Otavalo Market

The day after we returned from the Galapagos, we took a tour to the Otavolo Indian market near Quito. This is probably the biggest of all Indian markets in all of South America. There were some beautiful view along the way, such as this gorge you can see here. This is one of the things that we loved about Ecuador - the magnificant scenery due to the volcanos and sharp peaks and valleys that earthquakes have caused. Along the way, we learned a little about Ecuador's income from our tourguide. The 5 biggest money makers in Ecuador are the following.
1. Oil
2. Money from Expats who have moved away but send money back to their families
3. Tourism
4. Bananas
5. Roses

The textiles in this market were quite colorful and beautiful. The people were great to watch, too because of their dress, but I was too embarrased to take pictures of them and didn't want to be rude. We also went to Cotacachi, which is a big leather town with great quality and cheap prices!



We also went to a small local town where most of the people who live in this town are musicians. They make their own instruments and travel around playing for people. In some of our buses, we even had musicians come on and play 3 songs and then ask for tips before getting off at the next stop. This guy was only one in a big family who played music. He made this instrument while we were there and then played it for us. I took a video so that you can enjoy the music too! You can also see many of the other instruments that they make, as well as the beautiful view from their house. Normally, the whole family plays together, but everyone else was out for a performance.



Driving back, we passed by what seemed to be a parade in the middle of the street. It was a celebration asking for rain or no rain or something like that (interestingly enough it was raining at the time).