/countries/show/ecuador/1.rss en-us Every Saturday the cobbled stone streets of Otavalo transform into a bustling indigenous market stretching as far as a 10-block radius from the centre of town. Hundreds of Otavaleños gather at this hot tourist destination to sell their infamous hand-woven textiles and handicrafts. For those who arrive on a Friday night, Saturday brings an entire new world as the streets of Otavalo overflow with temporary wooden booths filled to the brim with a spectrum of brilliant colours. The Otavalo Market is one of the most famous and largest indigenous markets in Ecuador, and arguably throughout South America. Renowned for its size, prosperity and world-renowned artisans, the Otavalo Market is truly a reflection of the rich indigenous culture and presence in Ecuador. I scrambled out of my hostel early Saturday morning armed with several American bills and a good working knowledge of the Spanish language. Walking downhill to the centre of the Otavalo Market, every turn was slightly overwhelming. Sweaters to the right, ponchos on my left, scarves everywhere, and everything bursting with colour. I didn’t know where to start. I was on a mission to purchase a variety of hand-woven garments. I soon discovered that Otavaleños are skilled textile weavers and artisans who produce a variety of different items, including hand-woven scarves, sweaters, bags, hats, mitts, paintings and jewellery. Situated two hours north of Quito in the province of Imbabura, it is here in the valley of Otavalo that thirty thousand Otavaleños live, making this region home to the most prosperous indigenous community in all of Ecuador. If you have a chance, it is well worth your time to take a day trip to the surrounding villages for the opportunity to meet local families and see how they live. My first purchase at the Otavalo Market was made with an indigenous woman kneeling in front of a wall of scarves piled four feet high and eight feet wide. “Cuanta cuesta? How much?” I asked. Fifteen minutes later I had purchased a hundred scarves and managed to bargain the price down to a number that we were both happy with. Five hours later and over fifteen bargain attempts with other vendors (fourteen successful and one not so much), I was exhausted and had purchased so much stuff that I had to buy four more bags to hold it all. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:36:03 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/otavalo-market http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/otavalo-market Entering the Charles Darwin Research Station, you will feel miles away from the bustling little town of Puerto Ayora, one of the few places in the Galapagos Archipelago that is inhabited year round by humans. Most places visited during trips to the Galapagos find you crowded not by tourists, but by sea lions, iguanas, and Sally Lightfoot crabs, and, while Puerto Ayora is not a metropolis by any stretch of the imagination, a return to civilization is welcomed every once in a while. Approaching the Charles Darwin Research Station a series of ringed walkways guide you through the living quarters of the scientists and geneticists working here in the effort to educate and conserve the biodiversity of the Galapagos. In fact, the Charles Darwin Research Station is dedicated to protecting all native species of the islands, plants included. Plants are exceptionally important in such a precisely balanced environment as the Galapagos, where the slightest change or loss could be devastating to an entire species. The sanctuary’s most famous resident, Lonesome George, the last remaining Abingdon Island Tortoise in the world, symbolizes this threat of extinction. He has been labeled the rarest creature on earth, following the decimation of his local habitat by the introduction of feral goats on Pinta Island. Lonesome George shares his verdant, sunny corral with three female tortoises, chosen for their physical similarity to George, yet they have unfortunately failed to conceive. While geneticists scramble to find a more genetically similar mate, George seems content to sit stoically in the dappled sunlight and wait. In another corral, George's virile opposite, Super Diego, does his part to keep his species going. At over one hundred years old, Diego continues to father more than five hundred tortoises each year, more than three of his younger male counterparts combined. Scientists hope that by studying his amazing potency, they will be able to use what they learn to help save other species from extinction. No visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station is complete without a visit the nursery, where hundreds of baby tortoises are prepared for release into the wild. Each tiny tortoise is marked according to their species and their island of origin. The smallest of which begin smaller than your palm, but will eventually grow to become larger than a fully developed man. These small soldiers offer hope for the life of each of their species, and a continued respect for balance in the fragile Galapagos Archipelago. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:43:09 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/charles-darwin-station http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/charles-darwin-station The Galapagos Islands’ rich natural history has been fascinating the world since Charles Darwin’s famed visit aboard the Beagle in 1835. Once a hideout for pirates and a pit stop for whalers, it is now a hot spot for eco-tourism. Darwin’s exploration in the Galapagos provided the foundation for his most famous writings, The Origin of the Species, which introduces the theory of evolution. The Galapagos Islands are known by many different names, including the Enchanted Islands. It’s easy to see why the islands would be given such a moniker as they are filled with thousands of unique species of flora and fauna, such as the blue footed boobies and giant tortoises. In fact, “Galapago” is an archaic Spanish word referring to the islands’ tortoises, whose shells resemble old Spanish saddles. Home to captivating vistas like red sand beaches, prickly-pear tree forests, rugged volcanoes, and moon-like terrains, the Galapagos is a unique experience with many unparalleled landscapes. The most popular way to experience the Galapagos Islands is aboard an all-inclusive cruise, which allows visitors to visit different islands in the archipelago and participate in a variety of activities including hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, beach-bumming, and scuba diving. To protect the endemic flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands, the Ecuadorian government established the Galapagos National Park in 1959, which makes up about 97.5% of the archipelago. The Charles Darwin Research Station was established on Santa Cruz Island in 1964 to facilitate the implementation of conservation programs on the islands. Every tour in Galapagos is required to have a naturalist guide and all visitors must remain on designated trails or in visitor sites. Despite the strict regulations of the Galapagos Islands, the impact of the tourist industry is of concern. The increase in oil pollution, fuel consumption, boat traffic, and trash that has accompanied the tourism boom is enough to throw the islands’ delicate ecosystem off kilter. Whether you set up base camp on one of the islands or experience the breadth of the archipelago aboard a cruise, make sure to choose tour operators that strive to leave as small of an ecological footprint as possible. When you stop by the Charles Darwin Research Station, consider leaving a donation. By taking these small steps towards protecting the Galapagos Islands, you can help preserve them so they are still around for your children’s children to enjoy. Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:44:45 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/galapagos http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/galapagos