Otavalo Market

  Otavalo, Ecuador Saturday, November 28, 2015

This is supposed to be one of the largest (debatable) markets in Latin America and one of the most colourful. Apart from the colourful clothes they sell here, we were told about the local food which is a speciality here; Hòrnado, which is a whole roasted pig they serve on the streets so Bryan was looking forward to trying some of that whilst Jody was looking forward to some shopping. We were warned about pickpockets and handbag thieves too but it is pretty much the rule to watch your bag where ever you go in the world these days. We had also been warned it was very difficult to get to this place if we tried to go it alone as we usually do. It would involve catching a bus, swapping buses, going a bit further and getting a different bus before we eventually ended up 21/2 hours later, in Otavalo. To make it easier for tourists to get to, tour companies offered to take you all the way (stopping by a lake on the way) for $60 each. (£40)Not ones to put our hands in our pockets for such an extortionate amount, we decided to give it a go on the buses by ourselves anyway. The first bus was easy enough - 25 cents each (18p) and the same ticket carried us through on the next bus. So 1 hour and 1/2 a dollar in, we were doing great. Next bus, not very glamorous but $2.60 each and we got it easy enough. What is the problem? Well we couldn't see one so far. We got off at Otavalo and it took us about 10 minutes to find the market but it wasn't very far from the bus station. By our calculation we had saved ourselves about $55 each so that meant more to spend at the market. Fantastic! The market was great. Full of handmade souvenirs and it was a riot of colour with all the fabrics, ponchos, paintings, jumpers, gloves, socks, scarves, rugs and tapestries. The heat was quite stifling abut there are lots of ice-cream sellers here too and lots of places to get a cold drink so we took it slowly and browed the stalls of which there appeared to be hundreds. Just as in other parts of the world, the stall holders latch onto you and want you to haggle with them. Even when you are wearing your sunglasses they try and sell you more. Just like being back in Thailand again. We browsed for a couple of hours; the things they were selling were all really lovely and the woollens were so soft, the alpaca jumpers & gloves and scarves. The trouble is everything they sold was for cold weather and we were sweltering in 30 degree heat. Barmy or what!We could have spent a fortune on things for us and as gifts but it's always the same old question - can we carry it? Lately, our bags seem to be getting fuller & fuller and we were struggling to carry what we had already. Today the zip burst on Jody's handbag - we bought way more than we had intended. We resigned ourselves to what we had and took photographs of the rest :-( We loved the market for another reason too; the local people. The locals here dress in their traditional costumes and it isn't for show or for the tourists. You just know these people dress like this every day or at least every time they come to market. It was fabulous. Especially these little wizened old people. Most of them were like wrinkled little walnuts and they were so cute. Everyone here is little compared to us but the old people seem more so - they are tiny. We took many pictures of them for sure. After a couple of hours of browsing, shopping and photographing, we decided it was time for something to eat. Not really being hungry enough for a full blown lunch, decided to pop into a fast food place and get some french fries hoping an establishment like that might have some air conditioning. We grabbed a table by the window and went up and ordered but they said take a seat and we will bring it over when it's ready (we think that's what he said but it was all in very fast Spanish so we are just guessing). So we did as he said but 10 minutes later there was no sign of the food. Wanting the drink more than the food, Jody said to Bryan "watch my bag and i'll see if I can jivvy them up a bit and go and get the food". "OK" said Bryan and so off she went.Jody stood over by the counter and the man indicated it wouldn't be long so Jody stood for a few minutes and saw a man approach Bryan. He approached him from his left and behind so Bryan had to turn in his chair to talk to him. As Jody watched, a woman approached the table on the right hand side and had a good old nose through Jody's handbag - left safely with Bryan but now also on his right hand side. The woman took Jody's camera out of her handbag and shoved it under her coat she was holding in her hands. All watched by Jody over at the food counter. Next thing Bryan knows, Jody is shouting at this woman, she marched straight over to her and grabbed her coat and retrieved her camera from underneath it. The man has scarpered and was nowhere to be seen and Jody is standing in the middle of the restaurant screaming at this woman, in English so she has no idea what she is saying, but we kid you not, she understood exactly what Jody meant. She was furious! With no police around Jody shoves the woman towards the door and screams at her to get out. She scarpers too and we hope she now thinks twice before doing anything like that again. We ate our food in silence, Jody was still fuming. We had the camera and were no worse off but she felt like she should report it but she didn't know to whom.We eventually spied some police but they didn't speak spanish so we had to resort to the phrase book and they soon understood the word ladron - thief! They got on their walkie talkies and spread the word. Jody was able to give a good enough description in Spanish for them to have something to go on but we knew the man & woman had long since scarpered and didn't hold much hope of them being found. At least they tried and now they have a description they will be caught next time. They obviously weren't too good at it! For us it left a sour taste on the day though and we made our way back to the bus reflecting on how much worse it could have been and our bargain day out nearly wasn't a bargain after all. Bryan didn't even get to taste any pig!   [gallery columns="4" ids="12793,12799,12803,12811,12818,12830,12838,12852,12861,12870,12885,12896,12907,12926,12938,12949,12960,12970,12979,12988,12999,13010,13021,13031,13039"]