If you start to research things to do in Ecuador other than visiting the Galapagos Islands, you'll find that Otavalo is on most people's short list of places worth checking out. And what you hear most about Otavalo is they have one serious mercado. I enjoy a good mercado as much as the next guy, and the descriptions I read about the Otavalo market, combined with the promise of rustic relaxation I got from the Hacienda Pinsaqui website, were enough to sway my decision to finish this Ecuador trip in Otavalo rather than Cuenca (maybe next time, Cuenca).
(Side note: see also my write up about our stay at Hacienda Pinsaqui)
The market didn't disappoint. A whole roast pig here. Thousands of blankets there. Interesting blend of traditional and modern dress everywhere. It was a nice cultural buffet for the senses.
If you are thinking of checking Otavalo out, here are a few quick tips:
1. It won't take up the whole day. Unless you are really, really into checking out every single stall, you might spend a good 2 - 4 hours walking around the market.
2. You don't need to stay right in Otavalo. We looked at a couple of places that are right in town, but I'm glad we stayed at Pinsaqui. Cabs are easy enough to get to/from the Pinsaqui, taking maybe 5 - 10 minutes and costing $5 or so.
3. Don't miss the little plaza on the edge of the market (some photos below). It's a good place to catch your breath, maybe grab a bite to eat (empanadas to go from Empanadas Argentinas, for example) and soak in the sights.
The food and produce section of the market. Visually pleasing, but I can't say we sampled any of this stuff.
One of the many rows of local vendors.
We actually snagged a few things from these folks. Something about the blue rugs sucked me in. It was different and not something you saw at every stall.
And we bought 3 of these bowls, too, though we saw nicer stuff later on. We were in early, high-adrenaline mode and couldn't control ourselves.
This woman was actually much more pleasant than you might think given her demeanor in this shot. I swear we didn't force her to take this picture.
I wouldn't say these were the best empanadas we've ever had, but they hit the spot. And the restroom was fairly nice, so that was a bonus.
This is one of my favorite shots from the trip. Don't try passing any bogus notes to these ladies.
We found this plaza pretty late during our first run through the market. Nice place to relax and rest the feet.
And luckily we saw this sign promoting that day's soccer match. I love checking out things that might be a bit off the main tourist track and Judy is a trooper when I get into this mode, so we checked it out. More on that in Otavalo, part II.
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