Otavalo

Northeast, around the mountains circling Quito, is the town of Otavalo.  It is known for the artisan markets where people from all the surrounding mountainous areas come down to sell their wares.  It's a bit overwhelming:  from knock knacks to beautiful pieces of art...and in vast quantities.  The vendors seem to go on for miles.  There was an accompanying fruit and veggie market.  One of the vendors told us about the "food court"....just behind the church and to the right.  Myles said the entrance looked like the  night markets in Taiwan....a little entry covered with things...you walk through and you experience the smells and sounds of food.  Scott chose the place we we tried hornado.  They slow cook an entire pig and the serve the soft meat with mote ( hominy) and potato cakes and sausages.  It turns out that this woman won the award for best hornado in the province and a photo the president embracing her was above her shop.  it was yummy!  Returning to Quito, angie wanted to find an archeological site.  However, we ended up on the classic Ecuadorian adventure...locals saying,  "Yes, the place is over there...Más arriba."  We kept going up on the cobblestone roads, between small family farms growing maíz, potatoes quinoa, some with cows, pigs and sheep.  I have never seen pigs tethered together....one would pull one way and the other the opposite direction....but they both stayed put without fences!  We sort of found the ruins, but there wasn't a good place to park and we ended up continuing on the road as it wound down from the mountains/hills to the main road below.  We stopped at Qunice, a small town that the Pope will stop at because of the one of the saints.  We managed to stumble on a band and fireworks celebrating the saint in the afternoon!  The surprises of traveling in Ecuador!   We also balanced an egg at the Mitad del Mundo #2!!! -KS

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