We left Quito pretty early to make our way to Hostería La Ciénega. A what used to be mansion now a hotel. I personally wish we coulda stayed a night there, but there's something about mansions that I associate with being haunted, so I'm glad we visited it durning the day! We got coffee, hot chocolate and tea plus also got a little concert of a group called Cotopaxi, they played music of the Andes. They played their own music and I'm pretty sure they played some music from Momma Mia and a Celia Cruz song too haha. But it was awesome, it reminded me of the type of music my mom has at home.
Shortly after leaving the Hostería La Ciénega, we had a shortish drive to the Salasaca community, where we got to see another weaving center but of the indigenous people. Who all still wear the traditional skirt with a wrap, blouses with the detailed stitching and a wool hat. Their daily outfits are usually accompanied with a stick with alpaca fur on it and all day long, everywhere they go they are spinning it to be used to make garments. It's a little hard to explain so here's a picture.
After the weaving demo, we got a typical lunch with corn, potatoes, veggies and a different type of beans that I wasn't used to but all tasted delicious. Following lunch we got a demo of a traditional dance that is played at parties or more usually known for she they elect a new mayor, they do this particular song and dance. I was too much of a chicken to try the dance so I just watched.
After Salasaca, we headed back to Riobamba to stay at Hostería Bambú. I still haven't been able to tell the difference between a hotel and a hostel, so it was still cozy and super traditional.
