Otavalo - Market town

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We set off for Otavalo from Quito at 4.30pm and hoped to reach the town before dawn. The 2 hour bus journey turned out to be a 3 hour ride through several mountains and valleys - fascinating landscapes. We were the only foreigners on the packed bus but felt very at ease as the locals always smile at you. The driver stopped every 10 minutes to let someone hop on the bus to try and sell you 20 mandarins for 1 dollar, or 3 toothbrushes for 3 dollars. They actually gave us a 10 minute speech on the benefits of the toothbrush which made it hard to resist! Dylan was sat behind a small baby with huge eyes that kept staring at him.

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This morning we wondered round the market - which claims to be the biggest in the whole of South America. You can find everything on Saturdays! Both traditional and more modern goods (jewellery, bags, purses, musical instruments, clothes, food...). It takes about 3 to 4 hours to walk round the whole market and you can´t stop giving small change to old beggars who look absolutely helpless.The panpipes sounds in the background makes it all the more authentic.

Later in the evening we found  a small bar - I must admit the happy hour did attract me... and ended up staying the whole evening. Will the owner and his girlfriend were just the friendliest people ever. Will just got back from a long trip in America so his English was pretty good. He was telling us that his friend had made the huge sculpture in the entrance of the bar (picture included). It took him 5 years to complete it and it is called The Fauna and the bar was named after that piece of art. A young French couple then came in. I got on really well with them. She has family in Otavalo. Then an American couple joined us and we spent most of the night talking to them. The girl had spent part of her university course in Ecuador and she  is very fond of the country. We tried Burro - a typical strong liqueur - 2 litres that you can buy for 1 dollar! Very dangerous...

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This morning we managed to lock oursleves out of our room! I had to go down to reception in my pjs to ask the kid who ran the hostal to attempt to open the door! We then realised my watch was mysteriously 2 hours behind, which meant Dylan missed the first half of the Chelsea - United game!! We´re not touching that burro drink again...