Otavalo

The Otavalo market is open everyday but on Saturdays people really come out in force. The local Chichua people still dress very traditionally and the language of the market is a mixture of Chichua, Spanish and English for linguistically challenged tourists. Everyone is very polite and while there a few people wandering around selling and a very small number of beggars, the transactions are pretty low pressure compared to many such markets in the world.
Available foods are very interesting but........
it is the weaving and other crafts for which Otavalo is justly famous. Suffice to say that we engaged energetically in commerce.

After the market we drove up the base of the Cotacachi volcano to Lake Cuicocha, a deep volcanic lake at the base of the female pair of volcanoes between which Otavalo sits. The lake is largely sterile due to gases leaking from the bottom. We then had lunch in the town of Cotocachi. Just as Otovalo is famous for textiles, Cotocachi is famous for leather; again commerce happened, followed by a lovely lunch. Jorge knows his restuarants. Food is very cheap and if you are well guided, very good.

Imbubura and Lago de San Pablo - the male half of the volcano pair (I don't know how you tell a volcano's sex!).

Then it was back to Quito for a night at the hotel. Tomorrow we go for a relaxing day and night to a spa and hot springs at Papallacta, then off to the Amzon rainforest on Monday!