Otavalo - Altitude, Shopping and Pain

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Border formalities done and another spectacular Andean road took us through to our first port of call in Ecuador, Otavalo (2500m). We had a lovely colonial hotel (even cable TV for a bit of premiership football), and the town itself is of medium size, and set brilliantly with massive Volcan Imbabura (4621m) behind the town and separating it from the town of Imbarra.
The Friday we arrived we were wrecked and decided just to have something to eat and get to bed, we did encounter a street parade of the finalists for the Queen of the Yamor festival which was starting the next week. The town itself is full of indigenous in their brilliant and bright clothing and velvet hats. Many of the women have babies tied to their backs by a blanket. The best ones are the babies that are flat out asleep, they create the most amazing contortions. The people look much different to the Colombians and we have also noticed a sharp increase in the number of gringos also.
Deb spent about 5-6 hours on the Saturday at the market (largest in South America I am led to believe), there are so many things to take in, ponchos, pictures, traditional wear, baskets, clothes, scarfs, etc. Enough to keep Deb busy for hours. I could handle a couple of hours (maybe one) before a bottle of rum and Liverpool v Bolton were calling on the TV in our room.
We also have managed to try a few more fruit juices the tomato del arbol and naranjilla, not as nice as our favourites but still tasty none the less. I had a dish called the Churrasco, it was a filet of beef, two fried eggs, salad and avocado. Deb is starting to take a disliking to meat on the trip, she thoroughly investigates every meal she gets and often has me to be the tester. Is there any fish in that soup?
We went looking for the cock fighting on Saturday night only to find it wasn´t on. But the locals had a great laugh as we tried to describe it. I couldn´t remember the word for Rooster (gallino) so we tried pollo (although I know this is chicken that you eat) so I guess their laughter was at us suggesting that two pieces of chicken would want to fight or maybe it was our hand movements? (Sorry for my writing here I am jumping all over the place, Im trying to get it all down as quick as I can!) Kareoke was our substitute for cock fighting, but a lack of English songs and a crowd of five made for a sparkling rendicion of ´Man who sold the world´ Deb has a great time when I sing but never gets up herself (I should have prayed for that miracle to the Virgen Mary of Las Lajas).
I was up early the following day to climb up Fuya Fuya. It was very cloudy so the visibility wasn´t great but we headed up to the stunning Mojanda Lakes set at 3700m and climed the very steep ascent to the top at 4260m, the altitude made it tough but I´m trying to get some practice in and I think we have acclimatiesed a little as it wasn´t as tough as the last time I felt this high in Venezuela. Thank god I didn´t bring Deb along for this one, the climb gave a nice view back to the lake, but was unable to see in other directions, also caught glimpse of an Andean Condor flying around. The guide and other tourist only spoke Spanish so I really found this a good day to get a bit of practice in and it really is helping. The Monday Deb and I did a long horse ride up to Lake Cuicocha, it was three hours from the hacienda just outside Otavalo, the weather was much clearer and we had some stunning views back to Volcan Imbabura and even the snow capped top of Volcan Cayambe at times. We weaved through small valleys and passed small communities with kids playing in the fields. The lake itself is also impressive with a small island in the middle and we stopped for lunch looking over the lake. A two and a half hour ride back and our bodies were beginning to really feel the damage, and Debs constant giggling when the horse broke in to a trot also wasn´t helping my already sore core muscles. It really was a nice day and glad to be done, but we think we know the limits of our horse riding now, a few hours at most!
Our second last day was a really clear day and we ventured out for a homestay with an indigenous family in one of the communities just outside Cotocachi. The farm was set stunningly again looking back to Imbabura but also seeing snow capped Cotocachi and Cayambe when the clouds cleared helped make for a brilliant stay. The family were friendly without being too overwhelming. I asked Raphael the father how many kids he had. Enough he told be, but from what we gathered we think there is 11 of them (some of them have now left home) the youngest of which was Hannah at only 4 months and had a pair of cheeks that will take 4 years to grow in to. The boys all have dark hair in long plaits and being school holidays and the windy time of the year meant they were out flying their put together kites in the sky. We had our meals with the family in their kitchen, the food was lovely, never any meat, but lovely potato soup, rice, lentils and salad. All very tasty and healthy at the same time. The family all had meals together and genuinely all seemed to get on together really well. I had a look around the farm, fruit trees, bees for honey, chickens and a cow. Two of the boys, Richard (17) and Andy (13) took us for a walk down to one of the small valleys, we saw some of the indigenous and one particular old lady collecting firewood and then tieing it up and carrying it on her back. I don´t know how she did it. It was backbreaking work literally. We also saw people collecting water and washing their clothes also in thr small stream.
Back in the homestay a few of the boys played a couple of songs from on their instruments which was nice to listen too. They also had an old mechanical loom from which they weave. It looked a lot more complicated than I had expected. Our final morning we had a quick game of baseball with a couple of the kids before heading our lift to the bus station for Quito next stop.

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