Otavalo Market

We headed north today, stopping after 87km at Otavalo Market. The journey took 3.5 hours despite the short distance and very good road, due to the steep climbs over high passes. When #3 daughter came here about 15 years ago it took much longer, and caused some hassle for her - the striking teachers had put up roadblocks so the route back was closed, and her plane home left from Quito the next day. The present government has invested massively in the infrastructure and there's now 4 lane motorways and duel carriageways.

The market was one of the biggest I've seen. The tat for tourists took up a huge square, and all the streets around were full of stalls for locals - anything from rucksacks to pig cheeks to unusual fruit and veg. I must have taken scores of photos, but I decided on this as I liked the way the colours complemented each other.

We are staying in a hacienda in the countryside - the fields around here are mainly sugar cane, but nearer Quito there were masses of rose farms. The flowers fly to Amsterdam, USA and Russia. As in Kenya there is concern for the health of the workers who are subjected to harsh chemicals.

The internet here is available but is very slow and I can't see any blips, so I'm hoping this works. Enjoy your weekend.