Leaving Quito and heading north takes a traveler to some of the most spectacular landscape imaginable. Just half an hour out of Quito Troy and I stopped at La Mitad del Mundo which is latitude 0 and we were able to straddle the equator. A young man who was most passionate about this site delivered a lecture on how the site was determined by the French, how the metric system developed from this discovery, and how we need to change how we teach geography from a scientific globe not a historical globe. Interesting, but I was ready to get to the shopping. One the way to Oltavalo we drove through a large area where the gorgeous Ecuadorian roses are grown. Greenhouse after green house full of these long stemmed beauties which vendors along the highway offer for $2.00 a dozen. In this same area a traditional snack called bizcochos is a nice treat. Dip these low calorie tidbits in a caramel syrup while you sip a cup of hot black coffee and all you can do is think about the next bizcocho. This little shop gave us a chance to glimpse the volcanoes and watch some llamas nibbling on the shrubs what are indigenous to the area. Llamas are proud animals that look you in the eye and spit on you if you offend them. Next was Otavalo the largest textile market in Latin America. The market was calm; no one badgered the prospective buyer; bargaining was expected and the weaving and dying techniques were amazing. Warm socks, blankets, scarves, hats, wooden trays, the inevitable tee shirt obviously not made in Otavalo, and poncho after poncho. The people are tiny but proud and all over the area they wore their native dress. Long wrap skirts, white blouses, gold colored beads and shawls for the ladies and ponchos, hats and a long braid down their back for the men. The braid is cut if a man commits a serious crime and everyone knows his criminal past. Since we did not need a pig, we skipped the animal market.
The last leg of the journey was spent in the Cotacachi Ecological Reserve. The daily rain came long, but did not dampen our spirits. We saw orchids so tiny that we had to use a magnifying glass to see the blooms and mountains so high that we could only acknowledge our own insignificance. Villages at the foot of these active volcanoes produce some of the happiest people on earth. A German study showed despite the uncertainty of their lives no other people were more satisfied with their existance than these villagers. The drive out of the park was our reward for the day. The skies cleared, the clouds moved away from craters and we carried that image with us back to Quito.
Adios, Sally
