Prologue
In the Sun....everything looks better
Otavalo......the warm sun on a Sunday afternoon....old men on park benches...children chasing pigeons...young lovers steal a kiss....old ones caress a shoulder...people eating sweets...in the sun...families stroll...music plays..laughter drifts across the grass.....under the shadow of the Andes, in the sun, everything looks better. .... Otavalo
A bustling vibrant city two hours north of Quito...Otavalo is home to an indigenous outdoor market and is a regional hub to a variety of artesian villages and outdoor activities.
We spend 4 nights at the fabulous Hotel Doña Esther during our last few days in Ecuador.
With a backdrop of the Andes...a number of lakes and waterfalls are just a short bus ride away...
The lush greenery, unfolds across productive fields growing various produce. The land is dotted with greenhouses; this is a vibrant flower export center.
Cultivated fields seem to climb the sides of the mountain slopes only to disappear into the mists and clouds.
Otavalo's climate, wonderful landscape and interesting towns nearby make it an attractive getaway and permanent escape for a number of Americans and Canadians.
We take in the local market...one of the largest in Ecuador. Yvonne finds a deal.
An easy $4 taxi takes us to the Raptor Rehab Centre (Parque Condor) found high in the Andean hills overlooking the valley and Otavalo, is run by a dedicated staff intent on rehabbing injured raptors.
Cages are quite large compared to some centres...
The raptors, magnificent!!!
The flight demonstration, spectacular!
Most magnificent of all were the two Andean Condors, the national symbol of Ecuador and many other South American countries, with wingspans of up to 3.3 metres...
We were in luck to watch them dry their wings in the breeze for several minutes.
Wow!!!
Continuing further down the road through more picturesque villages we come to the well-groomed town of Cotacachi, famous for its leather.
And Ibarra...just a 30 minute bus ride north for only 80 cents. Close to the Colombian border it is a bustling, diverse city.
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Cuenca (We're All Shook Up)
The 7.6 magnitude earthquake rolls through our 3rd story room about 5:20 am. It is dark, the bed shakes and the closet doors bang. We awake from dreams of noisy neighbors banging doors and moving furniture.
As the dreams fade....the wake up call becomes clear ... the 30+ seconds tremor has set off car alarms and voices are heard in the streets.
We scramble to find clothes, passports and money; not knowing if things will get worse. 20 minutes later a second earthquake rumbles through; dogs bark and car alarms go off again. Slightly less @ 5.9 magnitude...but still enough of a rock 'n rattle, that it convinces us to dress ... just in case the tremors return...we sleep, the sleep of the shaken.....not stirred. 😎🤣
The only noticeable damage from the earthquakes was in one of the artisan villages we bussed to later the same day.
An old clay, stone wall surrounding a cemetery had partially collapsed. Crews were already trying to repair it.
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Cuenca
Cuenca, near the southern end of the Ecuadorian Andes corridor, is a bustling hub and centro to easy day trips out to the surrounding artisan or guild villages that showcase leather, silver and the 'famous' Panama Hats.
A city of many spectacular murals...
It is also the place we eat cuy...it's my childhood pet; a guinea pig. Tastes like duck- the crackle is decent, but there's little meat on them' tiny bones. I enter Therapy to recover. Haha!
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The Hunt For the Panama Hat
We have taken a local bus out to some area villages. After spending the day checking out the leather and silver, we head further down the narrow valley.
It's late afternoon and we have arrived in the tiny, dusty town of Sigsig in search of the Panama Hat. All we know about the 'hat'...is that it is made in the old hospital.
Our limited Spanish vocabulary sends us off in the direction...down a steep hill to ...voilá (sorry, that's French)...to the new hospital....we ask again...get sent further along the windy river bank....until...Yvonne asks a local police officer for directions. He explains where the old hospital is (sounds like a long way to walk...it is), so Yvonne asks if he can drive us.
"No, problemo!"..the officer replies...and a 5 minute drive later we have arrived at the old hospital/factory/women's co-op and the center of the Panama Hats.
You may ask why Panama Hats are made in Ecuador?? Firstly they are a traditional brimmed straw hat made from a palm like plant. In the 1800's an entrepreneur decided he would export these century old traditional hats via the Gulf of Panama. Their point of international sale being Panama became their namesake even though they are made in Ecuador!!! The name stuck!!
"The art of weaving the traditional Ecuadorian toquilla hat was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists on 5 December 2012.[3] Panama hat is an Intangible Cultural Heritage, a term used to define practices, traditions, knowledge, and skills communities passed down from generation to generation as part of their cultural heritage.[citation needed]. Wikipedia"
Once at the 'hospital', we tour the shop...
...see the giant hat made for a Guinness Book of World Records competition... It certainly is big! Would easily fit on Shayne's head!
and then go to the centre where they actually make the hats...
shape and press them...
and finally trim them for sale...
Yvonne finds one...
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Otavalo and Cuenca are just two of many cities in Ecuador that have become favourite long-term or retirement destinations for Canadians/Americans.
Both are blessed with decent climates, affordable housing to rent or buy. Close to airports and well-serviced by buses, the cities making 'getting away' pretty attractive.
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Travel Tips
Getting to Otavalo...lots of buses run from Quito's northern bus station. Steep, windy, and scenic roads.
Sleeping and eating....a whole range of prices and foods. Won't go hungry and beds should be easy to find
Getting to Cuenca....it's way south; if you are traveling the Andes ruta, you'll end up passing through/staying there by default. Bus station goes to everywhere...
Sleeping and eating....if you can't find something, you might think about washing your clothes 🤣😎
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