After dropping off our bikes we wandered La Mariscal in search of a hostel, which is apparently one of the most dangerous things you can do in Quito on a Sunday. This is because of common muggings in that area due to the lack of crowds and police presence. Somehow we managed not to get robbed. After some searching we found a nice little hostel on Juan Rodriguez St.
The next day we decided to move to the Old Town historical district which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. It was lovely and quaint and we stayed there for the rest of our stay in Quito.
At some point we took a bus out to Otavalo which is about a two hour ride from Quito. Otavalo is famous for its indigenous market known as Plaza de los Ponchos. We went on a Tuesday which is far from its most popular day, Saturday, but the amount of crafts and goods sold is still somewhat overwhelming. I got talked into buying a colorful woven purse and Josh naturally bought a shrunken head. It’s fake, we hope.
tomorrow part 5
