R&R in Otavalo

There's only one thing you want to do, the day after a stint of mountain-climbing: nothing. And nothing is exactly what I did today. After I got back from the Cotopaxi climb yesterday, I didn't hang around in Quito very long: headed straight to the bus terminal, and hopped on a bus north to Otavalo. And today, I discovered that Otavalo is the perfect place to spend a Friday resting, blogging, reading, and eating some cheap local food. R&R in Otavalo: just what I needed.

There are two reasons why I came to Otavalo. First, I wanted to see the town, and to do some shopping at the famous Saturday market here. Seemed like a good idea to get here a bit early, in order to find a room in a hostel, and to get some rest, before the place fills up for the weekend. Second, I'm feeling pretty sick of Quito, and I'd rather not spend any more time there than I have to. Otavalo's a nice little nearby getaway from the big city: and unlike Quito, it's friendly, it's reasonably priced, and it has a lot of genuine highland character.

Had a great lunch today, at one of the many "almuerzo" (lit: "lunch" — means "set menu lunch") joints in town. Chicken soup, a whole fried fish (think it was some kind of sole) with chips / rice / salad, fresh juice, and 2 pieces of fruit (a banana and an orange), all for just $1.25. You won't find anything like that back home, I can assure you! And, of course, being in the company of locals is always very pleasant as well. If you've found one of the places that only has one thing on the menu — and if that one thing is pretty cheap — then you'll be finding yourself eating with the rest of 'em.

It seems that there's actually a handicraft market in Otavalo every day. I went down to the main square today, and it was full of stalls where little ladies were selling their alpaca wares, and such. I was tempted to do some shopping today: but I hear that the Saturday market is much bigger, so I resisted the urge, and held off for tomorrow. However, I'm not sure how the Saturday market can be so huge, compared to the rest of the week — because they fill up the whole central square, even on a Friday. Perhaps the market just takes up the entire town on Saturdays? Anyway, "vamos a ver" (lit: "we'll see").