Otavalo...

From Mindo, I went back to Otavalo in the north of Ecuador via Quito. Of course, I took a bus that didn't go all the way to Otavalo but instead dropped me off on the Panamericana highway. So I had to walk 2 km to my hotel near the bus station (a taxi would have been much easier, but the longer you travel as a backpacker, the more frugal you become). Otavalo is surrounded by mountains and lakes of volcanic origin and is known for its large Saturday market, where the indigenous population from the surrounding area comes to sell their goods.

Upon arrival in Otavalo, I explored the city a bit. The next day, I went on a hike around Laguna Cuicocha, not far from Otavalo. Thankfully, a bus driver at the bus station took me under his wing, bought me a ticket, and placed me in the seat next to him so that I wouldn't get lost. My ticket stated a completely different destination, and I didn't understand most of what the bus driver explained anyway. Nevertheless, I arrived at the right place to take a taxi to the starting point of the hike. The taxi driver didn't have enough change, but he promised to pick me up again in the afternoon (at least that's what I understood). Well, I wasn't sure if he would actually keep his promise, but oh well...

The hike around the lake, which was formed by a volcanic eruption, is 14 km long. According to my guidebook, it takes 6 hours, according to the sign, 5 hours. The trail initially goes uphill along the crater rim at an altitude of 3450 m, where you can already feel the thin air of the Andes, your heart beats faster, breathing becomes harder, but you get used to it. From the trail, you almost always have a view of the lake. There are 2 islands in the crater lake that are supposed to look like 2 guinea pigs, but only with a lot of imagination. I actually think that a very hungry Ecuadorian sat on the shore and everything just looked like a guinea pig because they like to eat them so much here.

The view of the Cotacachi volcano is unfortunately blocked by the clouds. Luckily, there are few other tourists on the loop trail. Most people come to the lake to take a boat tour around the two islands.

After 4 1/2 hours, I returned to the starting point of my hike, and behold, the taxi driver actually kept his word and brought me back.

The next day (Saturday) was a big market day in Otavalo. On the outskirts, there was a livestock market where everything that can walk or fly was sold. It wasn't for me, so I headed to the big market in the city center. On the Plaza de Poncho and the surrounding streets, everything from clothing, blankets, bags, jewelry, art, and kitsch was sold. The indigenous population from the neighboring villages came in traditional clothing to buy and sell. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my backpack doesn't have that much space, otherwise, I would have bought a lot more. In the end, I only purchased an alpaca wool scarf and a small bag.