The
Otavalos are an indigenous people who have lived since ancient times in the Andean region of northern Ecuador.
They were skilled
textile makers and smart long range traders and survived as an ethnic group both the short-lived Inca occupation and the
long and harsh Spanish colonial period.
In the 1550's Rodrigo de Salazar set up a weaving industry with scores of Otavalos
as a slave workforce and soon exported the textiles all over colonial South America.
Ever since, the town of
Otavalo is the
center for low cost high quality textiles.
Today the
Otavalo Saturday Market with its textiles and handicrafts is a major
tourist attraction, but the market is also important to the locals who trade everything here, including livestock.
Otavalo
is also famous for the traditional music and several local groups tour the world with
Andean New Age music
Tour operators
provide daytrips from Quito to Otavalo with a stop at
Calderon, a town known for its decorative Marzipan, small figurines made
of bread dough.
We did the Otavalo daytrip in May 2009.
others are already open for business
this young lady seems to be a bit late for the Otavalo market
a distant view of scenic Lago San Pedro, 8 km south of Otavalo
generations
she travels with mom
in Calderon we watch the production of the famous marzipan bread figurines
She made it
souvenirs anybody?
these ladies wear the traditional dress
the local taxi arrives
Otavalo is famous for its Inca music
the traditional way to dry maize
locals return from the market
