Quito is such a beautiful city full of history and I am so sad that we had to leave this morning. Our hotel was very modern, huge glass windows overlooking the mountains. The breakfast at the hotel was probably one of the best so far, full of fresh fruit, bakery, and of course delicious coffee. Our first stop of the day was at la Hostería La Ciénega. This was an old mansion that was converted into a hotel. The building was absolutely beautiful and the inside seemed to be endless. While here, we had the opportunity to see the master suite, which did not disappoint. After taking a small tour we got to listen to native Ecuadorian band and drink some coffee. The band was wonderful, playing many different tunes. The music was very different than any type of music I have heard in the United States. After the band was finished, we continued on our way to Salasacas. They sold many goods similar to the market in Otavalo like scarves, blankets, and sweater. We got to see how they make their blankets. The weaver said that it would take him about 3 months to complete the one blanket if he worked on it everyday. He was also able to weave all of the patterns from memory, which I think would take a lot of practice. He also said that in their workshop, all of the colors are made from natural things, like bugs, plants, or berries. Although this process seems very time consuming, all of the colors were very vibrant. When the blanket is complete, it will cost at leant $600! While in Salasacas, the family also made us a traditional meal of vegetables, beans, corn, potatoes, and tea. It was actually better than I expected it to be! Finally, to finish up our experience at Salasacas, we got to see their traditional dance for new years. The dance was really simple, just tapping your heels on the ground. By being in Quito in the morning and Salasacas in the afternoon, I saw how different the variety of cities is in Ecuador. Although there are some very large, modern cities, there are still some small indigenous communities. Our final destination for the day was our hotel in Riobamba. While here, our group had the opportunity to discuss the activities we experienced over the past few days. It was really interesting to hear how we all experience similar things, we all interpreted and processed them differently.
