight to use on the bus at night.  We said our goodbyes a few times and then sadly went on our way to the next destination.

Unfortunately when we arrived in Quito I got sick. I think I had the flu.  Having the flu sucks but when your at three thousand plus metres above sea level it has maximum affect.  You have a fever and your nose is all congested, but now the lack of oxygen in the air makes everything a struggle.  I tried going out the first couiple of days but got tired quickly and gave up.

So after a couple days rest, we went to Otavalo to see the town and the artistan market. Saturday, the biggest day of the market draws a large crowd, a third of the city comes out for this. I am a fan of markets, for some reason the prospect of finding something cool and unique always seems high. I end up never buying anything but I am still excited to go to markets and explore, hoping to find that one thing.  The vendors are mostly the indigenous people of Otavalo, selling all types of textiles, jewelry, art, handcrafts, food and even animals.  Mareen found some jewelry and scarves that she liked.  I on the other hand only bought food. There were things I would have liked to buy like a hammock, but they are too big to travel with.

After a few hours of exploring the market and filling up on market treats, we were considering what to do next.  There are supposed to be a couple of nice lakes, a volcano that can be hiked and nearby a waterfall.  We opted for the Peguche Waterfall, which was a 15 minute taxi ride from the city centre.  I was expecting a dirt trail to lead up to the falls but it is actually a state park. There are cobble-stone paths leading to the falls, picnic areas, swimming pools, camp grounds, and even some basic cabins.  Peguche was busy that day, with lots of people posing for pictures on the bridges and boulders, with the waterfall as the backdrop. One thing Mareen and I have noticed is that a lot of Ecuadorians don't mind getting wet.  They will get as close as possible to the falls or walk into the river just to get that perfect picture, then spend the rest of the day in their wet clothes. Mareen and I don't mind getting wet at all but walking around with wet underwear and socks is not my idea of fun!