Day one in Cotacachi

Hello all!

Or actually the hour calls for me to say "Buenos Tardes". Well Glenn and I made it safe and sound to Cotacachi. Got in around midnight last night.

The Inn Land of Sun (formerly Maison des las Flores) is warm, friendly and comfortable. I've included a few pics from the room and the hotel.

The owner greeted us this morning and started us off with some papaya and a frothy drink made from one of the indigenous fruits. That was followed by eggs, bacon and toast. And plenty of great Ecuadorian coffee. They serve it like the French do - cafe au lait style with plenty of cream. Toss in some raw sugar and you've got yourself a cup full of deliciousness!

With our morning meal out of the way, it was time to head to Otovala for some shopping. The open market was a joyful mayhem of bright colors, mouth-watering smells and sounds of shoppers and vendors engaged in heavy negotiations. The trick with the market - and even many of the shops around here in Cotacachi - is to realize that the price the vendor gives you is just the jumping off point for negotiations. Therefore, you rarely if ever pay the listed price. Glenn is an old pro at this. I haven't done it in a while but it came back to me pretty quickly. We both got some great deals on some wonderful gifts for our family and friends. 

Cotacachi is the leather capitol of Ecuador and after a tasty and inexpensive lunch at Serendipity, we hit Leather Street. I have no idea what the actual street name is, but for about 8 to 10 blocks on either side of the street you can find just about any kind of leather good or accessory you could want. This gave me the opportunity to find a few gifts I needed and score some good deals for myself. Glenn did well too. The shops will give you one price if you are going to pay with credit and a fairly substantial discount if you pay cash. So a word to the wise, if you come down and want to do some serious shopping - bring plenty of green. Ecuador uses the American Dollar as its currency, so no need to have your Washingtons, Linkcolns and Franklins exchanged.

An acquaintance of Glenn's has arrived and he and Glenn are discussing some business I finish up this blog post. Louis owns a restaurant so we'll probably be dining there tonight.

So, from a cozy room at Inn Land of the Sun, it's time for me to say "Adios Amigos y Amigas!"

More tomorrow!

Dee