So, two big excursions from Quito. The first was to Otovalo, Ecuador’s craft town. Many thanks to Kaz's friend Kris for the suggestion! Our driver, Paul, who we thought was named Raul for 2 days, picked us up and made us eternally grateful we weren't behind the wheel within the first five minutes. It was a 2 hour drive through the Andes mountains. We stopped at a viewing point for a snack that Paul had arranged for us and looked in awe at the Imbabura volcano and lake below as Paul explained the zillions of microclimates that Ecuador boasts. We drove through many of them.
Otovalo was charming. The huge central square was entirely craftspeople -- mostly real crafts, not pseudo-crafts. We bought a slightly embarrassing number of items, including a woven wallhanging for the new master bedroom, and then had lunch at a very nice restaurant just off the square.
Paul drove us to the Peguche Waterfall, a sacred spot on the ancient Inca road, through which the equator runs and where the last Inca king used to bathe. We learned how the local shamans, even today, perform cleansing rituals using guinea pigs. Sadly, the guinea pigs die, but the patients feel much better. Under Paul’s direction, to cast out evil spirits we splashed in the pool where the king once bathed. No guinea pigs were harmed.
Twice, once in Otovalo and once at the waterfall, Phil was interviewed and videotaped by schoolgirls practicing their English. He acquitted himself admirably.
Back in Quito at 7, we headed out to dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a stunning view of the city. All the churches, of which there are more than one can count, are illuminated after dark. Our meals were excellent -- we continue to marvel at how good the food is all over Ecuador.
Friday we got up early and met Paul to head to Mindo, the place where there are, apparently, more bird species than anywhere else in the world. Real dedicated birders stay in the town and hike out at 5 am to see the best birds. Paul had his own ideas. He stopped at a place where we viewed dozens of tanagers of various sorts, a barbet, and toucanettes, and then got
to feed at least ten different kinds of hummingbirds, including the biggest kind and the smallest kind, and two I especially liked, one with a long long tail and one with a sort of bottlebrush tail. As we fed them, they paused to sit on our hands with their teeny tiny feet. It was a lovely, almost transcendent experience.
After that, we headed to a butterfly garden, which was as butterfly gardens are quite charming. Many butterflies in all stages of development, all sizes and colors.
Then we went to walk up in the hills for an hour. Moments in, Ben spotted an agouti, and not long after saw a small flock of curassows. Then, it being the cloud forest, it started to rain. We had reached our turnaround point, a sort of
pigpen, so we sheltered there as it pelted down and watched a number of unidentifiable birds flit about the treetops in the rain (thanks to Peter for the amazing binoculars!).
We walked back damply and stopped for a lunch that included a yummy cocoa drink. Paul revealed that he is a conspiracy theorist -- we started with evolution (at which point I began feeling rather uncomfortable) and moved on to UFOs and then the Freemasons and the Illuminati. I decided that I would pretend the whole conversation never happened; otherwise, he was a charming and very informed guide.
We headed to a chocolate factory that made very bespoke chocolate (only sold at two shops in Ecuador). We learned all about the making of chocolate and had an extremely thorough tasting, from 100% cacao to 60% and with various additions, and hot cocoa and cocoa tea. I was offered a chocolate mask for my skin and jumped at the chance, not realizing how I would be pilloried if photos of the results ever got online (you see where this is going, right?).
We got back to Quito at nearly 7, and Ben and I went out for a cocktail (Phil was a bit under the weather). We hadn't known that Quito, which shuts down after dark, has a weekend personality. Every street was a block party with music and dancing and stuff for sale. We had a long talk with a very hetty artist from Colombia who created marvelous items in copper and aluminum wire, and Ben bought two wire insects. (He did not get the praying mantis, for which Phil thanks him.)
In the morning, we will say goodbye to Quito, but we will return for an overnight after our sojourn in the rainforest.
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