Equadorian Folk Dancers

The Galapagos islands are reached either through Quito, the capital of Equador, or through Guayaquil on the coast. My wife, Rita, and I traveled through Quito (9,350 feet). Since neither of us had visited Equador, we decided to spend a week exploring the capital and several nearby cities. These are some of the photos I shot in nearby Mitad del Mondo City (middle of the world) which sits astride the equator and Otovalo. Over the years Mitad del Mundo has developed into an interesting tourist site with museums, shops, and a monument on the equator. 650 feet north of Mitad del Mundo you can stand exactly at Latitude 0 and get your passport stamped. While browsing in one of the shops, I spotted these folk dancers in the plaza below. The pictures were taken with a 400mm Tamron lens on a Canon 60D. It was a colorful and lively display of Equadorian folk dancing.

Equadorian Folk Dancers

Equadorian Folk Dancers

Equadorian Folk Dancers

Equadorian Folk Dancers

Building in Mitad del Mundo

This photo was also taken in Mitad del Mundo with a 400mm Tamron lens. I liked the geometry and colors.

Mitad del Mundo

Another angle of the same building.

Mitad del Mundo

Musician playing the siku. The siku or panpipe originated with the Aymara people, an indigenous nation of 2.3 million now spread across the Andes and Altiplano regions of Bolivia, Peru and Chile. Originally the siku was played by a woman as she descended the mountains. Variations of the siku in different communities gradually merged into a standardized western diatonic scale. They can Still be found in a variety of sizes and tuning. Siku musicians from South America are often seen in European cities.

Otavalo

Two hours north of Quito sits the city of Otavalo - elevation 8,307 feet - that is known for the largest indigenous market in Equador. The population of 50,000 is mostly indigenous Quichua. A vendor in a Mitad del Mundo shop made us aware of the difference between Quichua and Quechua, giving us examples of different words in the two languages. According to the linguist, Alfredo Torero, the original Quechua language in northern Peru later split into two branches: Quechua and Quichua. The two versions have words in common similar to romance languages. Both have only three vowels: A, I, and U. Each predominates in different parts of the Andes. At the Otavalo market my wife and I found an incredible display of indigenous products, some with traditional motifs and others with adaptations to modern styles; all very colorful. This photo is of a Quichua artisan in indigenous dress.

Otavalo

Goods sold in Otavalo market. Garments include scarfs, sweaters, hats, purses, blankets, jewelry, handbags, gloves and much more.

Otavalo

Quichua artisan in indigenous dress. Garments sold in the Otavalo market are all handmade using both traditional and modern techniques.

Otavalo

Quichua artisans at Otavalo market.

Otavalo

Quichua artisan at Otavalo market.

Cuicocha Lake

Cuicocha is a crater lake created by a massive volcanic eruption around 3100 years ago. Its name comes from the Quichua language meaning "guinea pig lake". The lake lies at the foot of the Cotacachi Volcano in the Imbabura Province, only 11 miles from Otavalo.

Cuicocha Lake

Mountains around Cuicocha Lake.