Our time in Otavalo has come to an end, and we are both a bit sad to be moving on. We felt at home in Otavalo, and found a family in the Mojandita community that we hope to go see again. Continue reading
Adios Otavalo & Laura Cam: Fuya Fuya
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Tag Archives: Otavalo
Introducing the Laura Cam at Cascada Taxopamba
Before we left for this trip, Laura’s brother, Ben, gave us the very generous gift of a GoPro Camera. We thought the best use of this gift would be to strap it to Laura’s head, thus spawning “The Laura Cam.” Yesterday was our first adventure with said camera. We still have to work out some kinks with the audio and video compression, but if you ever wondered what the world looks like, or at least a hike to an Ecuadorian waterfall, from way up at 5 foot nada, you’re welcome:
Here’s where we were:
(Cascada Taxopamba)
We’ve Been Busy. Sort Of.
Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve posted an update. We’ve been really getting into the swing of our life on the road these last two weeks and nothing has particularly seemed blog-worthy in its own right. But now that so much time, and so many activities, have passed, we thought we’d put together a montage of sorts to show you what we’ve been up to. We’ll call it: reading in a hammock while looking at a volcano, talking to dogs and slowly befriending a very dubious llama. Continue reading
Otavalo: Home and Other Feelings
Yesterday we arrived via bus to Otavalo, about an hour and a half north of Quito. For the next three weeks we’re staying just out of town, at Peter and Sarah’s house on the grounds of Casa Mojanda. Aside from having all the comforts of home, it is insanely beautiful. Every window boasts an expansive view of farmland, two volcanoes (Cotacachi and Imbabura), and rolling hills full of shining blue Eucalyptus. Otavalo has a rich cultural and political history, which we will delve into in a future post.
Today we decided to take “the back way” into town to buy some food at the market. The hike felt as though we walked right into a children’s book–idyllic farmland scenery, people tending crops, and the usual: the cow goes moo, the pig goes oink, the rooster goes cock a doodle doo.
On our walk, we were struck by the juxtaposition of the hard work of sustenance farming, and impoverished living conditions, with the utter serenity that surrounds. We took a taxi home with our bags full.
This trip will be about many things for us. One that stands out is our abundant privilege to be able to undertake this journey, and the learning experiences we will have in such beautiful, albeit complex, locations.
Here’s where we are right now:
(Peter & Sarah’s House, Otavalo)