Otavalo

           Flanked by volcanoes, Otavalo and the surrounding communities reside within a beautiful mountainous valley north of Quito. The city of Otavalo, populated by indigenous people of “Quichua” and Spanish descent, is famous for its Indian Market and unbelievable location.

            The city of Otavalo is a rich and prosperous city, however the economic prosperity has not reached everyone and there is still a large population of underprivileged and economically challenged families and individuals. Many of which struggle daily to feed and clothe themselves and their families.

            As we drove though some of the housing developments it was possible to tell which families were prospering by observing how much cinderblock they owned. Prosperity is also measured in the number of guinea pigs, or  “cuyes”, that are owned. All of the new cinder block homes were different from the traditional style because of the presence of windows. The inhabitants of this area cover their windows completely. It is possible that they cover them to protect themselves from the weather and cool evenings, or perhaps it is just tradition, because even some of the newer homes with glass in the window had theirs covered.

            One Quechua woman was kind enough to let us tour her property and home. She is a 37 year old mother of three and lives with her two youngest children. Her husband works out of the area and sends money when he can, and her eldest daughter works as a housekeeper with a family in town.  She is ten years old.

            Their land is used for growing their food, which mainly consists of corn. Corn can be their entire meal, for all meals of the day. The inside of the house consists of one large room.  It took a minute to adjust our eyes to the complete darkness, and I believe I am still adjusting to the reality of their living conditions. Sleeping mats about ½ inch thick made out of vegetable fibers were spread out on the dirt floor, surrounded by clothes, dirty and clean. Beyond the bed mats was a pile of cinderblocks, indicating that they will probably be building soon. Pots and pans littered the room. A few hung from a line that stretched above the doorway to the opposite side of the room. A basket of fibers laid next to a loom covered in clothing.

            The middle child, carrying the youngest, watched with hopeful eyes and a heartbreaking smile as we explored the interior of his home. Our flashlights illuminated the immense amount of gnats and houseflies that fly above their heads daily. At the foot of their bed mats a large cylinder full of corn remnants sat, attracting even more insects. There are no mosquitoes here because of the elevation, however there are still numerous health problems due to the living conditions and water supply. Most of the households are unaware of the preventative actions that can be taken to avoid most of their health problems. For instance, simply keeping pigs out of the cooking area can prevent contamination leading to cysticercosis, in which a type of tapeworm invades the brain. Lack of awareness seems to be the main problem in all of the communities that we visited. After viewing the home we drove around the surrounding roads and then into the center of Otavalo.      

            In Otavalo we visited the Indian Market and then enjoyed lunch on a dairy farm. The farm was located in a picturesque valley where the summits of Cayambe and Imbabura are always in view. A few people remarked that it reminded them of Colorado. The sky was a Crayola sky blue and the clouds were a healthy pure white. The mountains and hills consisted mainly of farmlands and occurred in a variety of shades of green indicating the different plots of land. The tones of green left an interesting pattern along the surrounding hillsides.

            After lunch we drove the old road back to Quito. The towns we passed through had more compact living conditions, but this may have been the result of the road we were on and not necessarily indicative of the entire area.

            The view was spectacular the entire drive, the Cayambe summit teased us with its luminous snow and passing clouds. The moon was simply a crescent smile but the entire outline could be traced. Every star was shining and with the absence of city lights and street lamps the sky glowed and the summit shimmered.

            Fortunately for us the first day of the Festival of the Sun was today and we were able of see the festivities in the communities that we drove through. All or most of the community members lined the street in lavish costumes and colorful headdresses, dancing and singing songs, or at least humming the tune.