We left Quito yesterday morning. Neither of us was feeling very well — it appears that the 1200 additional feet of altitude from Cuenca to Quito was harder on us than we had expected. We decided to splurge and hired a taxi for $55 to take us to Cotacachi, rather than face the hassle of a $2/person bus. As we stepped out of our hotel in Quito, we found there was a concert going on in the square.
There was some confusion finding the hotel in Cotacachi, since the name we were given was not the name on the door (The Land of the Sun). After the driver asked several locals, we found it though. A quaint 140 year old governor’s mansion converted into a hotel, with all proceeds going to the local indigenous people, on the edge of a park. We were already feeling better, having dropped to 7800 ft in this town. The room was great — it even has a proper writing desk and decent wifi. Wow! It even comes with a heater! Too bad the heater didn’t work though… or the replacement… or the replacement after that. Oh well, the covers are extra thick and warm, so once we are in bed, all will be OK again. 🙂
We settled in, and headed out for a walk around town. “It won’t rain today.” So said Cindy, as we passed her and Dennis about half a block from the hotel, almost as soon as we had started walking. “Do you promise?” I replied. So began our adoption by this pair of retirees from Missouri. We talked for a few minutes… until it started raining… 🙂 We then walked over to their rented apartment and spent the next several hours enjoying their company and stories. We left well after dark, and they invited us to join them for breakfast.
We had breakfast at our hotel this morning. During the meal, we talked about going to Otavalo today, and we decided to go together. After a short walk to the bus station, we found that busses leave every 10 minutes, and only cost 25 cents. We hopped on the first one and it left almost immediately.
Dennis and Cindy refer to themselves as “farmers from Missouri,” but that was actually their 2nd career, which was itself followed by a career owning a 50-room lake resort, before retiring in 2006.
We were the only gringos on the fully loaded bus.
After a 25 minute ride, we arrived in Otavalo and walked over the the famous artesian market. The big market days are Wednesday and Saturday. Dennis told us the market is so crowded you can barely move on those days. Today it was largely deserted, with only a couple dozen people browsing.
Vendors were mostly waiting for someone to walk by and show interest in their products. One held a baby on a leash, since women here pretty much take their babies with them everywhere.
Evelyn enjoyed buying small items, including a unique “white elephant” for a party exchange back home.
After a few hours, we decided to head back to Cotacachi for lunch. On the way back to the bus station, we saw more of the local lifestyle. School was just letting out, and we again saw the phenomenon of girls walking 5-abreast, clearing the sidewalk in front of them. Dennis commented “girls that age want attention, and this is one surefire way to get it.” I think he nailed it…
A woman dropped a few kernels of corn and was scooping them back up. The local people appear happy, but they are clearly mired deep in poverty.
Back in Cotacachi, we walked a few blocks to La Mirage, and had an unbelievably delicious lunch. This is a hotel that charges $400/night for a room, with a restaurant that is rated 5 stars. We entered with high hopes… and an open wallet…:)
They first brought each of us a beautiful wooden music box. When opened, there was a single fried wonton. The taste told us that we were in the right place! Our ordered “white escargot” came next. It was served in the traditional garlic butter, and was one of the best we have experienced. Evelyn and I split a sea bass meal, while Dennis had shrimp ravioli and Cindy had ceviche. All the meals were world-class, and (given a sufficient budget), I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.
After lunch, we wandered the yard, which included half a dozen peacocks
