Otavalo tour

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This entry was lost in the blog crash, so this is a very brief summary.

We headed out North of Quito - which took some time to get out of, as the city is so linear.

First stop was a rose farm - much more interesting than expected. It seems that, being on the equator, this region is perfect for growing roses as the light is directly overhead all year. We saw the different varieties being grown, and the process of preparing them for sale and distribution.

Then on to Otavalo, which has the biggest handicrafts market in Ecuador. Sadly the men on the trip voted for a severe curtailment on retail therapy time, so we were only allotted 50 minutes, which was GROSSLY inadequate; a great shame, as it was a fascinating place to browse, with all sorts of fantastic goods at unbelievable prices.

We then headed off to Cuicocha - a very scenic blue crater lake, on the way passing through a village famed for its leather goods. Again, we unfortunately didn't stop; the females amongst us were gasping at the quality and cheap prices of the leather handbags and other goods of which we were catching tantalising glimpses in the shop windows as we drove past.

The weather generally was cloudy and overcast, which denied us the longed for views of the surrounding mountains and volcanoes, but the countryside that we could see seemed very attractive, fertile and quite extensively farmed. We headed back to a beautiful old hacienda where we had lunch, then stopped briefly at the point where the road crosses the equator, to stand with our feet astride it - one in each hemisphere. There is a
small monument here, but a much bigger one elsewhere in Ecuador, on another road North of Quito.

Then back to Quito, and a guided tour of Quito by night with tour guide Bill, looking for a restaurant at which to eat dinner, chosen by him from the Lonely Planet guide. After walking up a very steep hill, across and down it, we arrived back almost an hour later where we had started, having failed to find it. The same thing happened when we holidayed together in Jordan. It's a good thing Bill and Jude lost the guide soon after that - we subsequently discovered that the restaurant doesn't exist any more.

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Photos

Rose Farm
Eric coming up roses

Rose Farm
In the pink

Rose Farm
These are the rejects!

Otavalo Market
Wall hangings

Otavalo Market
Market stall

Otavalo Market
Stallholder

Cuicocha
The crater lake

The Equator
One foot in each hemisphere