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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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OTAVALO & PEGUCHE, ECUADOR
Otavalo Otavalo is two to three hours north of Quito by bus (20,000 sucres) and sits between the Imbabura and Cotacachi volcanoes. Otavalo (population 25,000) is famous for its Saturday Indian market, which dates back to pre-Inca times. The Quechuan and Imbayan cultures populated scattered villages in what is today, Otavalo.
Saturday is the main market and worth the trip - though I would wait until another day to make purchases as you can get better deals. Tourists arrive from Quito by bus at 10:00 am and sometimes you can squeeze in a couple of good deals before they arrive. There are three main plazas in which to see the market in full swing. Poncho Plaza is the main one for crafts, and you'll find lots of blankets, scarves, fajas, ponchos and tapestries. You should be able to haggle prices down about 20% - bargaining is expected. Head west on Morales and cross the bridge and continue to the public pools to get to the animal market - on Saturday from 6-8:00 am. Follow Calle Jaramillo south to the food market where you'll find all kinds of grains, vegetables, fruit, and meat. Remember - only eat fruits you can peel!
Agato is about 5 miles from Otavalo and is a small weaving village. You can visit the Tahuantinsuyo Weaving Workshop of weaver Miguel Andrango and his family. You can observe weaving using back-strap looms and buy finished products. You can take a bus from Otavalo to Laguna Cuicocha (Lake of the Guinea Pigs) via Cotacachi. The lake is gorgeous at the base of Volcan Cotacachi and has two islands in the middle. There is a restaurant on the shore but it is more fun to pack an picnic lunch and eat outside - if weather permits.
On the way back to Quito from Otavalo, our bus driver sped through a police stop. There are only about 35 police cars in Quito so many police are on foot. The cop had to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup and was racing on the side of us telling us to pull over. The driver got off the bus with his helpers and were yelling at and pushing the cop. Everyone starting yelling, "Vamos al terminal! Vamos al terminal!" I was thinking, "Oh great, he is going to call for backup and we are going to get pepper-sprayed (because that's what would happen in Bay Area)." The few tourists all looked scared but I joined in yelling "Vamos al terminal!" After about 40 minutes and the bus driver finally accepted his ticket and the cop hitched a ride back to his post. It was entertaining! Peguche
Several indigenous music groups live here including Nanda Manachi. Peguche also has their main market on Saturday. There is also a small park with a waterfall. You can get to the park in about an hour walking from Otavalo's north railroad tracks - or take a cab for about $1 and you'll be there in 20 minutes. But be careful if you walk, don't walk alone and leave valuables in your room. Most hostels in Otavalo will have brochures depicting Peguche's waterfall and directions. |
Food & Lodging Most tourists arrive in Otavalo Friday night - booking the best hostels through the weekend. Call ahead and make reservations if you plan to stay the weekend! In Otavalo, I stayed at Hotel El Indio (about 8 blocks from bus terminal) which was safe, clean, and had a phone and TV (I splurged for this one at 60,000/$12 per night). On another visit I stayed at Hostal Valle del Amanecer (Roca y Quiroga) which was OK for $5 with private bath. It was a bit on the dirty side but in a good location a block from Poncho Plaza. La Fontana de Trevi (Sucre y Salinas) had good pizzas and cute waiters. Cafe Shenandoah (Salinas y Jaramillo) has great pies and shows movies on VCR at night. Restaurant Cafe Sol (Jaramillo y Quiroga) has good breakfasts from rooftop terrace overlooking Poncho Plaza. There are also a number of penas - which serve dinner and snacks and offer live music on weekends. Usually there is a small ($1 or so) cover charge after 9 or 10pm.
There are a few places to stay in Peguche. I stayed at Peguche Tio Hosteria which has a restaurant and library. My room had hot water and a fire place ($7) and the hosteria offered Spanish and dance classes.
There are a number of Spanish Schools in Otavalo including: Instituto Superior de Espanol (Sucre y Morales) and Mundo Andino Spanish School (13 de Octubre y Quito). |
Otavaleños are very distinct-looking - the men have long braided hair and wear blue ponchos, white calf-length pants and alpargatas (sandals), while the women wear white blouses with embroidered flowers, an anaco (wrapped dress) and alpargatas. Otavaleños are world-famous for their arts, crafts and textiles and you can find them in every city and town of Ecuador selling their crafts in stores and along the sidewalks. Otavaleños still use traditional backstrap looms to make their clothes and tapestries which you can observe in several villages nearby (Agato is most popular village for this). 
Peguche is a small indigenous village close to Otavalo - home to successful weavers and musical instrument makers. 
