Waking up this morning, I felt like I didn’t get enough sleep (I didn’t because I went to sleep around 2am and woke up at 5:55am). Today was going to be a full day as we were doing the Otavalo Culture, Lagos and Traditional Market in One Day tour which begins at 7:30am. My mom and I would need to leave no later than 6:45am to get to the bus stop and then walk to a nearby hotel for pick-up.

We got out on time and managed to make it to the hotel 15 minutes early. Funny enough as we were walking up to hotel we spotted a white van and figured it was our guide and it was. There was already a couple in the van so we hopped in and we were on our way. Our guide Javier and driver Wilson introduced themselves and the married couple was from Malaysia (husband originally from Australia).
Our first stop was at Mirador El Pacque where we stopped to take photos and learned that Chanel number 14 (#14) is made from the blood of a bug located in a plant. We then were reminded as we learned yesterday that roses are grown and are a big here and exported to other countries. We stopped along the way to Miralago to see some stalls along the Pan-American highway. How they were arranged and colored in some instances were so unique it had us in awe (not to mention the price-nothing we saw was more than $10). One of the women that owned a shop gave us all a free white rose which was nice.

Our next stop was Miralago and we ate at a cute restaurant. We tries biscoche which is like a cornflour biscuit and my mom and I each bought a coffee. Everything was delicious and the $1 portion of biscoche was generous (so much so that we took some to go). We enjoyed eating and drinking with the beautiful volcanoes in the background.

Attached to the restaurant was a souvenir shop and they had some lovely things (I think everyone bought something with the exception of the husband). We stepped outside to take photos and take in the view. Before leaving we met Maria an indigenous woman who explained women’s attire. She demonstrated how to fold her scarf over her shirt into a headscarf and then like a cap to protect her face. She also had some alpaca mixed scarves to sell and we bought a few.

Now we were on our way to the Otavalo Market where we could do our bidding with dealing with vendors. There it was a nice sized parking lot area with different tents and tables set up. We had about an hour to look around and shop. The first few tables/tents ended up getting my mom and I but we used our negotiation skills and got some great deals. We didn’t fully make it through the entire market but we didn’t need to.

We were amazed at how at one tent there was a belt I was interested in but it was too big. No problem, the man measured the belt around me, went and got a couple of tools, came back cut the belt, re-screwed it and boom a belt that fits. It was impressive to watch him do that in a matter of a few mins and of course I got the belt. We walked around a little bit more and made a few more purchases before meeting back at the van at the designated time.

Off to visit the workshop now where we would meet a man named Jose who was in the process of making art by weaving by hand. He was making two things at the same time and it would take him two days he said. Watching him work was fascinating and one of the problems we learned is that the younger generation don’t know these handmade skills and they don’t want the process to die out. With technology these days things are made quicker but there’s a special beauty and uniqueness to handmade things.

We walked around to take a look at all that was there such as jewelry, scarves, hats, gloves, ponchos, wall pieces and etc. After leaving there we then went to see a man named Jose about some instruments (he makes them and plays them). He made something in front of us and then sampled various instruments from Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and even some of African descent.

His daughters joined in playing instruments as well and we were even able to participate with some chas chas as we shook them to the beat of the drum. It was good to see it was a family affair and afterwards we got a chance to see his souvenir shop. I had been eyeing this small multi instrument art piece since we had arrived and when I found out how much it was ($10) I snatched it up. We browsed some more and then off to go eat lunch.

Lunch was served at La Marqueza Restaurante and it was so good. Half of the table got trout (mine was grilled) and it of course came with 3 sides (fries, vegetbles beets and some avocado). I asked for patacones with mine when I saw that was an option not knowing that is a very Ecuadorian meal. We all ate together and got to know each other more before we went out shopping for some leather goods.

We were able to find some small leather coin purses at a great deal.Venturing down the streets we briefly looked at the small market in what looked like a small square with different tents/tables of souvenirs. By now, we’d done quite a bit of shopping from the day and after browsing returned to the restaurant to head to our next stop. Soon after we arrived at Mirador Paradero Ugshapungo and oh what a view.

There were two lookouts one on a second level and another at the top (would be considerd the third level). On the 2nd level was a nice photo op with a heart and on the 3rd floor was a smalll bench to sit on posing with a floral bench handle. Of course we all had to get our photos and we had the opportunity to see some animals as well. Down in the yard were an alpaca, some llamas and a dog so we got closer to get a better look. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an alpaca before so that was an experience.

Last but not least on this tour we stopped at a fruit stand and got some sweet sop which is like a sour sop and everyone enjoyed it. You suck on the fruit and spit out the seeds. Thankfully Javier and Wilson dropped us off right across the street from our Airbnb so we didn’t have to walk far with bags. It was decided that we’d put our things down and then go and get something to eat.

We decided to go to the other nearby mall since they had some restaurants inside and ordered from Chilis. Thankfully what else did we run into while there…a library and one that had some books in English. After describing what I was looking for I found it tucked away on the bottom shelf. After going through a few magazines I found one that was just right. We picked up our food, stopped in the pharmacy and then came back in.

Once in, we ate our dinner (we decided to split a meal) and watched a bit of t.v. After such a long day we really didn’t have energy to do a lot or stay up. We discussed what our activities look like tomorrow and got ready to go to bed. We’ve bought quite a few things and it will be interesting to see how we will pack it on when we get ready to leave. Until then, we are enjoying getting to know the country of Ecuador.

Here are some things we learned on our tour today:
• Ecuador has 18 different ethnic groups
• 70% of Ecuador is in the south
• The 4 regions of Ecuador are the Jungle, Andes, Coast and Galapagos Islands
• Guayallbamba means green valley
• Sweetsop helps with high blood pressure
• There are no seasons in Ecuador
• Ecuador has 250 active/nonactive volcanoes
• There are 4 levels of altitude in Ecuador
• Wawa means child in Ecuador
• Out of 30,000km of the Pan-American Highway, Ecuador has 700km
• There are roundabouts in the highways in Quito
• The French recalculated the Equator but the Indigenous had it right initially
• 30% of the society of Ecuador is indigenous
• Mestizos are a mix of Indigenous and Spaniards
• When visiting the Indigenous people Spanish people must 1st get permission from them (based off energy)
• Cochineal red color #14 Chanel comes from the blood of an insect
• Alpaca wool is more expensive than the llama because the wool is more fine on the llama
• Petroleum, banana, cacao and roses are the biggest assets in Ecuador
• China wants to buy petroleum in the Amazon
• Coca leaves are imported from Peru and aren’t allowed in Ecuador
• Maria and Joseph are common names
• Otavalo means blanket of us
• Otavalo has about 65,000 people and 40% are Indigenous
• Last names are given from the town people are from
• There are 27 different species of corn in Ecuador
• Catch a theif, you will be burned. The 3 Indigenous Rules are: Don’t lie , Don’t steal and don’t be lazy.