Otovalo Snapshot

Otovalo is in a large valley, sprawled out between 4 extinct volcanoes, each one with a distinct, different personality (as believed by the locals). Even though the altitude is close to 9,000 feet, the valley is green and lush, as are the hillsides leading up to slumbering craters.

My guide and I arrived here after a stop at the official equator – 0 degrees latitude. It turns out that just last month he made a trip to Bolivia, following much the same route as me, and has been able to assist in my comparisons of these two very different Andean countries. Even though the Andes reach in Venezuela, Chile and Argentina, the “Andean culture” of the high mountains (think panpipes, llamas, and alpaca sweaters in geometric designs) is limited to the countries of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. I feel that the latter two are extremely different, but it is hard to quantify at this moment. I invariably draw the comparison that Bolivia is to Ecuador what Burma is to Thailand – sharing similar cultures, religions, roots and ancestors, but one being far more advanced than the other.

The local people of local people of Otavalo have a very interesting traditional dress that has clearly borrowed from European influences over the last 500 years since the Spanish arrived. Men and women wear espadrilles on their feet and fedoras on their heads, both with a long single braid of jet black hair down their backs. Women wrap multi-stranded gold beads around their necks, and coral colored beads around their wrists and don lacy embroidered blouses and long wool skirts topped with embroidered sashes. Men favor cropped , light colored cotton pants and solid blue wool ponchos. Smiles are ready.

Today I infused my share of American cash into the Ecuadorian economy, buying several rugs, a couple paintings (on goatskin no less), a Panama hat (such hats originated in Ecuador – did you know that?), some panpipes and other typical Andean souvenirs.