Every Saturday morning Otavalo awakens from its week long slumber to launch a giant market bazaar selling crafts of all descriptions along with animals, meat, vegetables, fruit, grains and hardware. A similar market has been conducted for a remarkable four thousand years providing a central meeting point for Indian villages from miles around. A cacophony of sounds from the noises of frenzied trading to the various calls of chickens, sheep, pigs and cattle greet the early arrivals when most of the local trading is done (the animal market winding up before the majority of tourist buses arrive in the mid-morning). The women and men have long animated conversations catching up on village news and goings-on before the onslaught of travellers.
Nearby villages use age-old techniques to produce superb high quality tapestries, tablecloths, hammocks, shawls and textiles along with musical instruments (including the haunting and ever-present Andean flutes), jewellery, carvings, leatherware, pottery and paintings. The various colours glisten in the equatorial sunshine, the brightly coloured textiles almost blinding in the mid-morning sunshine.
The Otavaleños men look distinctive in their dark ponchos with their pigtail dangling from below their felt hat. The women are striking with their intricately embroidered light-colored blouses, long dark skirts and shawls, unusual folded headwear and numerous gold and beaded bracelets and necklaces. 
The centre of action is Plaza de los Panchos which becomes a maze of pathways between the rows of tapestries and clothing. While it is crowded, the stall holders let you wander in peace appreciating the detailed craftwork and general market activity. While hard-bargaining is expected for the crafts (but not the food), it is conducted in a friendly, relaxed manner and there is little hard-selling.
Otavalo makes a wonderful morning journey from Quito where even the most resilient of non-shoppers are likely to end up with a backpack full of Ecuadorian crafts and clothes from this most spectacular artisan market with a carnival feel.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The Frenzy of Otavalo Markets (Ecuador)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Wonders of Easter Island
guest post by Rachel McCombie
Enigmatic Easter Island lies in the South Pacific, some five hours off the coast of Chile. It’s said to be the most isolated inhabited place on Earth, giving it an aura of inaccessibility which belies the fact that, thanks to regular commercial flights, a trip to this evocative island is by no means limited just to the most intrepid travellers.
Though the sheer mission of travelling to the most remote corner of the Earth is an attraction in itself, the real draw of the island is the iconic statues for which it is famed. Known in the local dialect as the moai, these monolithic figures represent deified ancestors and are thought to have been carved between around 1250 and 1500 AD. There are a staggering 887 of them, many of which are still set in the hillsides of the quarry from which the compressed volcanic rock was taken to create them. The most impressive, however, are those which stand lined up on ceremonial platforms known as Ahu. These are to be found on the coast around the island, with the figures facing inland keeping watch over their living clan. The heaviest weighs an impressive 86 tons; to put that into perspective, the heaviest of the standing stones at Stonehenge is only 30 tons!
The history of Easter Island is steeped in mystery. Nobody knows for sure when the first settlers arrived, though DNA tests have shown that the present-day Easter Islanders are of Polynesian descent and probably arrived in large numbers. Indeed, legend tells of a people displaced from an island being enveloped by the sea. When they first came ashore after their long ocean voyage, archaeological evidence shows that they would have found an island paradise rich in flora and fauna – a vision quite at odds with the barren landscape which characterises the island today. For this reason, Easter Island is often seen as a stark reminder of the effects of human occupation on fragile ecosystems; overpopulation and deforestation have left the island with virtually no trees and an economy which relies heavily on tourism. However, with UNESCO World Heritage status, the island draws in around 50,000 visitors a year – a figure expected to rise over the next decade – making tourism a reliable source of income for the remaining islanders.
So, what is it actually like to visit Easter Island? Well, there’s no getting away from the fact that the journey is a lengthy one. First you have to get to Santiago, Chile, and from there it’s another five hours or so by plane to Easter Island’s airport at Hanga Roa. But this is not difficult to arrange, and once you’re there, you’re certain to deem the slightly arduous journey more than worthwhile. Arguably the best method of exploring the island is on horseback, and horses, bikes, scooters and jeeps are all available for hire. The ideal way to visit Easter Island is as part of a longer trip, perhaps incorporating other Pacific Islands (there are flights to Tahiti from Easter Island) or South America. This will enable you to make the most of being out in this remote part of the world. Many operators of tailor-made holidays run optional extra trips to Easter Island as part of a visit to Chile; Audley Travel, for instance, offer Easter Island tours as part of a South America itinerary. But however brief your visit, this truly unique island is guaranteed to leave you awestruck, with the inscrutable faces of its astonishing statues etched into your memory for life.
Rachel is a keen travel writer who has written about her experiences in numerous countries, from France to Japan. You can see more of her writing on her Rome blog.
Photo Credits: sunset, two faces, moai backs, moai
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Ruta de Las Siete Lagos (Bariloche, Argentina)
With the snow-capped craggy mountains, glistening glacial lakes, dark verdant forests and stellar panoramic vistas, the lake district of Argentina is like a wild Switzerland. While cycling Circuito Chico from San Carlos de Bariloche captures some of the beauty, the twisting drive along the innocently named RP234.
More typically known as The Seven Lakes Route or the poetic Ruta de Las Siete Lagos (do places sound more exotic and entrancing with their foreign name) is a superb one or two (or longer) day drive (more stopping time allows short walks time to explore the side roads).
From Bariloche the road weaves a torturous path through steep sided valleys smothered in forest past the glittering beauty of Nahuel Haupi Lake towards the village of Villa la Angostura. Legend dictates that the lake has its own spooky monster of the deep named Nahuelito. Various tracks up the local mountains offer superb alpine views while stunning large drop waterfalls tumble into the valleys below. The aptly named Cascadas Rio Bonito (Pretty River Falls) tumbles from a dark, rocky horseshoe-shaped outcrop – its turquoise-blue waters gleam in the heavily wooded surrounds.
The tiny nearby national park hosts a forest of ancient arrayanes trees, unique to this small part of the world straddling the Chilean-Argentinian border. Growing only a metre every thirty years, a boardwalk steers through an impressive 300 and 500 years old grove of the sprawling cinnamon-coloured trees, the dappled light creating a magical setting. This fantasy environment is thought to be the inspiration for the Disney movie Bambi.
The trees feature flaky, dry bark which peels away giving a blotchy aged appearance while their branches skew off at strange twisted angles. The arrayanes unusual roots spread across the ground and start to climb other trees with a number of neighbouring trees likely to be a clone of the same original tree. Arrayanes trees are unusually cold to touch with their ability to absorb the heat from the sun’s rays.
North of Villa la Angostura the road squeezes between lakes two and three – the tranquil Lago Espejo (Mirror Lake, photo) and Lago Correntoso (Swift Lake) – with peaceful walks around the lake’s shores. All the lakes reflect the mountain scenery into their still waters so it is difficult to tell why Lago Espejo received the iconic name of Mirror Lake.
Turning right, there is a wonderful detour to Villa Traful and Lago Traful which doesn’t even count as one of the seven. The wooden houses of the small fishing town are sprawled along the lake’s shores. Quiet walking trails wander through the surrounding forests unveiling waterfalls and views of the lakes while the town provides a wonderful escape and chance to unwind for a few days. Continuing through the town the road leads back to Bariloche and the Circuito Grande route (dotted path on the map).
Returning to the Ruta de las Siete Lagos, the mediocre road surface (some not asphalted) weaves its way north, tantalising paths occasionally leading from the main road. One road leads to an interesting alpine passage into Chile while the main route leads past the fjord-like azure blue Lago Escondido (Hidden Lake, top photo) surrounded by thick forest, the twin lakes of Villarino and Falkner and the impressive Vuliñanco Falls. 
Turning off and driving through a police post, the road leads to a small lake. The aptly named Lago Hermoso (Handsome Lake) is the most stunning of all the lakes, though not officially one of the seven lakes. Surrounded by forest and with a sheltered sun soaked beach quiet beach, the lake feels like an undiscovered gem with a tiny rustic campsite and small shop selling basic supplies.
From here the road runs down hill, the forest reduces and the land suddenly becomes much drier. Lago Machónico passes on the left and the wonderful vista from Pil Pil Lookout highlights the seventh and final lake of the journey – Lago Lácar and the touristy (and pricey) town of San Martin all nestled into Andes mountains. In winter, the town serves as a base for snow skiing among the nearby peaks.
The 200 kilometre Ruta de Las Siete Lagos offers a constant barrage of alpine scenery warranting time to stop, walk, view and enjoy the stunning panoramic beauty of the glistening lakes and snow-capped Andean peaks. Personally, the southern half of the route feels more remote and has greater interest but all offer a chance to commune with nature and enjoy this relatively unknown Argentinian Lake District.
Photo Credits: Escondido, waterfall, trees, espejo, hermoso
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Switzerland of South America (Bariloche, Argentina)
More alpine European than South American, I could have easily thought I’d accidentally wandered into a Swiss village. With its enviable location, San Carlos de Bariloche snuggles up to the majestic Nahuel Haupi Lake though the drizzling rain and fading light hid the amphitheatre of snow-capped mountains and glistening glacial lakes.
Bariloche must be the cavity capital of the world. With a main square of cute alpine stone and wooden village houses and an elegant grey stone church steeple all staring over the lake, every second shop sells chocolates and nougat, samples tempting wary shoppers into their chocolate lairs. White chocolate, dark chocolate, nut chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate-covered fruit, chocolate nougat, chocolate fountains, chocolate fondues, chocolate of every form and shape and size. Feverishly made in front of eager shoppers and sample liberally shared, it is impossible not to be tempted by these sweet flavoursome jewels. Mamushka and Rapa Nui (less sales-y) are my favourites, but it is like a child selecting a favourite toy when they are all so enchanting and enticing. Dessert in Bariloche is simply wandering the chocolate shops sampling tasty sugar-sweet morsels.
However the main reason to visit Bariloche is to travel the inviting trails among the mountains and lakes. There are four main trails to choose from – Circuito Chico runs along the southern flank of Nahuel Haupi Lake, Circuito Grande runs a triangular course around a variety of lakes and the granddaddy tour is the Road of the Seven Lakes (Ruta de Las Siete Lagos) that travels north to San Martin through spectacular landscape. A fourth path takes a variety of buses and boats to weave a marine and alpine path through the Andes to Chile, one of the world’s more scenic and interesting border crossings.
Despite the fact I haven’t ridden a bike further than ten yards in over five years, I am assured that the best way to explore Circuito Chico is by bicycle (and chico does mean little!). Running along the lake, I am assured by the smiling tourist office that the path is flatter than a sumo wrestler’s mattress and a comfortable undertaking for anyone of average fitness with lots of stops on the way for enticing panoramic views. High on chocolate and with a promise of fine weather, I relent and hire a bicycle.
Packing my backpack with nutritious sticky nougat and enough chocolate to fuel a Tour de France team, the morning is picture perfect. Bypassing further shops flogging chocolate (can all these shops really stay in business selling the same goods?), the road hugs the glistening lake for kilometres passing the inviting Cerra Otto (the view from a later mountain is vastly better) and Pretty Beach (Playa Bonito) until reaching Cerro Campanario.
A short and slightly rickety chairlift (or aerosilla) ferries my exhausted legs to the top for a commanding view proudly described as one of National Geographic’s top ten views of the world. Always suspicious of such lofty claims, the 360 degree panorama is truly staggering and apparent the second that I clamber off the aerosilla.
Stellar panoramas (top photo), bracing mountain air, and breathtaking natural scenery abound in every direction. To the west, a chain of snow-capped Andean mountains is the scenic border with Chile while mountains in layers of deepening blue fade to the horizon only blocked by a handful of taller nearby peaks. The chaotic arms and legs of Nahuel Haupi Lake glisten and highlight the deep dark forests of the shoreline while other lakes daub the landscape. Bariloche seems a long forgotten starting point and is visible to the east almost twenty kilometres away.
Named like a Chinese giant panda, the exquisitely sited Llao Llao (pronounced jow-jow) Hotel (arrow in photo) sits on a narrow isthmus of land and doesn’t spoil the vista of this natural wonderland. 
Only a few kilometres further on is the Weiss Family Smokehouse. For 40 years, this Austrian-born family has been smoking various meats and fish making for a worthwhile brief detour before reaching the wooden St Edward the Confessor Chapel and the imposing and palatial Llao Llao Hotel. The chapel was closed but the hotel is open for business.
Though dressed completely inappropriately for this luxury hotel and somewhat sweaty and dishevelled, I front up for a reviving coffee and snack. The overly polite staff greet me like a long-lost son (they train staff well in fancy hotels!) and usher me to a quiet, hidden discrete corner.
Fully uplifted, the Circuito Chico leads towards a small forested peninsula for a tour around Perito Moreno Lake (who founded Nahuel Haupi National Park and for whom the famous Patagonian glacier is named) towards the hotel. A tiny forest hides the suitably named Puerto Pañuelo (Handkerchief Port) that offers boat trips to various islands within Nahuel Haupi Lake including Puerto Blest which eventually leads to Chile.
Following Nahuel Huapi Lake’s inappropriately named Tristeza (sadness) arm, Lopez Bay (Bahia Lopez) has more superb views of forested hills before crossing a small bridge that finally turns back towards Bariloche and back for further deserved indulgence into chocolate and nougat.
The Circuito Chico is a superb (and long) one day cycle (or half day bus ride) around stunning Andean scenery with a Swiss flavour and a highlight of the Argentinan Lake District.
Map courtesy of Bariloche Lake Front
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Happy 100th Birthday Machu Picchu (Peru)
It was one hundred years ago when a young American Yale student Hiram Bingham, guided by locals arrived at Machu Picchu and discovered and unveiled this iconic location to the outside world. Over the years, Bingham cleared four centuries of growth, mapping and studying the site and solving some of the mysteries of this advanced civilisation.
Strings of special events are planned to celebrate the special event (putting pressure on the delicate area) from musical concerts to indigenous rituals. In one moving tribute and after considerable international pressure, a number of treasures taken by Bingham to add to his university's collections, for further study and protection, are going to be returned to Peru to start a museum in Cusco.
Gilbert H. Grosvenor, editor National Geographic magazine, eloquently summed up the wonder of Machu Picchu when he wrote in April 1913 in an issue of the magazine dedicated to Bingham's story and photos (one example included showing the same area as the modern photo) said "What an extraordinary people the builders of Machu Picchu must have been to have constructed, without steel implements, and using only stone hammers and wedges, the wonderful city of refuge on the mountain top."
Indeed, Machu Picchu is one of the finest travel wonders I have ever witnessed, made special by remarkable architecture and techology for the time, the exceptional Andean mountain setting and the superb multi-day hike along the Inca Trail to first see this mysterious lost city on sunrise from an entrance that sits high above the city.
Note: Bingham's photo is in the public domain and is one of hundreds of Bingham's images held by the Peabody Museum, Yale University.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Drinks Around the World: Caipirinha (Brazil)
Sitting in a quiet bar overlooking the dazzling vista of Iguazu Falls, I can hardly imagine a more refreshing drink than a Brazilian caipirinha. Simply mash small chunks of lime and sugar together in a glass. Add lots of ice and a special distilled sugar-cane alcohol called cachaça and the drink is complete. The same drink is also made using other tangy fruits including lemons and passionfruit.
The lime and cachaça provide a superb contrast of sweet and sour and makes for a tangy thirst-quenching drink in the humid falls climate.
In Australia, I have enjoyed on several occasions a variation called caipiroska made on vodka instead of the Brazilian cachaça.
While I've never seen a caipirinha outside of Brazil (it wasn't even available on the Argentinian side of the falls!), make sure you check out the national drink of Brazil.
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At the start of each month, Travel Wonders highlights a characteristic drink experienced on his travels. Other offerings from South America include coca tea from Peru and the famous Pisco Sour, available over much of South America.
Photo Credit: caipirinha
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Books and Bones of San Francisco Monastery (Lima, Peru)
Relaxing in the monastery courtyard gardens looking over the San Francisco Monastery, the complex immediately strikes as architecturally as beautiful as most European churches. There is little surprise that it is recorded on UNESCO’s World Heritage list and is one of Lima’s finest travel wonders. The complex has two main areas - the church with its squat towers and superb carved central portal; and a fascinating area where the monks once lived with two very significant highlights.
So elegantly and tastefully lit at night, the church has a peaceful feel, despite the crowds of worshippers and travellers, with its domes and square patterned paintwork. While the main altar is carved from oak, the solid silver altar in one of the chapels highlights the mineral wealth in the area at the time that drove the Spanish to conquer most of South America. The walls around the accompanying monastery are covered with glossy glazed hand-painted tiles in blues, greens and yellows so reminiscent of the Moorish style.
However the real treasures are hidden within the monastery walls (and only available via a guided tour). Art treasures of famous masters and wondrous wood carvings litter the labyrinthine walls alongside locally produced paintings. A Last Supper shows a meal of the local delicacy of guinea pig (cuy) and the angels with wings of tropical parrots.
A magnificent library (sadly, visitors can only peer from the doorway to protect its valuable holdings) is lined with ancient leather-bound dusty tomes and manuscripts stored in old wooden bookcases, a couple dating back to the days of hand-written texts. A number of books document the times of the early Spanish conquest (from the Spanish viewpoint of course). Though too delicate and valuable to touch, it would have been great to be able to flick through the centuries of antique texts and absorbing the history held on the monastery’s shelves. 
Built in the late 1600s, but only discovered in 1951, the building’s low-ceilinged and claustrophobic crypt harbours the skulls and bones of over 70,000 people. Peering through the inky blackness of the alleys, a strange surprise awaited. Somewhat ghoulishly, the archaeologists catalogued their findings by sorting the bones into separate bins, the arm and leg bones in one area, pelvises in a second zone and skulls in yet another. To complete their efforts, and with a European flair, the scientists turned their hand to art, building patterns with radiating fans of femurs broken by rings of skulls.
The catacombs and tunnels are said to run for some distance under the city linked to other churches. It was difficult to tell whether this was a nice medieval tale or a practical way to move cross town.
Lima is often little more than a gateway for travellers exploring the Peruvian highlights, whether it be flying over the mysterious Nazca Lines, boating around the wildlife of Ballestas Islands or trekking the Inca Trail, but Lima warrants a little time to explore its treasures, especially the San Francisco Monastery.
Photo Credit: church interior
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Photo of the Week: Cotopaxi (Ecuador)
Photographed almost a decade ago, Cotopaxi cuts an impressive figure at sunset in darkening conditions. Ironically it was covered in cloud nearly all day but the clouds lifted just as the last vestiges of sunshine lit this Ecuadorian giant. Still an active volcano, it stands just under an imposing 6000 metres with a rough road that runs to an overnight hut (mainly for climbers) at 4600 metres.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Wildlife of Ballestas Islands (Paracas, Peru)
Around 250 kilometres south of Lima is the wonderful nature reserve of the Ballestas Islands. Thousands of seabirds fight for their tiny piece of real estate on the off-shore islands. Protected for conservation reasons, visitors cannot disembark on the islands and the only access is an inexpensive and excellent organised boat tour.
On the way is the unusual and perplexing giant rock formation of the Candelabra. More like a cactus in Arizona than a candlestick, this mysterious and unexplained shape has been etched into the hillside and is dated to 200 BC. Almost 200 metres high and visible from 20 kilometres at sea, theories abound to its significance including a giant road sign, a religious symbol and even the efforts of adventurous pirates. Most likely is that it is totally unrelated to the Nazca Lines and is more likely attributable to the ancient Paracas culture.
It is a moody place with sea birds swooping overhead and the ocean pounding into the shoreline of the Candelabra.
The boat speeds on chopping comfortably through the rough and churning sea, water spraying in the gusty winds. After a short time, the reddish rocks of the islands start to appear protruding from the ocean. The violent ocean has scarred and carved these rocky protrusions, gouging arches and sea caves leaving distinctive striped patterns. Indeed, the islands take their name from ballesta meaning the bow of an archer.
Approaching near the islands, the natural red rock is stained with the thick white chalky coating of guano. Years of birds dropping have built the islands up, for many years providing a rich source of fertiliser for the Europeans and a successful industry for the Peruvians. Tiny active Humboldt penguins compete with the dignified red-footed Guanay cormorants and the haphazard Peruvian boobies for valuable nesting and landing sites, every square inch of the island consumed with birds. The squawking noise even downs out the waves beating against the rocky islands and the constant frantic aerial activity makes the busiest of airports seem tame.
The boat moved close to the islands leaving the various birds closely visible. More exciting, the waters are teeming with sealions circling the boat and playfully diving near and under the boat like a kindergarten of excited children. Others rest, sunning themselves on the steep rockfaces of the islands.
For the next hour, the boat wove among the islands and near the rock arches as the birds and sealions put on a wonderful wildlife show. While wild claims of it being the Peruvian Galapagos are well overstated, the Ballestas Islands provide a paradise for wildlife lovers and an excellent couple of hours exploring the southern coastline of Peru.
Other Peru Posts
The Andean Sistine Chapel (Andahuaylillas)
Exploring the Incan Wonderland (Machu Picchu)
Trekking to the Lost City (Inca Trail)
Potatoes with your Guinea Pig, Sir?
Flight of the Condor (Colca Canyon)
Living in Reeds (Lake Titicaca)
Top Ten Travel Wonders of South America
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A German Tradition (Frutillar, Chile)
My friendly “buenos días” was greeted with a guttural but joyous “guten morgen”. Despite being in the heart of Chile, Frutillar was as German as leather shorts, sauerkraut and Oktoberfest. While well assimilated now, German immigrants settled around 150 years ago on good volcanic farming soils, building and developing a new area from deep forests. The heavy influence of the early settlers on the architecture of the buildings, the techniques of farming and the functioning of the town remains apparent today.
Highlight of the small town is the impressive German Colonial Museum. With a grain house, blacksmith workshop and country family home, the museum offers an insight into the struggles and challenges that the early European settlers confronted in developing this new area. The wooden buildings are richly showcased with original furniture revealing the immense success of the settlement and showing the beautiful tile work used in constructing the interiors. The elegant wooden water mill shows how grain was ground into flour, extending the value of the farm beyond the production of raw crops and diary. Century old trees and resplendent colourful gardens with oversized flowers complete a relaxing verdant setting.
Idyllically located on the black sandy shores of sparkling and serene Lake Llanquihue (pronounced yan-kee-way), the view is dominantly by the shimmering pyramid of snow-capped Osorno Volcano, some 70 kilometres away. Though slightly shrouded in cloud, Osorno is a mesmerising figure appearing to climb straight from the lake, its perfect pyramid shape cutting an imposing figure over the Frutillar landscape.
An original settler, Bernhard Philippi describes Frutillar in 1842:
"The water of this lake is as clear as that of Geneva in Switzerland, its surface is about seven leagues long and one league wide, so I could not distinguish the opposite bank. On one hand, it has the snowy Alps, the Andes mountain that rises from its eastern banks of a volcano covered with snow up to half of its height and goes into its waters."
Small cafes announcing “kuchen” sit near the lake. On a sunny day, it is truly relaxing enjoying the Fuji-like Osorno and the aquamarine lake while munching down a fine German pastry and digesting Philippi’s fine words.
