Otavalo

The market started winding up.  We left.  But before leaving we had café 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.   

Otavalo

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

Otavalo

Otavalo

We did buy a bolsa de naranja.

Otavalo

Otavalo

Otavalo

Otavalo

Otavalo

Otavalo

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

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.

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.

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.

Quito Otavalo

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

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.

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.

Waiting for the bus to Otavalo

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

Otavalo Market from Carcelen

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

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.

Well lit streets are liked by the tourists

The road next to our hotel was well lit and we appreciated it.

Quito

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

A brick road in Quito

Quito

An example of modern architecture in Quito.

Quito

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

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.

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.

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.

Quito old town

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

Long walks in Quito

It is always advisable to walk in a new city to get your bearings.

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!

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.

Quito

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

Quito

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

Quito

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

Quito historic center

Walked to the historic center of Quito and took many photos.

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.