Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Otavalo






The market started winding up.  We left.  But before leaving we had cafĂ© con leche and cake pieces from a bakery.  
At the bus terminal two buses to Quito were leaving at the same time.  Handlers from the two buses hustled us to board their respective bus.  The bus we boarded was quite full. Initially we sat separately.   

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Otavalo


And ate lunch at a place where the TV showed the Nigeria vs Bosnia football match.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Otavalo


But many 'local' dresses show a very strong Spanish influence.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Otavalo






Colors attract me.  Unlike many plants that were only grown as crops in either the new or the old world before Columbus connected the two, cotton was grown and used in both worlds.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Otavalo Market


Otavalo Day Market has various sections.  We looked for unusual things, but did not find any.  South East Asian markets are definitely more interesting.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Otavalo Day Market



Otavalo market is definitely overrated.  It is no different than other day markets in that part of the world—Otavalo market is just bigger, with a proportionally bigger population of stray dogs.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Quito Otavalo


Here is the bus that took us o Otavalo, famous for its day market.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Bus to Otavalo


When we reached the terminal we found out there was only one seat available in the bus leaving for Otovalo just minutes later.  We bought tickets for the next one.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Carcelen


Terminal Carcelen is used for bu services to north of Quito.  After buying tickets you enter a secure area--the only way to go out of the secure area is to board a bus.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Waiting for the bus to Otavalo


Bus station, train stations, and airports...they provide excellent opportunities for people-watching.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Otavalo Market from Carcelen


Next morning we took a taxi to Carcelen Terminal.  Buses to Otavalo leave from Carcelen.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Back to the hotel


We were back at the hotel before it turned completely dark outside.  We had enough groceries to make a meal before the bed.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Quito


Being surrounded by the mountains, it starts getting dark in Quito much before the actual sunset.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Quito


Ecuador is not the only country named after a latitude.  The other one is in Africa.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Quito


The heaviest weight I was carrying was the water bottle.  That moment I came up with a new definition of civilization: In my book a city is civilized if it can provide potable water through pipes to its denizens.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Walking back to the hotel



As the sun started going down it started to get cold.  We headed back to our hotel which was a bit away from the historical center.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Quito


Quito is just seconds of degrees south of the equator, but its weather is quite pleasant--in fact a bit towards the chilly side--owing to its altitude.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Quito old town


Quito's historical center is a treasure trove of baroque architecture.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Monday, November 24, 2014

Spiral Columns


Later in the afternoon we sat down to have a coffee in a bakery.  Ecuador was playing (against Honduras?) and there was great excitement.  Antonio Valencia was the pride of the nation.  Ecuador won that match--people were ecstatic, and we considered ourselves a blessing for the country we visited.  When we were in Colombia, Colombia was winning games; now that we were in Ecuador, Ecuador was doing well!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Quito


Many businesses in Quito accept credit cards.  I did not use an ATM in Ecuador, but in hindsight think I should have drawn out money in dollars in Quito to be better prepared for Argentina--more on this later.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Quito


We did our grocery shopping at Tia; bought fruits, a large water bottle, yogurt, milk, and cereal.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Quito






The historic center was quite safe during the day, but it quickly got deserted once the sun went down.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Quito






Quito is surrounded by mountains and there quite a few steep roads to manage.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

First day in Quito









By the time we got ready it was 12 Noon.  A young woman at the reception told us a family room was going to be available for us; it was being cleaned.  We waited in our rooms till the other room got ready.