Otavalo Birthday Weekend

Oh hi! Otavalo's Saturday market is one of the biggest in Ecuador, and has been an Andean crossroads since pre-Inca times. We took a three hour bus ride from Quito on my birthday to get there to enjoy the town to the max before the big market day. What? Going to another massive market?!

Super brilliant birthday card.x Thank you.x


We actually made a reservation (the second one so far) for Hostal Dona Esther.


Our lovely room was, of course, on the top floor. Lol, don't jump!


The view from our balcony, at the back of our room, to the Volcan Imbabura, locally called 'daddy'. When it rains locals say that daddy is peeing. Nice.


Plaza Bolivar, just next to our Hostal was a great place to chill and people watch. We had wander around the town in the remainder of the afternoon and then got some fizz to drink for laters.


The central monument in Plaza Bolivar.


Inglesia de El Jordan, beautifully lit and visible from our balcony.


We went out for a meal at Quino, reputed to be a local fave for sea food. It was here that we finally got around to trying Ceviche (raw fish with lime juice) and yes Al, you are right, its delicious! We knocked back a few Caipirinha's with our sea bass and trout, making it a predictably drunken affair. Is there a pattern emerging?! Hilarious cleavage reflection, Lol.


Luckily the next day we had time to chill with our hangovers (enjoying our room, when awake!) And went to visit Parque Condor, after the prerequisite towncafe equivalent.

We got up quite late the morning of the market...whoops. Fortunately like us, the market hadn't really got going...


but it picked up really quickly and filled central Otavalo. The streets were closed to traffic.


Lots of fresh produce.


Fabric bands used to wrap ponytails and as belts.


Lots of jewellery displayed in this novel way.


Looking towards the food market on the right. It was busy, but not shouty loud like Mexican markets.


A beautiful display.


What a treat to find some fresh rambutan. I treated myself!


I watched this lady picking the corn from the cob as Wiji perused the food market.


A speciality 'El Hornado'...roast whole pig. There were quite a few of these in the food market. It funny to see the pigs all had slightly different expressions. This one had a good set of toothy pegs! The lady in the picture pulled some meat off and put it with some salad, giant corn, potato fritters and beans onto an enamel plate...take a seat!


Here's Wiji enjoying his 'platter el hornado'...so much so he came back and had another helping at the same stall later in the day.




Another roast piggy and stalls selling beans and corn.


Mmmm. Here I am eating potatoes, there are over 4000 varieties in Ecuador! There was something else mixed in that is brown...it seemed like it might be mushroom gills. Really hope it wasn't meat! Oh dear...


Here it is cooking away in the big pan, it tasted lovely... What is it? I never asked because we were so sure that it was veggie, now I'm not so confident...but I couldn't think of what type of meat it would be?


A very little lady under a bundle of grass.


Following a theme we managed to find Wiji another tiny hat for his collection...what harm can it do? This one is felted wool. Check out my beautiful Llama. Money well spent. LOL.




Otavalo is known for its fine weaving and crafts. Sadly Otavalenos have long been exploited, first by colonialists, and then by Ecuadorian sweatshop owners. Today artisans suffer a system where only intermediaries can take their crafts to market.


Otavalenos are the the most commercially successful indigenas in Ecuador. Otavalo has an indiginous mayor to boot.




Checking out the market from a roof top cafe...


and doing a bit of people watching...lots of older men were hoofing around massive bundles.


Some women in traditional dress with layered necklaces and frilly sleaved blouses looked beautiful.


In the centre of things making a killing, the pan-man with his wire brushes that remove the black baked on stuff from your pans. This attracted a lot of attention and it was great to watch his pan scrubbing demos.


The grape man, all tooled up.


An older couple in traditional dress. Wiji got special attention from the very old women who wanted him to make a donation to them. They patted him a lot and he handed over the cash.


Oh hi! A bit of day time drinking, and we were recreating a Portabello Saturday.


After much shopping and wandering around we went to chill in the main square and came across this telephone with padlocked case, and exterior padlocked box. Ok.


Going back to the roof cafe for one more beer, whatever...we watched as the market was gradually packed away. This involved the services of numerous old men who had bailing twine and the ability to lift and hoof about enormous loads for the stall holders.


The sun was very strong in the late afternoon, and we wandered around with increasingly pink faces, blissfully unaware...this was the result.


Thanks for my birthday necklace.


Clearly the Llama is the best pressie!


Older, but wiser?