GOOD THING WE DECIDED TO CHANGE OUR PLANS, TO STAY IN OTAVALO FOR THREE DAYS, AS IT HAS TAKEN ALL THAT TIME TO LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE THIS "BONITO" CITY'S NAME! RATHER THAN RENTING A CAR, WE HIRED A PRIVATE CAR AND DRIVER TO TAKE US FROM QUITO TO LAS PALMERAS INN ... WHAT A SMART DECISION! THE DRIVERS THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN PASSES ARE "LOCO"!!!
50 KILOMETERS NORTH OF QUITO IS THE ONLY SITE ON THE PLANET WHERE THE EQUATOR CROSSES OVER THE HIGHLANDS.ON THE REST OF THE EARTH´S SURFACE IT CROSSES THROUGH JUNGLE OR OCEAN. THEREFORE, THE PRE-INCAN CULTURES COULD DEVELOP THEIR ASTRONOMICAL BEARINGS BY THE CLEAR LANDMARKS SURROUDING THE CITY: THE PINICHA VOLCANO (15,000 FEET) TO THE WEST, THE ANTISANA (18,700) TO THE EAST, AND THE SNOWCAPPED CAYAMBE (18,725) TO THE NORTHEAST, ALMOST PRECISELY ON THE EQUATOR, WHICH WE STRADDLED!!!
LAS PALMERAS WAS GLORIOUS.. HOT SHOWER AND LLAMAS OUTSIDE OUR ROOM!
THE PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY NORTH OF QUITO CROSSES THE EQUATOR, PASSES THE CAYAMBE VOLCANO AND OVERLOOKS THE CITY OF THE SAME NAME WHICH HAS HUGE ROSE PLANTATIONS. THE FLOWER INDUSTRY IS EQUADOR'S FOURTH LARGEST EXPORT. FURTHER NORTH WE ENTERED IMBARBURA PROVINCE WHERE WELCOMING US WAS IMBABURA VOLCANO (15,111 FT).
WE PLANNED TO ARRIVE DURING THE INDEGENOUS FESTIVAL OF "PADRE DE SOL". AS IT HAPPENED EQUADORIAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL CORREA DELGADO WAS MEETING WITH HUGO CHAVEZ AND THE PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA. THE CIA HAS PROBABLY GOT THIS COVERED!!! THE MILITARY HELICOPTERS WERE BUZZING AROUND OVER OTAVALO LIKE DRAGONFLIES DELIVERING THE PRESIDENTS AND THEIR SECURITY OFFICERS!
AT DAWN YOU SEE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARRIVING AT THE WORLD-RENOWNED MARKET PLACE, FROM MANY MOUNTAIN TRAILS, SURROUNDING THE CITY... THEY ARE INCREDIBLY HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO DRESS BEAUTIFULLY TO TENDER THEIR ECUADORIAN HANDICRAFTS.. OUR BACKPACKS ARE STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT! WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE MORE BAGS IN PERU!
THE OTAVALO INDIAN MARKET IS A CACAPHONY OF COLOR, SOUNDS, AND SMELLS OF ALPACA WOOL, LEATHER, AND BANANA WASTE WHICH THEY WEAVE INTO BASKETS.
THE ECUADORIAN RESTAURANTS WERE CLEAN AND THE FOOD DELICIOUS,WE ENJOYED OUR RESPITES FROM THE MARKET AND FESTIVITIES AT VARIOUS TIMES.
ECUADOR IS HOME TO AN IMPRESSIVE VARIETY OF ETHNIC COMMUNITIES WHO STILL PRACTICE ANCIENT CULTURIAL RITUALS. THE INDIAN PEOPLE PERFORMED MANY DANCES EVERY EVENING LONG INTO THE NIGHT, WE SAT IN THE BANDSTAND AMONGST THE INDIGINOUS PEOPLE... ONE YOUNG WOMEN WAS SITTING IN FRONT OF DIANNE, WITH A 5 MONTH OLD BABY IN HER ARMS, SO DI INDICATED THAT SHE COULD LEAN BACK AGAINST HER KNEES!
AFTER A SCRUMPTOUS AND NUTRIOUS BREAKFAST AT LAS PALMERAS, ENRICO, THE DRIVER, WITH A RED TRUCK, AND OUR GUIDE, VENISIO, PICKED US UP FOR OUR TREK AROUND THE CUICOCHA CRATER LAKE, AN 8 KILOMETER, WITH 350 METER CLIMB UP TOWARDS THE COTACACHI VOLCANO (16,200 FT) AND AROUND THE CRATER. THE ECUADORIAN ANDES (QUICHUA ANTI OR 'WHERE THE SUN RISES' IN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE) INCLUDE SEVERAL ACTIVE VOLCANOS WHICH IS WHY ALEXANDER VON HOMBOLT NAMED THEM ¨THE AVENUE OF THE VOLCANOS" IN 1802. EQUADOR HAS TWELVE PEAKS OVER 16,000 FT; ALSO THE HIGHEST ACTIVE VOLCANO IN THE WORLD - COTOPAXI. VENISIO WAS A YOUNG MAN OF 25 YEARS WHO WAS VERY WILLING TO SHARE SOME OF HIS HERITAGE. HIS FAMILY, 9 IN ALL, HAVE A MYRIAD OF TALENTS, HIS FATHER IS A SHAMAN, HIS MOTHER AND SISTERS TOIL MAKING HATS AND SWEATERS FROM SOFT ALPACA WOOL. AS WE HIKED AROUND THE CRATER LAKE VENISIO POINTED OUT MANY PLANTS AND WILDFLOWERS USED FOR MEDICAL AILMENTS FROM CROSSED-EYES TO PLANTERS WARTS AND BUNIONS ON ONE'S FEET.
RETURNING FROM OUR DAY ENRICO STOPPED TO GIVE THIS INDIGINOUS WOMEN A LIFT.
WE VISITED COTACHACI, THE ECUADORIAN LEATHER CENTER, BEFORE RETURNING TO LAS PALMERAS ... CHECK OUT THE HAND-CRAFTED BELTS JIM WILL BE WEARING!
