Otavalo is famous for its giant Saturday market. Although I expect it to be a big tourist trap we decide to make the trip. Since everyone around here, from hotel staff to the shoe repair guy we talked to about fixing our Chacos sandals (which are starting to show a lot of wear) urgently warn us to be careful on the local buses as the pickpockets and robbers (ladrons) are numerous, don’t let you bag out of your sight, watch for suspicious people, etc. we decided to take a taxi to the main bus station to catch the long distance bus - really only 2 hours. Of course what they didn’t warn us about was the taxi drivers who have rigged meters which come out at twice what the fair should be. Of course, notwithstanding our arguing with the guy since we knew what the fare should be having come from the bus station a few days ago, he just kept pointing at his meter -- and we felt stuck. We paid him, and later regretted not getting his license number to report him.
We booked a room at the Hotel Riveria-Sucre which turned out to be a great little place with hardwood floors and a beautiful internal courtyard. We arrived late in the afternoon and strolled around town It was nice to get out of the big city after spending several days in Bogota and then Quito. This is the main church near Plaza Bolivar. A service was in process and music echoed out of the glowing walls - quite enchanting.
The animal market started at 5 a.m As much as it would have been interesting to get there early to watch the animals arrive, I just couldn’t get up that early We made our way over closer to 8 a.m. and there was still plenty of action - this was definitely not a tourist attraction, after all, why would a tourist buy a pig or chicken. (Of course that's not to say that there were not plenty of tourists mulling around, cameras in hand.)
Hundreds of traditionally dressed indigenous people were there either to buy or sell cows, pigs, chickens, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, baby chicks, some of which were in crates or cages, but most of which were just corralled by the owners.
On the way to the market this little girl was trying to help corral the baby chicks.
As we entered the market, women and children were walking out carrying chickens, pigs or goats, some carried by their legs upside down, others cradled in their arms - all probably headed to the dinner table. Once again I am frustrated by the unbelievable photo opportunities which I cannot capture with my little camera and my inability to just stick my camera out and snap pictures of the beautiful people. I asked a couple of women if I could take their picture - they laughed and asked for money. Sorry, I might buy something you are selling but not a photo. I find those people with big zoom cameras who have no problem just sticking it in someone’s face as if they are zoo animals offensive and I am embarrassed by their actions as westerns tend to be grouped together.
Of course, on the other hand, I admit I am envious of the photos they take home. I would have loved to captured the smiling faces of the beautiful young women dressed in either long black skirts or colorful full bodied skirts, white embroidered blouses, jet black hair pulled back and wrapped with a woven ribbon or
akcha chumbi (one of which I bought from a woman at the animal market who told me she had a friend in Colorado) and some with a traditional felt hat.
Or the older generation, the men with their dark felt hats and ponchos, and deep lines of history engraved in their olive faces. In Peru many years ago we were a bit disappointed by the fact that most of the people dressed in indigenous clothing had done so in order to charge tourists for pictures. Here, the traditional roots are strong. These people dress this way for themselves. It is their culture and they are holding onto it fast and hard.
Here's just a couple more pics from the market.
Cats, chicks, dogs and ducks. One big happy family waiting for new homes. I like to think the cats and dogs will be pets .. but you never know...
What most people come to Otavalo for is the Saturday Craft Market is huge - it starts at the Poncho Plaza which is a permanent crafts market with ponchos, ponchos, ponchos as well as blankets, crafts, jewelry etc, and spreads several blocks out into the streets of the town. This is definitely set up to attract tourists and the tour buses roll in about 10 a.m. with lines of westerns decorated with big lense cameras. Luckily we had an hour or so before the bus loads arrived where we wandered the streets, checking out the crafts and watching the people. I had planned on getting a poncho but turned out they were too heavy and I did not want to carry it for the next several months. I did get a traditional coral bead bracelet and a handbag though.
Lunch was the next thing on the list and we decided to try some traditional roasted pig. We had seen this guy proudly displayed in front of a little tiny restaurant while wandering through the crafts.
Although it is a bit sad - tomato stuffed in his mouth and all, but man he was YUMMY!
We booked a room at the Hotel Riveria-Sucre which turned out to be a great little place with hardwood floors and a beautiful internal courtyard. We arrived late in the afternoon and strolled around town It was nice to get out of the big city after spending several days in Bogota and then Quito. This is the main church near Plaza Bolivar. A service was in process and music echoed out of the glowing walls - quite enchanting. 
