Otavalo, Ecaudor
Otavalo's Equator Lines & Volcano Lakes
Ecuador is a country straddling the equator on South America’s west coast. Its diverse landscape is made up of the Amazon jungle, Andean highlands and the incredible Galápagos Islands. Quito, its capital, lies in the Andean foothills at an elevation of 9,350 feet is known mostly for its largely intact Spanish colonial center.
Otavalo, another town found in the Andean highlands is surrounded by volcanoes and well known for its market at the central Plaza de Ponchos, where traditionally dressed indigenous people sell colorful textiles, crafts and spices. It’s also famous for its indigenous population, the Otavalos, many of which travel around the world to sell their popular handicrafts or play Andean Folk music.
My journey to South America began in Colombia nearly ten days prior with stops in Cartagena (Viva Colombia!), Medellín: The City of Eternal Spring and Salento's Valley of Palms with a final stop in Ecuador where It's Hard to Breathe in the Second Highest Capital City of Quito. From Quito, day trips to the Cloud Forests, Butterfly Gardens & Chocolate Bars of Mindo and Otavalo allowed me to experience much of Ecuador’s rich culture. When planning my trip, I purchased two one-way tickets, one into Colombia and the other out of Ecuador with plans to visit as many cities as possible along the way.
Straddle the Equator
Otavalo, a two hour drive from the heart of Quito is known for its incredible Saturday market and gorgeous crater lakes but first, a few stops to get to know the local sites and culture.
First up was the Quitsato Sundial in Cayambe (also called the Solar Clock). Here, the northern and southern hemispheres meet, marking the equator line. The 52 meter sundial is a large stone mosaic pattern identifying hours of the day, as well as solstices and equinoxes, as the sun casts shadows from its 10 meter pole in the center.
The sundial's purpose is based on scientific research relating to astronomy, history and geography and is self-managed and self-financed. After our guide explained the history of the site and its relationship to the area we were free to roam the grounds. He mentioned something about it being in the wrong spot, a few hundred feet off but I missed the details.
And of course you have to straddle the two different hemispheres on your visit.
Gorge on Biszcochos in Cayambe
Our next stop was Cayambe. Cayambe is an agricultural city in highland Ecuador at the foot of the Cayambe volcano and the only region in Ecuador where you can try special biscuits called biszcochos. Locals love to pass through and pick some up, so we did the same.
And lucky us, we got a detailed lesson on the ins and outs of biszcocho production.
Biszcochos are baked in a brick fire oven and made continuously throughout the day. The workers moved so quickly I could barely keep up with each step. There was rolling, twisting, slicing and placing the dough on baking pans as quickly as possible.
After watching the preparation and baking process we were able to sit down and place an order. For $4 USD you receive café con leche, juice, eggs, bacon, fresh mozzarella and four biszcochos with caramel. The biscuits didn't seem so special on their own but once you combine them with the mozzarella and caramel, they're out of this world.
Interestingly, Ecuador uses the American dollar as its currency so no need to exchange your bills to get your hands on a few of these delicious biscuits.
Discover the Origins of the Panama Hat at Mira Lago
Just outside the busy city of Quito everything is lush and green and the drive to Miro Lago was no exception. Our tour stopped nearby the lake and learned about the Panama Hat which contrary to belief has never been made in Panama. It originates in Ecuador where weavers use toquilla straw from palm trees on the Ecuadorian coast. What surprised me most were the various levels of quality for the hats. Depending on difficulty of the weave, some were less than $10 USD while others reached as high as $100 USD.
Live folk music was playing in the gift shop and outside there was a little boy taking photos with a llama for tips. Sad to say, we learned it's best not to tip for a photo because the parents will continue to keep kids home from school to earn money from tourists. Not to mention, he looked miserable and when I asked him if he was okay, he said he was tired, bored and hungry.
Off in the distance sat Mira Lago and even with a freeway, the scenery dominated the view. And with that, it was back onto the bus.
Shop Local Goods at Otavalo Market
In the afternoon we reached the Otavalo Market and off we went to explore. Locals at this famous market were selling all kinds of goods. They sold food (mostly fruits and spices), blankets, bags, clothing and trinkets of all kinds. What I remember most were the bright saturated colors.
As I typically do, after a few loops around the market I had enough items to fill an entire suitcase; a beautiful poncho, blankets, scarves made of Alpaca and even a hammock. It was hard to resist buying even more because the prices were incredibly low. That said, still don't forget to haggle with vendors to get the best prices.
Catch Views at Cotacachi Volcano
In the Ecuadorian Andes lies a caldera and crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano called Lago Cuicocha. In the indigenous language, the name means guinea pig laguna. Side note, guinea pig is a delicacy eaten once a year in Ecuador so I requested to try it at lunch but unfortunately the restaurant was sold out.
In the middle of the crater are two small islands. A while back you were able to camp on the island that's brighter green but it caught fire, twice, so it’s no longer possible. The brighter green signifies the new vegetation growth.
Admire Leather Goods in Cotacachi Town
On the way back toward Quito we stopped off at a little town known for its leather goods, Cotacachi Town. Leather shops lined the streets and almost immediately I found a beautiful leather bag for $75 USD. Back home it would've cost triple the price so with only 50 cents left in my pocket, it was a win.
As a special treat, our guide, Omar, requested we try a famous ice cream sold in town. There's no milk, just fruit and ice. He told us a story about how years ago makers would travel up into the volcanoes to gather ice to make ice cream. These days, it's unnecessary but there's still one man running up the volcano to get ice for his cream.
