Days 4 & 5

On Day 4 we departed the Amazon to begin our journey to the city of Otavalo. We boarded a bus in the morning and headed back up into the mountains. Otavalo is over 8,000 feet above sea level. The roads leading there were full of twists and turns as we made our way around and up the mountains. The scenery was beautiful as well.

View from the highway between Tena and Otavalo. You may be able to make out the road we came down across the way.

Along our way to Otavalo we stopped to have lunch at a restaurant in Baeza. Our meals were typical of the Ecuadorian culture. For lunch on day 4 we enjoyed a chicken based souped with yucca, which is a root vegetable similar to potato. The second course included lentils, rice, fish, avocado, and some vegetables. This was followed up with a chocolate covered banana. 

After lunch we boarded the buses again and headed for a second stop over to the Papallacta Hot Springs, Termas de Papallacta. Here we found hot spring pools and cooling pools to enjoy. Papallacta is near two volcanoes, Cayambe and Antisana, which supply the energy to heat the springs. After this brief stop, we continued on to Otavalo. 

Our first morning in Otavalo was a memorable one. We were able to enjoy breakfast while hearing from Maria, one of the the authors of the pre-tour book that we read, The Queen of Water by Laura Resau and Maria Virginia Farinango. This book is about Maria's life and it was truly inspirational to hear directly from her. 

Maria Virginia, left, in traditional dress.

Following Maria's talk, we ventured out the famous artisan market. Here the indigenous otavaleños sell their handmade wares which include ponchos, scarves, art work, wood work, and more. I was able to purchase a scarf made from a man who has been making and selling scarves and other handmade goods for the majority of his life. He had a photo album of his "shop", which was nothing more than having a loom in his home. He was proud of his craftsmanship and I was happy to purchase a couple of items from him. 

We left Otavalo to head back to Quito. We stopped along the way to visit Bosque Protector Jerusalen, a dry forest. We were able to take in the beauty of park via one of its footpaths. Here we learned about the flora and fauna unique to this ecosystem. There were a variety of cacti and an agave-like plant called penco. Penco has a variety of uses, one that I found interesting is that they used the leaves as soles for shoes. 

 Penco, an agave-like plant.

Prickly-pear cactus in bloom.

After leaving the park, we boarded the buses once again to continue our trip back to Quito. We stayed at the Hotel Reina Isabel and were reunited with our luggage that could not accompany us on our trip to the Amazon.