Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
OTAVALO
There is only one reason why people visit Otavalo, and thats for the incredible markets. It has the biggest and best craft market in South America, and it didnt disappoint. Hundred of stalls selling beautiful jewelry, local crafts, hammocks, throws, gorgeous weaving, bags and clothes. It could have been easily gone mad, but had to excercise some restraint with 9 months of travel still to go. I could only buy what i could afford to send home. Couldnt resist a hammock tho, and they even let me post home the spears that i bought in the jungle, although they did laugh at me, i guess i dont look like the type to use them! Well there´ll be no getting on the wrong side of Rose when i get back! Was a wierd feeling back at camp, knowing that this was the penultimate night with the group.
QUITO
Only a short drive to Quito - 2hrs. Had a big night out to say our farewells, was sad to say goodbye, have made some good friends, but looking forward to some freedom and meeting some new people, definately ready to move on. Miracles needed to be performed here, without the truck, we´re back to carrying everything we own, it´s amazing what you accumulate in 3 months. We packed up and went to find our new Japanese hostel. Inside it was lovely, with a really nice bar and chill out area. We liked it.................. until we were taken to our dorm. He took the keys, lead us back out the door, down the street, through some ugly, rusty padlocked gates and into a random isolated room at the back of someones house - not even part of the hostel and definately lacking in Feng shui! We checked out.
It was festival week in Quito, which basically meant 24hr party. I´ve never known a town like it. Party trailer/busses complete with trumpet band and drummers paraded the streets all day everyday picking up willing passers buy to blow whistles and cause general noise, they´re all nutters. One day we headed to what we thought would be a colourful festival of music, arts and dance. It turned out to be a gothic rock festival, hmmmmm my fav. Everyone was wearing black and had dark hair, we were in colourful t-shirts and with our friend Grace who has bleach blonde hair, to say we stood out would be an understatement - Time to leave! I think we got the wrong park.
Had our first Spanish lesson here, thought we´d better show willing. It was hillarious, not just for us, but evidently for our tutor aswell. Languages never did come naturally to me. Turned out we didnt pick up a lot, when on the flight to Buenos Aires, we ended up without dinner. Gem had said `No Gracias`to the steward about something while i was asleep. We must start answering yes to questions we dont understand! The flight to BA all went to plan, back to the land of the Steak.
- comments