Quito and Otavalo
After the Galapagos we touched down in one of the more dangerous cities in South America - Quito. The city is beautifully perched between mountains and a deep valley. To be honest we really loved Quito and felt quite at home with all the burglar bars and security - almost like home! The locals warned us time and again that we should NOT walk around after dark, not even for 1 block, but rather take a taxi - we heeded their advice.
It was also in Quito where we found the first proper shopping mall in 4 months! It was great and we stocked up on great fruits and snacks and all the little luxuries that we missed. Public transport was cheap and efficient and we made thorough use of it. After finding our feet and regrouping post-Galapagos, we were off on a bus to the town of Otavalo, famous for its huge Saturday market where all the indigenous people came from their villages in the surrounding areas to trade their goods.
On Saturday morning we first visited the animal market. Soos hulle in Afrikaans sal sê "markdag is ook varkdag" - kyk maar na die foto's. Anything from pigs to llamas, day old chickens to sheep, etc. Then we went to the proper market where you could buy anything. Really. In the food department, there were cow jaws, whole fried pigs and little bags with small sea snail like snails (raw, complete with shell), with lettuce and a lemon slice. You can buy hats, pottery, clothes, 2nd hand junk and off course many tourist souvenirs.
We stayed in a great cheap little hotel called Hotel Riviera Sucre. Our bathroom opened out onto the river (where we suspected the toilet outflow was as well). There is however only a certain amount of time allocated for sane people in markets, so we returned late that Saturday morning to Quito by public bus.
It was also in Quito where we found the first proper shopping mall in 4 months! It was great and we stocked up on great fruits and snacks and all the little luxuries that we missed. Public transport was cheap and efficient and we made thorough use of it. After finding our feet and regrouping post-Galapagos, we were off on a bus to the town of Otavalo, famous for its huge Saturday market where all the indigenous people came from their villages in the surrounding areas to trade their goods.
On Saturday morning we first visited the animal market. Soos hulle in Afrikaans sal sê "markdag is ook varkdag" - kyk maar na die foto's. Anything from pigs to llamas, day old chickens to sheep, etc. Then we went to the proper market where you could buy anything. Really. In the food department, there were cow jaws, whole fried pigs and little bags with small sea snail like snails (raw, complete with shell), with lettuce and a lemon slice. You can buy hats, pottery, clothes, 2nd hand junk and off course many tourist souvenirs.
We stayed in a great cheap little hotel called Hotel Riviera Sucre. Our bathroom opened out onto the river (where we suspected the toilet outflow was as well). There is however only a certain amount of time allocated for sane people in markets, so we returned late that Saturday morning to Quito by public bus.
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