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A view of the animal market
A stunning setting, wedged between Volcanoes Imbabura and Cotacachi.Life starts early here in Otavalo. Especially if you´re a plump guinea pig and it is Saturday.
Otavalo´s animal market starts around 4am, is in full swing at 6am and winds down by 8am. Careful inspections, passionate haggling and a lot of poo goes down just off the PanAmericana highway and it usually all happens while I´m still dribbling on my pillow. Not today though. By the time my brain woke up today, I was standing in a field surrounded by livestock.
It would possibly be easier to list what animals weren´t there. We didn´t see elephants, girafes or kangaroos. No doubt had they been native to Ecuador they would have been at there too. The market was hectic and noisy - a bit like an animal version of the stock exchange (except it seemed to function well).
Perhaps it was the crisp early morning air or the majestic Andean backdrop. Or maybe I was suffering from severe sleep deprivation. I´m not sure, but as we shuffled off just after seven to get breakfast, I though the whole spectacle I had witnessed was fascinating.
Worth getting up for.
From Jess
(And apologies for the really
Hmmm which guinea pig will I have for dinner tonight?
I´m not joking - whole roasted guinea pig is a traditional Ecuadorian dish. cheesy captions on some of the photos...I just couldn´t help myself!)
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Joy
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Market
You were right .The comments were cheesy but I'm ashamed to admit made me laugh !Glad to see there's no chance of you becoming a carnivore.Love from a vegetarian