Onwards we go....

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So I left off where we made it onto the bus and met 3 Dutch guys. So obiviously we befriended them, obivious reasons aside they were fellow travellers so of course we wanted the down low on what was going on, why they were that sort of thing.

So the bus is 2 and a half hours quite windy, the scenery was quite intense in parts. Lot´s if people sit on the streets selling all sorts of goods, the houses are in quite shambles and animals tied to various places on quite a short leash. Overall, it was a scenic route it sounds worse than it was, but it was different than Quito.

After we got out of the city we ended up driving through the mountains where that was really bonita! Lush green trees in abundance and a river that run through the bottom of a canyon.

The bus was pretty packed and the drivers just gun in. Pedal to the metal. Surprisingly I was not that afraid.

So driving through lush moutain areas was really quite relaxing, passing small towns and communities along the way. All very colourful and full of history and culture.

When we eventually arrived in Otavalo it was about 130pm and the bus terminal was quite packed with people yelling bus destinations everywhere and quite loudly too. If Ecuadorians have one of several talents yelling in Spanish really fast and making it sounds good is one of them.

After walking a few feet the bladder called. To use the banos there, you pay 10 cents and they hand you some toilet paper and you go crazy. Well not really but hygenically you might have gone crazy (thank goodness for hand sanitizer)!

One rule in Ecuador is that all toilet paper is thrown in the garbage beside the toilet, the pressure in the toilets combined with what I think is a lack of a decent sewage system. But this is just my own reasoning and what I have inadvertantly gathered from reading.

Anyways we are done with the banos now. Onto the market. Otavalo is known for its traditionally handicrafts and food markets. It was a maze of vendor after vendor of really amazing and beautiful crafts and clothing and trinkets. I decided on a small chess board for 10 dollars, the Dutch guys (known as Paco, Ramón and Timo) didn´t buy anything but they were very patient with all of our bargaining and snooping for goods. Jill ended up with a fabulous necklace after 30 minutes of bargaining.

After that we just walked and walked and took in the scenary while exchanging life stories and other related things.

When we finsihed our tour through the markets we ended up at a plaza with a fabulous water fountain and a lot of hustle and bustle. We took some group pictures and mocked one another for taking bad photos. But this is where it gets good. As we were leaving one the the guys randomly ran into a guy they had met in Amsterdam. I was so amazed at how it can be such a small world. Six degrees of seperation.

SO we chatted and the man they met had a wife and a little girl so we entertained her, actually more so Timo one of the Dutch guys. But everyone had a small hand in it.

That was really cool, after some time catching up and playing with the little girl we continued on our way. We ended up at a Church that was quite worn, maybe from time?

After that onwards to the bus back home, stopping to chat with the young girls who were giggling at the guys, because they were tall and and blue eyed and nothing like the locals. I think they all had a crush on them, they were giggling and turning around and speaking hush hush girly tones, it was quite entertaining.

But I need to stop right now, lo siento, I have a bad head ache and it is interferring with thinking.

Continue tomorrow?

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Comments

[anonymous]

sounds like your having a great time!!! by the way you spelled obvious wrong... miss you!!

[tree_huggar]

Just for the record, I have to type at lightening speed. There is a lot of information to get down there, but it´s ok. I can handle constructive criticism :) As long as the essence of the blog is understood. :)