About two hours northeast of Quito is Otavalo.  Their daily, and much larger weekend market, showcases the best of what the textile epicenter of Ecuador has to offer; scarfs, blankets, sweaters, table coverings, hats, and more.  The most well known items are those made from Alpaca, quite possibly the softest fabric ever.

When we arrived at our lodging, we were excited to find that it was high above Otovallo, complete with panoramic views.  There were farms all around, even touching the property we were on.  In fact, there were some animals on property.

Excited to get out right away, Betsy, Lucy, and I hiked to a nearby waterfall.  You would have never known it was there.

We put a big Saturday together.  First, we stopped by the weekly animal market.  This is a place where farmers buy and sell livestock.  The organized chaos was a sight to be seen.  Though interesting, we were excited to get to the textile market.  Located in the center square of town, the market is a daily occurrence.  However, on the weekends the size of it more than doubles, spidering out on surrounding closed streets.  After row and row of offerings your brain just starts taking in colors and the items almost disappear.  I caught myself needing to actively look for items we wanted to buy rather than aimlessly wander.

After the market and lunch we took our vehicle to Lago Mojado, a high alpine lake at tree line readily accessible by vehicle.  We enjoyed sitting by the lake for a bit.  It felt very much like Colorado.  We also got the opportunity for a little “adventuring” in our vehicle.

Otovalo is another place we look forward to visiting once again.