Yesterday I went to Otavalo with a large group of friends. Otavalo is a small town about 2 hours outside of Quito with a large outdoor market. The majority of the items for sale are handmade (I saw a few toys that were being resold, so I don't want to say everything is. But it's about 99.99%.) Instead of having a huge market square, the stalls wind up and down the streets, around existing buildings, and spanning quite a bit of the small town.
Everything is extremely colorful, and bargaining is expected. Some examples of stalls:
To get to Otavalo, we took a bus for $2.20 (each way). The ride was pretty tedious and boring, but the sights out the window were amazing. Probably the best part was seeing a Jesus statute riding in the back of a pickup. (Mom claims it's St. Francis of Assisi.)
Overall, it was a really fun day. I left Otavalo with 2 new scarves, a handmade owl hat, 2 Simpsons fingerpuppets, and 5 friendship-looking bracelets for $20.
Now, however, I'm in a rush to get out the door. So if I remember more to write about later, I will.
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