.
For three days, we traveled with family and friends to interesting places around
Quito.
Reloj Del Sol, a huge sun dial – it is the most accurate in the world.
At spring and fall equinox, the sun is perfectly over the equator line.
Otavalo, a town in the Northern Highlands, is famous for its market. Even in Pre-
Inca time, trading was flourishing. The Otavaleños are well known for their
weavings.
Indigenous woman in the traditional outfit: white blouse embroidered with flowers, long wool skirt,
fachalina (head-cloth), woven belt, canvas sandals and strand of beads
The colonial flair could still be felt in the Hacienda Pinsaqui, which was built in
1790. Beside being an agriculture estate, for several hundred years the Hacienda
employed up to 1000 weavers for the production of textiles. Most of the textiles
were exported to the United States. Now, the Hacienda is a hotel and a restaurant.
In the afternoon, we visited the Hacienda Zuleta. This Hacienda is famous for its
wildlife preserve. Bears and condors live in the mountainous area. We saw the
refuge facility for injured condors and tasted the delicious cheese made in the
cheese factory.
Returning to the bus after visiting the condor refuge facility
Ecuador’s oldest Hacienda is the Hacienda Guachalá. Before the land reform in
1963, the owners of the Hacienda owned approximately 6000 acres of land. Much
of the land was sold or given back to the indigenous people during the agrarian
reform. Like every Hacienda dating back to colonial times, a crucial part of the
estate was a church. The first church of Guachalá dates back to the year 1580.
LIke so often, it was built on a sacred Inca site.
The new church of Guachalá, built in the 20th century, now abandoned
The Hacienda Guachalá and the House Guachalá were also places our group
members stayed overnight.
In the morning, we watched the performance of magnificent horses. It felt like
watching the Lippizaner Horses of the Spanish Horse Riding School in Vienna.
In Ecuador, dogs are everywhere. They are friendly and calm.
Before going back to Quito, we visited the hot springs of Papallacta. Papallacta is
located between two Volcanos, the Volcano Cayambe and the snow capped Volcano
Antisano. The altitude of Papallacta is about 10,000 feet.
The thermal water contains sulfur, calcium and traces of magnesium. The water is
odorless and has a slightly salty taste. It is very therapeutic.
On Saturday, February 22nd, 2014, we celebrated the wedding of Lorenz and Ale.
It was a dream wedding. After church, the newly wed pair had to saw through a
wooden log. This is an Austrian custom.
The reception took place at the Hacienda Lomita. The Ecuadorian hospitality, the
beauty of the place and the presentation of the food was astounding. It was easy to
live in the present moment.
Typical Austrian costumes, the Dirndl
At the end of the party, we let illuminated lanterns rise into the night sky.
– The text and pictures are contributed by Garyo –
Note: Please visit the first posting of her Ecuador travelogue with beautiful pictures
(the text and pictures were added on March 1, as the blog editor missed the continu-
ing portion of her manuscript).