Today was quite the start to this adventure. I was awakened with a nice cold shower but then headed down for a nice breakfast and orientation session to start our morning. After that, we were set free for about 4 hours to explore the market. Saturdays are market days in Otavalo so we were all excited to shop. We headed out in one group and then split off into smaller groups. The market was insane. Street after street after street filled with scarves, jewelry, blankets, bags, food, and on and on and on. The first connection I made with the market was Indian markets. They reminded me so much of each other. The streets of Ecuador could have been Indian streets. However, the major differences I noticed were the clean streets and the much less overwhelming crowds. I can’t believe how clean it is here, but I guess I am only comparing it to the Indian streets I walked last year. I could have spent all day there and just shopped, but after a while it became overwhelming. I noted that the Ecuadorian culture is not concerned with personal space. Everyone is just on top of each other trying to get to where they need to be and they do not care who they have to push to get there. I started staying out of the way and moving to the side as I felt like a big inconvenience. I found some goods while at the market. I purchased scarves, a blanket, and some bracelets. The vendors were very pleasant and were not pushy when you didn’t want to buy something.
After the market we were headed to the foothills of the Andes Mountains. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but the trip exceeded anything I had in mind. It was the most gorgeous scene I have ever experience. We decided to hike up part of the mountain and after about the second set of stairs I noticed how heavy I was breathing. I knew I was not that out of shape, but it was the significant change in altitude. I was so shocked that it had that much of an impact. However, the view was completely worth it.
The next stop was to a thread shop. A man showed us how he made scarves and blankets and textiles out of machinery. It was amazing to see how tedious of a process making textiles can be. He did a great job with his English and I definitely appreciate their work that goes into it. We then walked about five minutes to a musical introduction. We were shown all the different types of instruments that are used in Ecuador. The woman also made an instrument out of bamboo right in front of us. We then had a short performance by a man and a young girl, which was absolutely beautiful. They were so talented.
Lastly, we ended a great day with a dinner at a traditional Ecuadorian restaurant. I of course being the picky eater that I am did not find much on the menu. I was also nervous to get sick from eating the meat or things that I’m not accustomed to yet. I had some avocado soup, which was pretty good, but was very rich and creamy. I could hardly eat five bites. Overall, it was an awesome first day and I am so excited to experience all that Ecuador has to offer!
