Charming Cotacachi
March 7, 2019
I’ve been in Otavalo five days now and feel settled. To be honest, I’m not looking forward to packing my bag back up in a few days but I’ll enjoy the rest of my time here while I can. I found a Spanish school – well two actually. I took two days of classes at the Superior Spanish school but didn’t love it and found another school, the Otavalo Spanish School, across the street from my hotel. The school is amazing and my teacher Maria is incredible. I have no idea how a language teacher finds the patience required to listen to students stumble through lessons but she does it with humor and a smile, and I actually feel like I’m learning. I’ll have three days total with her (plus the two days from the other school) and my wins are that I had a very simple conversation with an eight-year-old at the bus station and I was almost able to eavesdrop on the phone call my neighbor was having on the bus. Progreso! |
| Geovanny, the Shaman (I know, not what I was expecting either) |
My classes are in the morning which leaves me free to explore in the afternoons. There are so many small towns and day trips to take it’s hard to know where to start. Yesterday I visited a Shaman named Geovanny in Peguche and the experience was truly extraordinary. I was referred to Geovanny by the owner of my hotel. I guess he’s more of a local guy (there is a whole association of Shamans in another neighboring village Iluman), however per the owner, Iluman is a bit more touristy. I was very grateful for the introduction to Geovanny.
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| The fast bus |
With my renewed energy today, I decided to venture into Cotacachi. Cotacachi is about 15 minutes north of Otavalo by bus. It has become a trendy spot for retired American expats and I was curious exactly what that meant. I was also determined to travel by bus to save some money. Maria, my Spanish teacher, gave me some hints and they worked like a charm. The trick is to get the bus to Cotacachi that says ‘Por La Pana’ which means the bus takes the highway (the fast route) which I found at the bus terminal. $0.35 later I was on my way to Cotacachi.
Cotacachi is absolutely charming. As you
drive in tall trees line the roads and you can see the Cotacachi Volcano and surrounding hillsides. It is much greener than Otavalo. I thought Otavalo was a slower paced town, but compared to Cotacachi I might as well still be in Quito. You can feel the slow and easy pace as soon as you arrive. Picturesque architecture, quiet streets and tons of public art make Cotacachi cozy. The town is only a few blocks long and wide and the main street to visit is Calle 10 de Agosto. (Dates are a really big
thing in Ecuador – I’ve seen streets, buses and hotels all named after dates). Calle 10 de Agosto is the main street for handmade artisan leather goods, and they really did look to be high quality. Jackets, purses, and (heart stopping) boots were in shop after shop. Thankfully my bag is was too full so I had to pass on the boots but Cotacachi did have something I could enjoy – gelato everywhere.
You can see the influence of the expat presence in town. Apparently there are lots of new and renovated condos coming to market as well as new communities surrounding the city. I’m always curious about real estate prices in other places and took a few pictures of some listings. Renting a two-bedroom apartment is around $500/month and the prices for homes with land seemed to be $100k and up. This development had a lot of marketing around, perhaps a taste of the good life abroad: http://elencantocotacachi.com/index.php
Many of the shops are artfully designed and just like home. English is easily spoken and the food is reasonably priced(albeit more expensive than Otavalo). Eventually I had to start heading back because there were just too many sweets grabbing my attention.
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| The fancy hotel in town is for sale for $400,000 |
On my return to Otavalo, I found a tour company recommended by Lonely Planet, Ecomontes, and dropped by to find out about tours to the local indigenous villages (another must do per Sandy). The owner Pablo was SO friendly and (kindly and patiently) let me practice my Spanish as I arranged for a tour on Saturday. Between the quite hotel and the Spanish classes I’ve been more alone during this week than last so I’m really looking forward to a driver and a conversation on Sabado.
Buddha & Boots 