Joel BergsmaUnderwater photographer · Expedition diver

Galapagos00°44'S 90°21'WJun 201262 photos

Otavalo drive

Our tour through Otavalo and surrounding areas on June 29, 2012.

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Plaza de Toros, bull fighting stadium in a small town on the road to Otavalo.Stopped in an area famous for its delicious and fresh Bizcochos (pictured), on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.
Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.
Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.
Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo. (Streaks in the photo are from the rain.)
Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Encountering a fiesta / procession on the road to Otavalo.Otavalo Market (on a Friday).Otavalo Market (on a Friday).
Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Near Otavalo, Cotocachi was celebrating a festival between competing groups that would battle for control of the town square. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Sinai Artisans shop.Owner's Demonstration.
Owner's Demonstration.Owner's Demonstration.Owner's Demonstration.Owner's sewing area above the shop.
Colorful shop.Jose Ruiz Perugachi family owns the shop.Jose Ruiz Perugachi family owns the shop.A colorful bus stops in Otavalo outside of the shop of the Jose Ruiz Perugachi family.
Shop in Otavalo of the Jose Ruiz Perugachi family.Outdoor restaurant on the square across the street from the Jose Ruiz Perugachi family shop. She is cooking a traditional Otavalo dish that our driver Lincoln later ordered for his lunch.Outdoor restaurant on the square across the street from the Jose Ruiz Perugachi family shop. She is cooking a traditional Otavalo dish that our driver Lincoln later ordered for his lunch.Woman in traditional dress and her young daughter, perhaps, in modern apparel carrying a cell phone.
Otavalo woman with gold necklaces and earrings.A family washes clothes along the road in Otavalo.Hosteria Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo. From its website, "Pinsaquí's history stretches back over three centuries. The colonial hacienda was constructed as far back as 1790, and following a disastrous earthquake that shook the region in 1867, faithfully and caringly restored. The building originally housed a textile workshop, employing nearly one thousand local weavers and spinners. In the late 1800s, the unique creations of these workers became internationally renowned, when the "bayetas", a special fabric typical of Pinsaquí, arrived at the World's Fair in Chicago."Hosteria Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo. This group performed throughout our lunch at the Hacienda.
Hosteria Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo.The beautiful green grounds at the entryway to the Hosteria Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo.Hosteria Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo.Boys awaiting their participation in the festival. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."
Women await the festival in Cotacachi. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Entering the Cotacachi town square where the processions were being staged. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Crowd watches from the steps of the Church. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Crowd watches from the steps of the Church. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."
Procession. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."The procession walked in circles for a time. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."The procession walked in circles for a time. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Procession included men with flutes (or perhaps they were sticks) in their hands. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."Procession. Young man with a weapon in his hand. Per wikitravel.org website, "Cotacachi Village is a small town of 20.000 inhabitants some 20km north of Otavalo. The town is famous for its leather goods."
Lago San Pablo. Per wikitravel.org website, "San Pablo Lake lies 3.5 km southeast from the center of Otavalo at the feet of the volcano Imbabura. It occupies a tectonic hole that is approximately 4km long and 3km wide. It is one of the most visited lakes in Ecuador. ... The lake is worshipped by the inhabitants of the different communities in its surroundings. There are also some old legends that explain the mythical origin of the lake."Otavalo women waiting at a bus stop.Underwater photograph by Joel Bergsma
Underwater photograph by Joel BergsmaUnderwater photograph by Joel BergsmaUnderwater photograph by Joel Bergsma