Otavalo!

Sorry about the long silence everyone! I’ve been finding out just how much homework I actually have to do here. Turns out it’s a lot. (Which also means I’m writing this instead of the three short papers I really SHOULD be working on right now…)

Last weekend all of us crazy K kids went to Otavalo and the surrounding area. SO COOL! We got to see all the amazing markets in the area. First the animal market with all sorts of farm creatures for sale. There were young chicks and ducklings, grown birds of every kind that is edible (turkeys, chickens, ducks, pigeons, etc.), sheep (all the same kind, sorry mom), llamas, pigs, goats (once again, all the same kind), rabbits, guinea pigs, puppies, kittens, cows and a horse. There were also a few animal-related things for sale, some of which I couldn’t quite identify.

Next was the walk through the food market. The sheer variety of foods for sale was overwhelming. If you can’t find whatever type of food you were looking for there, I don’t think it exists in Ecuador. No joke. The market took up a full block in alleys of vendors, some with roofs over their heads, others tarps (the ones on the edges). Right in the middle were vendors selling cooked food and cuts of meat and sausages. If I knew my digestive system could handle it, I would have wanted to try everything there. As it was, we didn’t have too much time, and I don’t quite trust their sanitation practices.

The artisan market was where we spent most of our time. Our program leaders tortured us by making us walk the entire length of the market without stopping before they let us go buy things. It was nearly impossible to decide what to buy because everything was so interesting and beautiful and well-made and colorful and unique and… you get the idea. I refuse to say what things I actually spent my money on since at least half of them are presents for people reading this blog. You all will just have to wait until you see them.

We also went to the main market street in a neighboring town that is famous for its leather work and walked around the many shops that all smelled like tanned hide. The people here are very creative with some animal parts. For example, I did not buy the bottle covered with a tanned cow’s foot, hoof and all, though I was sorely tempted. I had (possibly very fortunately) run out of money I was willing to spend at that point.

Of course, our trip wasn’t entirely shopping. For example, I got to witness four of my fellow K students being healed by a natural healer. A natural healer is similar to a shaman, but they only deal in good energy, not both good and bad energy as a shaman does. (I don’t know if that’s the best wording for the distinction, but you get the idea.) The “ceremony,” if it can be called one, involves lots of spitting of alcohol, sometimes spitting said alcohol through fire (this guy breathes fire for a living fellow circus people. Gets paid to spit fire AT other people. To heal them.), sometimes spitting other substances, and also doing a bunch of other things that remove bad health and give good health. Natural herbs and plants seemed to play an important role, as did eggs and the words the healers were saying. This was one of those experiences I will remember forever. And one that will probably be totally unique in my life.

We also went to a bird sanctuary, the location of an old indigenous fortress where there now grows a 200 year old tree (with his own story), and a demonstration of local Andean instruments. If I have time later, I will write more about those experiences, but no guarantees.

This week has mostly just involved me trying to stay on top of all of my homework. It doesn’t help that I was gone all weekend with no time for homework and will be gone again this weekend. Hopefully I’ll have a free weekend somewhere to actually catch up on everything. We’ll see.

I definitely have more to say, but I think my grades would prefer that I write a paper or two instead, so I’ll save everything else for later. I hope you are all happy and healthy and enjoying yourselves!

P.S. I have posted a number of pictures on facebook of my adventures and you can look at them here and here. Even if you don’t have a facebook.