11 December 09 Ecuador
This is Leather Street, which is a paradise for shopping for leather goods ranging from jackets, handbags, hats, luggage and saddles!
Every now and again around the town you come across some great statues including the one in the foreground.
All around town on the power lines are these strange, airborne ‘weeds’ which are removed on a regular basis. Loved the locals in their national dress, with babes wrapped up in ‘slings’. They always have a big smile for you.
The fruit and vegetable market was immaculate and had an amazing array of very fresh produce. Again, all happy faces.
The local bicycle shop where there were bikes for rent or also for sale. A very small shop with a large number of bikes! The owner is mending a puncture.
This lovely town is dominated by a beautiful church, although there are also a number of smaller ones. The bellringer begins duty at around 6.05 am and the bell is rung rapidly around 130 times, then finished off with 1 – 3 solitary rings. Once one church has finished another starts. The whole scenario is repeated about 10 mins later and then again 15 mins more. There is no such thing as sleeping-in especially when your hotel is right next to the church…
Dogs abound here and they come in different shapes and sizes. We are led to believe that they all have owners and go back to their homes each evening, however, they seem to spend most of the day out on the streets sleeping and looking for food. Some of the resident expats feed them on a regular basis. They all look healthy and I can’t remember seeing a mangy one.
Even saw a very clever one driving a car! This is a local construction site.
The day has come to leave Cotacachi and head for the coast on the bus. This is our superb hotel staff bidding us farewell. On the way to Quito (the capital) to join the plane to Manta, we pass through some very rugged country.
Nearing Quito the scene changes to low cost housing packed into wherever it can be squeezed. Other areas are more affluent but not in the approaches to the city.
Two Adventurers 
Great account of Cotacatchi guys ~ really gives a good feel of the area. Amazed at the amount and quality of new houses around ! Seeing the benefit of mentioning all the costs too 😉 Love ya !! xxx
By: Simone Fougere on December 18, 2009
at 5:19 am
Hi guys!
Seeing all of the pictures made me feel homesick! The memories are so wonderful, especially of the time we spent together. I’m enjoying viewing some of the other places you have traveled too. Great job Di with the pictures and text. Is there a way to regain missing text? I think it may be hidden by the pictures and being as techology challenged as I am I’m not sure what adjustment I may make to change to format. Not too complicated please; Jim is on his way to the airport to fly to Bellingham WA for work and not here to help me!
I would give anything to be able to get back together with you both. Our time together was really the highlight of the trip. Since we last saw you, I have lost my job (well, actually volunteered to be laid off with 20 weeks pay! I needed the time to be with my mom who is recovering from a broken neck and has 4-5 months of wearing a 10 pound halo! She is doing extremely well (she’s 83) and making good progress but needs someone around all the time. I am looking at Transcription Services so I can work from her home for the time being. It feels SO GREAT to not be tied to a job for now! It is wonderful to have the time to correspond with friends and catch up!
We have definitely not stopped dreaming of Cotacacci and wonder in fact if some of the life changes happening for us right now might be part of the plan…working long distance, etc.
What fun to see your pictures of some of the places we saw. What did you think of the condos across from Palamazul?
Di…you could probably write a whole book about your experiences in airports, huh? Hopefully most of the trips were relatively smooth. This whole baggage deal is quite the deal. We must be creative in our packing, but we can’t come home without goodies!
Love to you both and keep in touch, as will we. Jim sent your E-mail on to me so I’ll give you my address so you can contact me direct as Jim has been known to “slip a cog” and forget to send things my way!! Carol
By: Jim and Carol Williams on February 22, 2010
at 7:08 pm