Aug 15 - Sep 3, 2016: Ecuador

Aug 19, 2016.  Rancon del Turista, Otavalo, Ecuador.

• Got up faIrly early, walked to Cafe Pachamama, for a great breakfast of eggs, fruit, smoothie, croissant, butter, jam, and real coffee.  Best breakfast to date.  Then a bus to Cotacachi, and a taxi to the Reserva Ecological Cotacachi-Cayapas.  Hiked around the beautiful lake - 4  1/2 hours.  The lake is in the center of an old volcano, with two islands in its center.  Took the boat ride around the islands later, and stopped to watch gases bubble up to the surface.  Back to Otavalo by hitching and buses, dinner at a Chinese Restaurant for a change, watching the Olympics as I ate a huge mound of rice with veggies.

• Why so many Hollister t-shirts?  Also: saw DVD's for sale of movies that had not yet come out when I left home.

• Met a local woman in traditional garb on the bus - she was very friendly, and we spent the time identifying all the items she was wearing.  Of particular note: her sandals are made from a cactus.  She may be indigenous, but she sure was friendly.

• Tomorrow is the famous Saturday Market in Otavalo - supposed to be the biggest in all of South America.  I'm gonna get up early and check it out - especially the small animals market.  I need to buy a few guinea pigs.

Thursday morning market: Sasquili, Guamote

Saturday: Zumbahua, Guaranda, Riobamba

Monday: Guantualo, Ambato

Sunday: Pujili, Salasca, Alausi, Saraguro

Wednesday: Guaranda

Aug 20, 2016.  Rancon del Turista, Otavalo, Ecuador.

• Saturday - the big market.  Started at the Animal Market up the road a bit - lots of cows, pigs, chickens, some goats, rabbits, a few Guinea pigs, one lonely llama.  No tourists, all business.  Then the main market in Plaza del Pancho's" - filled the square, overflowed down the side streets.  The usual tourist junk, but some awfully nice woven items.  Hung out at a bar on the side, photographing the scene as it walked by.  A fair number of tourists, but mostly locals, the women dolled up in their local outfits.  

• Remark: Lots of dogs, everywhere - running free, sleeping on the roads and sidewalks, alone and in packs, on roofs, some friendly some not, small poodle-like breed common.  People ignore them, or are nice to them - haven't seen any bad moves towards them.  A good country to be a dog.  In Quito I stopped to pet a dog, and it began to follow me, for a long while, even crossing roads full of traffic.  I finally lost him by grabbing a taxi.

• In the afternoon walked to the Cascada de Peguche, then continued a walk of several kilometers to the Parque Cóndor, getting in just before closing - a tough hike, but I'm getting acclimatized.  Nice bunch of birds of prey, and two condors.  Hitched a ride back to town in the back of a local's pickup - he wouldn't take my offer to pay.  

• Back to the "Chinese" restaurant for a huge meal ("mixte") of all kinds of meats, very delicious.  Enjoyed watching Brazil beat Germany by a hair, the crowd going bats.