Otavalo & Cotacachi

I started my first full day early with a tour to Otavalo - one of the most famous markets for ponchos & leather goods in South America, more on that later. We left rainy Quito and headed towards breakfast, stopping along the way to enjoy a wonderful panorama - including one of Ecuador's most famous volcanoes: Cotopaxi. Ecuador has a total of 55 volcanoes, 18 of which are active. Our first break was in Cayambe overlooking the volcano of the same name. A specialty of the region is the Bizcochos; lightly sweet and crumbly bread, traditionally spread with Dulce de leche and topped with mozzarella, rolled in banana leaves. Even though the combination sounds strange, it was fantastic! I also learned on the journey that Ecuador is known not only for coffee and cocoa exports, but also for roses: Two dozen roses for $2 is a really good price here.

On the way, we also got an impression of the indigenous Quichua clothing before arriving in Otavalo. With the thought that my journey still lasts 4 weeks, I was able to restrain myself from buying souvenirs. On the way back to Quito, we stopped at the lake