OTAVALO CITY
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Here they teach to meet the most wonderful things about Otavalo
Otavalo Culture
The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool (that is sometimes as black as a raven), which are sold at the famous Saturday market. Although the largest market is on Saturday, there is a very wide range of wares available throughout the week in thePlaza de los Ponchos, and the many local shops. The shops sell textiles such as handmade blankets, tablecloths, and much more.
The Otavalo market consists of ninety mushroom-shaped concrete umbrellas with benches. The market was designed and built in 1970 by Dutch architect Tonny Zwollo.
During the market's peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling textiles, tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods and spools of wool.
Otavalo was an area made up principally of farming communities due to the rich volcanic soils in this area, but with the growth of tourism, the town has begun to focus more on the making of handicrafts which have made the Saturday market a popular stop with visitors to Ecuador. Tourism has become the town's main industry and as a result there are many morehotels, hostels, and tour operators than other similarly sized Ecuadorian towns, such as nearby Cayambe. Further, Otavaleño (people from Otavalo) have had notable success selling their goods abroad.
As Otavalo is famous for its textiles, many of the nearby villages and toCotacachi, for example, is the center of Ecuador's leather industry. In San Antonio, where the local specialty is wood carving, the main street prominently displays carved statues, picture frames, and furniture.
wns are famous for their own particular crafts.
wns are famous for their own particular crafts.
Traditional Clothing
Music
Otavalo is also known for its traditional music and musicians. Every summer the music of Otavalo, and the surrounding areas, plays a primary role in the indigenous festival for the summer solstice, called Inti Raymi. There are many musical groups currently traveling around the world promoting their music (sometimes known asAndean New Age). This style of ternationally is the hip-hop group "Los Nin", which ramusic has had notable commercial success worldwide. One group from Otavalo which has toured inps in Kichwa and Spanish.Language: Quechua
Use a cotton blouse and a wide pants to mid-thigh, men bear a heavy poncho dark blue wool felt hat with a wide brim on her braid and combed fabric sandals with soles of rope. Women, wear a shawl tied around her forehead on an embroidered white blouse. Overlapping wear two skirts wool, rolled at the waist and fastened with belts handmade. Also they comb in a single braid, covering with a blanket. They are located mainly in the region of Imbabura and live at an altitude of about 2500-3500 m. This is the main reason I always found them wrapped in their woolen clothes features. Otavaleños keep many of their ancestral traditions, including hand crafted fabrics. They grow corn, beans, potatoes, peppers ... in their fields and orchards. These properties are usually very small, since by tradition, inherited land is equally divided among all the children. Only in the high slopes, out of the city, they subsist on their own crops of barley, wheat and quinoa. Every year on the Feast of the armor, is revived for three days, the Inca culture, in an elaborate show. Also in summer, the social event of the year, the feast of San Juan, which coincides with the Intiraimi (Inca festival of the summer solstice), and develops over two weeks in which ceases all activity takes place. This exceptional village retains its language, their traditional clothing and many other customs. Despite adapt to the times, he has managed to retain its Indian identity and therefore are known as Indian aristocrats. The official language is Castilian, but there are other indigenous languages such as Quechua, zaparo.
TOURISM
Otavalo is a city with a vast tourist wealth. The diversity of the region has led to thousands of species of flora and fauna. It has different places and crafts classes. Not in vain Otavalo is considered as one of the main cities to visit in Ecuador concentrating the greatest biodiversity of the province and Ecuador. It also has a wide range of cultures. In regions inhabited by indigenous nationalities, who have their own worldview. The Otavalo Quichua villages. And in the city, live mainly mestizos, whites and Afro. The official language is Castilian, but there are other indigenous languages such as Quechua, záparo. The resources of the earth is used to give life to the craft. The production of textiles, hats or carving wood, stone or leather represent the lifestyle of these people, their religion, myths and imaginary.
CRAFTS
The Otavalo city and have created companies remain the textile trade. Internationally, Ecuador Otavalo is known, since indigenous entrepreneurs have to walk his native music, dress, customs and cultural values in Europe, Asia and America. The Otavalo, brave men and women who survived the Inca and Spanish conquests, have proven to be a people able to cope with their honest labor, based specifically on their crafts and the proof is that the city prosperous families will appreciate their business . The beautiful landscapes of this region of Ecuador is a source of constant inspiration for national and foreign tourists, similarly as this wonderful nature has been recorded in the eyes of its inhabitants, our aim to welcome visitors a souvenir made by their own hands, as a sign of an unforgettable experience.
