| Two hours north of Quito Ecuador, settled in a green | | | | hard work, the local people had their own farms and |
| valley surrounded by high Andean peaks is the colorful | | | | villages and a new era began. |
| town of Otavalo. This area may have become yet | | | | Yet, as many of the world's cultures began to |
| another region noted as the Switzerland of Ecuador, | | | | disappear and those unique cultural identities seemed |
| were it not for the highly talented indigenous population | | | | to meld into an everyday world of Levis and Nike - the |
| who have discovered a way to create a modern | | | | crafty Otavalo people discovered a way their culture |
| business while preserving their cultural heritage - these | | | | would survive and could be passed down to future |
| people and their culture give the Otavalo Valley it's | | | | generations. They didn't change; instead they opened |
| unique flavor. | | | | their market and workshops to tourists who were in |
| The Otavalo people were known both to the Spanish | | | | search of their own National Geographic like vacation |
| and the Incans before them as the most talented | | | | experience. |
| weavers in the realm. On Saturdays people would | | | | Rather than resorting to modern machinery where |
| come from throughout the region to Otavalo to buy or | | | | most items are produced in a matter of seconds or |
| trade for what they needed - swapping a llama for | | | | minutes - the way of the Otavalenos continued an |
| new clothes for the family or a basket full of tropical | | | | age-old practice where a single textile may take |
| fruit for a new saddle. | | | | weeks. The process begins with creating the yarn, |
| During the colonization of Ecuador, the Otavalo Valley | | | | dying it to the select shade, then weaving by hand one |
| and its people were incorporated into the Hacienda | | | | color at a time to create the perfect poncho. Visitors |
| System. The King of Spain deeded extensive land | | | | are welcomed into the dirt-floored workshops to gaze |
| holdings to the most important families of the county. | | | | in awe, as master weavers would create works of |
| The indigenous people were permitted to remain on | | | | art. |
| the land under the protection of the local hacienda | | | | The villages of the surrounding valley with similar |
| owner and provided with food and clothing in | | | | practices opening up their workshops so the public |
| exchange for working the lands and producing | | | | could see artisans produce everything from musical |
| handicrafts. Life during this time was not easy as | | | | instruments, to woodcarvings, to leather goods and felt |
| many of the hacienda owners were cruel and the local | | | | hats. The Haciendas too opened their doors as a |
| people were treated as slaves. | | | | luxury hotel option to visitors wanting to explore this |
| Otavalenos are a proud people continued their rituals | | | | unique area and the ways of a by gone era. |
| and passing them down from generation to generation | | | | The handicrafts of the Otavalenos and nearby villages |
| - some of which melded and mixed with traditions | | | | are available at the local workshops as well as |
| learned from the Spanish, but always remaining | | | | Otavalo Market everyday. Saturdays, is the biggest |
| uniquely their own. The Otavalonos are very distinctive | | | | day and early morning hours you will surrounded by |
| many still speak Quecha and dress in their traditional | | | | local people many dressed in their traditional attire, the |
| clothing. Men can be identified by their white calf-length | | | | clucks of chickens, chattering of guinea pigs, and |
| pants, blue ponchos and have long pigtails, and felt hat. | | | | squeals of pigs of the livestock market. To see this |
| Women wear long layered skirts, white cotton blouses | | | | part of the market you need to get there early |
| adorned with ornate embroidery, rows of beaded | | | | because by 7am the sounds of the animals begins to |
| necklaces and bracelets, a variety of hats and woven | | | | fade into the distance as the market transforms gone |
| cloth tied over the shoulders to carry babies, or other | | | | is the straw colored hay and in its place are the bright |
| items. | | | | reds, greens, purples and golds of the popular artisan |
| Over the centuries these local people and their | | | | market. |
| traditions have not changed. However during the land | | | | Combining a visit to the Otavalo market, local craft |
| reforms of the 1960's and 1970's the wealthy Hacienda | | | | villages with a stay at a historic Hacienda is one of the |
| saw their lands divided, gone were the huge estates | | | | most popular and rewarding cultural experiences for |
| with thousands of workers. The government granted | | | | those visiting Ecuador or the Galapagos Islands. |
| smaller farms to the indigenous people. After years of | | | | |