Otavalo - page 2

People & Culture

Otavalo's beauty lies in its people, the Otavaleño Indians, and their market, undoubtedly one of the most important and spectacular in all of Latin America.

The best day of the week to hit this famous and friendly corner of the Andes is Saturday, the biggest market day for gringos and locals alike. Arrive Friday afternoon, and then do what most travelers don't: set your alarm for 5:30am. Walk along Avenida Colon to the river and cross the bridge. Upon reaching the top of Avenida Segundo J Castro you'll find yourself in a scene reminiscent of the pages of National Geographic: the Otavalo animal market. By 6am, with the sun rising and the mountains casting improbable shadows over the town, the market is already alive with squealing pigs and clucking chickens. Plant yourself on the high grassy bank abutting the market area and watch scenes of unloading, buying, selling and bargaining unfold. Take your camera (you can happily and discreetly snap away from your grassy knoll), but leave your animal rights principles behind, as livestock tender lovin' care is not the highest priority on the day's agenda. By the time the sun clears the volcanoes at 7am, much of the day's business has already been done, and its time to head back into town to the artesania market.

Artesan Market

This market is centered around 'Poncho Plaza'. All day long, the whir of cotton candy machines, Andean pipe music, and Quichua, the native tongue derived from the Incan tongue, drift across the square. A blinding maze of colored textiles spills from the square out across town, encompassing the area between Quito and Calderón and Bolívar and 31 de Octubre. As you stroll the streets you'll find everything from jumpers to armadillo shell guitars, wall hangings to ceramic fried eggs. Don't restrict yourself to Poncho Plaza, as you'll probably get better bargains away from the main square (the more items you buy, the lower the prices you can haggle), and the goods on display start to diversify as the market weaves its way through the side streets.

On the stretch of Jaramillo between Quito and Quiroga, mothers and infants share the street with geese, puppies, pigeons and cuyes (guinea pig --a popular local food). Down on Quiroga between Jaramillo and 31st de Octubre (in front of the Plaza de Toros), the ponchos and babywear are supplanted by potted plants, skinned calf heads and bleating goat herds. The northern edge of the textile market is bounded by Calderon, where salesmen extolling the joy of Tupperware stand between stalls of snakeskin, herbal remedies, and bars of magical soap used to ward off jealousy.

A few blocks north, the streets are overtaken by stalks of ripening bananas and pyramids of citrus fruit. The produce market (open roughly the same hours as the Artesanias market) begins on 31st de October at Calderon and runs past the cock-fighting pit (for those with a stomach for this violent and bloody sport, there are regular fights throughout the year) to a covered market bursting with tropical fruit and vegetables. Non-carnivorous folk will have to avert their eyes, as some of the meat stalls -- splattered with eyes, jaw bones, ears and muzzles -- are straight out of Vegetarian Hell. On Plaza Copacabana by the small fun fair and the local train station, there's a smaller but still interesting food market, featuring mountainous piles of potatoes and multicolored sweets.

Otavaleño Indians

Otavaleños have become the most prosperous and possibly the most famous indigenous group in Latin America -- you may have seen them in your own hometown selling their woolen sweaters or strumming Andean tunes. In the past ten years, Otavaleños have begun globe-trotting in a successful campaign to export Andean culture -- and earn big bucks along the way.

In part because of their economic success, Otavaleños have managed to hold on to centuries-old traditions without adopting a 'quick get dressed, here come the tourists' cultural identity. They are proud people and it shows. While other indigenous peoples --under pressure to assimilate-- are donning Levis and tee-shirts, Otavaleños are still easily identified by their distinctive dress: women wear intricately embroidered blouses and a wealth of beaded necklaces, while men have long, braided hair and wear calf-length white trousers, ponchos and sandals.

History has it that Otavaleño Indians have been talented textile makers and businesspeople since ancient times, prior even to the Incan invasion. Under Incan rule in the 15th century, Otavalo became an important administrative center, as new crops and animals were introduced to the area. A year after the Spanish conquest, Ecuadorian land was parceled-out to the Spanish. In Otavalo, Rodrigo de Salazar set up a large weaving workshop ("obraje") on his land; by the mid-1500's it employed hundreds of workers and produced a large share of the textiles used in colonial South America. The Spanish introduced new tools and fibers to the weaving industry, and by the early 1600's, the Salazar workshop had become the most important in the country.

Otavalo “The city that you always return to”

It is important to visit Otavalo to have a true understanding of the Ecuadorian culture and people. The landscapes, mountains and people make Otavalo a place that you will always want to return to.

With 60.000 inhabitants, Otavalo is located two hours north of Quito in the Northern Sierra at 2.580 meters above sea level.

Otavalo hosts the largest and most famous Indigenous handcrafts market in South America each Saturday. The Plaza de los Ponchos public market (open weekdays as well) offers millions of handcrafted items made of cotton, wool, wood, leather, ceramics, etc., and attracts thousands of tourists and visitors. The Indigenous people of Otavalo are famous artisans and handcraft merchants, almost every house in Otavalo is a workshop or an art gallery.

You can visit small indian villages near Otavalo like Peguche, Agato, Carebuela and Iluman, where they produce textiles, blankets, bags, etc. Near by Cotacachi is famous for its beautiful leather products and San Antonio de Ibarra for its fine woodcarving and stonework. Also close by is Ibarra, a beautiful colonial city and only 20 kilometers northwest is The Chota Valley, an Afro-Ecuadorian settlement with a privileged micro-climate and sub-tropical environment.

The weather in Otavalo is spring like most of the year, with July through September being the summer months. Nature around Otavalo is magical. The Peguche Waterfall, surrounded by eucalyptus trees, is considered to be one of the most important ritual places for the indigenous people in Northern Ecuador. Only ten minutes from Otavalo are San Pablo, Mojanda and the Yahuarcocha lakes, and battle fields of the Inca, Cara and Imbaya, Ecuadorian indigenous warriors. Cuicocha or the godess’s lake, is nestled nearby in Cotacachi’s crater, part of the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve.

In the beginning of each spring, when the first corn and wild flowers come up, we celebrate the Pawkar Raymi, in honor to the crop’s bloom and to the Ayllus meeting Pacha Mama or mother earth. Festivities take place in historical, symbolical and sacred sites like the Peguche waterfall. Pegucheños, women and elderly people combine wild flowers with sacred water to make a special syrup in a ceremony called “Sisa Nawi Mayllai“.

Since Inca times in the Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, during the summer solstice at the end of June, we celebrate Inti Raymi (the Sun Festival), in honor of Pacha Mama or mother earth. Indigenous people with drums, flutes, guitars and violins dance in circles for 5 days and nights while women sing together to the God Sun.

During the first week of September, thousands of visitors come to Otavalo to take part in the “Yamor” festival, a celebration in honor of corn, the symbol of generosity and the fertility of earth. Enjoy the celebrations, typical indigenous food and a traditional beverage made of fermented corn, Chicha del Yamor.

November is important for the agricultural cycle in the Andean Cosmo-vision. During November we have a ritual called "Huanuy Puncha" to honor our ancestors, in which we share with relatives and friends a traditional drink called “Champus” and home made bread, making this day a special one in the Otavalo community.

Peguche

Peguche, an indigenous Quichua community in Imbabura province just north of Otavalo, is surrounded by high mountains and inactive volcanos like Imbabura (5380 mt.) to the South, Cotacachi (5940 mt.) to the North West and Fuya Fuya (4950 mt.) to the South West. Also near Peguche are Pablo and Mojanda Lakes and the Peguche waterfall, a natural park admired by both Ecuadorian and foreign tourists.

The production of local arts and crafts is the main economic activity. The natives of this area, "Pegucheños", are pioneers in making and designing textiles and often travel around the world as handcrafts merchants.

Their skillful hands have inherited the Pegucheño traditions in weaving, creating marvelous textiles out of a diverse number of materials for tapestries, blankets, sweaters, jackets, purses and many other items. Pegucheño textiles are known world wide for their excellent quality and attractive designs.

Peguche is also the cradle of famous Andean music and dancing groups like Ñanda-Mañachi, Centro Cultural Peguche, Jialli, Mashis, and many others.

Like many other Andean communities, the Peguche community celebrates "Inti Raymi", or sun festival. Inti Raymi is the biggest and most famous Andean Ritual. It begins on June 24 when thousands of people visit the sacred places to take the "Bano Sagrado" or sacred bath as part of a purification ceremony.

They also celebrate "Paucar Raymi" each spring. Paucar Raymi is a time to honor the fertility of the land, and give thanks to "Taita Inti" or Father Sun for giving us the light of life and to "Quilla Mama" or Mother Moon, for protecting our dreams.

from lacasol.com