Mar 26th, 2007
Weekend in Otavalo
It seems Monday mornings are the same everywhere in the world…however, at least the coffee in Ecuador is amazing…
Our weekend adventure to Otavalo was really successful. We went around and checked out loads of interesting hostels and haciendas that we can include in our next adventures; from the 5 star Hacienda Cusin to the more relaxed La Luna backpackers.
The countryside around Otavalo is the highlight of this area for me. There are so many options, routes, and peaks for high Andean trekking and climbing. It is almost too hard to decide where to start. Unfortunately, this time we did not have the time to put on the walking boots but next time I will be able to revisit some of the routes and mountain peaks I climbed a few years ago.
Otavalo is world famous for its Andean artesan market, and Saturday is the day for those of you who like to hunt for a bargain. The weavings and handicrafts are top notch and get exported all over the world. An early morning stroll through this market really gives you a sense of being high in the Andes amongst these colorful indigenous people. The area of Otavalo is well known in Ecuador for having a very powerful and well organized indigenous movement — this is quite unusual in Latin America. Being well organized has helped them take back control of there own affairs.
