Otavalo, Ecuador

Otavalo has markets every day of the week but on Saturday the place explodes with a bewildering array of goods. Colors are made even brighter by the intensity of the equatorial Andean sunshine.  From rugs and blankets......

........to bags and purses..........

.........to hats.......

.........to unknown street food (which was mighty tasty).....

.........to the most common street food: little plastic bags with corn, chochos, and a tomato onion lime sauce, there is something for everyone.  I guess it's the Ecuadoran version of fast food but it's all healthful and vegetarian (and it sure was tasty also!).  Vendors were everywhere selling it.

Out of thousands of people here, I saw four national police officers milling calmly in their blue camouflage uniforms.  I guess they're blue to blend in with the intensely blue Ecuadoran sky.

A cross-section of Ecuadoran cultures exhibit the Spanish influence, the indigenous Quechua influence, and even the United States influence with the kid in a Hollister hoody.  Otavalo is a town of many markets - the tourist market, the fish market, the animal market, the fruit and vegetable market, the meat/fish/chicken market, the housewares market.  People out in the fresh air and brilliant Andean sunshine buying and selling and visiting and hugging instead of shopping in isolated shops or malls.  They've been doing it this way for hundreds of years and I hope they keep doing it for thousands more.  The land of eternal Spring breeds an attitude of warmth and friendliness among it's people - many here haven't much by "first world" standards, but they seem to be kinder, more helpful, and more caring of each other than many in the "first world." 

  I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed creating it.  This ends our trip to Ecuador. We head back to Quito today, fly to Miami and Boston tomorrow and wake up Monday with 18 inches of snow to clear away in single digit temperatures - it sure was fun while it lasted!  We'll be back again! Hasta luego.