A worn-out pickup truck with a wide-eyed pig in the back sputters past my husband and me as we stand on the corner surveying the flurry of activity in the street of Otavalo, a largely indigenous town about 37 miles (59 km) north of Ecuador’s capital.
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| Saturday is the biggest market day of the week, when fresh produce, grains and spices are for sale. |
From Quito to Otavalo it is about a two-hour drive along the Pan-American Highway, a system of roadways extending from Alaska to Chile. The stretch leading to Otavalo is a well-paved two-lane road. Buses, shuttling day-trippers from surrounding towns, deposit passengers. Taxis buzz in constant procession as they drop off locals with large, empty nylon bags.
It is Saturday, the biggest market day of the week, when fresh produce, grains, spices and even live animals are for sale. But the main attraction that brings hundreds of people to this renowned market is the handicrafts made by local artisans.
Vendors set up along every street leading into the main plaza. Hundreds of sweaters, ponchos, tablecloths and tapestries in brightly woven designs hang on display. Block after block is lined with booths and tables piled high with dolls, knitted hats, alpaca scarves, mittens, finger puppets and woven bags. Other tables glisten with silver and beaded jewelry, as well as pottery and wood carvings.
The Indians of Otavalo are some of the most noted artisans in the country, and have been producing weavings since pre-Inca times using techniques handed down through the generations.
Before we threw ourselves into the lively mix of folklore, culture and bustling activity, we had breakfast at the Hotel Ali Shungu, owned and operated by an American expatriate couple, Frank Kiefer and Margaret Goodhart. The walls of the in-house restaurant were decorated with masks, watercolors and dolls. We especially noticed weavings embroidered with “José C.” in the bottom left corner.
“Who’s José C.?” I asked.
Continued: On the Trail of Tapestry: Ecuadorean Master Weaver
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