I arrived in Ecuador, a country of 15 million people and was immediately struck by how reserved they are in comparison with the Colombians. The socialist President Rafael Correa has just won another landslide victory in the elections and most people I speak to are complimentary of him, although some are skeptical about deals with the Chinese to let them extract oil and other natural resources. When first elected Correa famously told George Bush that the US could retain their military base in Ecuador provided he could establish an Ecuadorian military base in Florida. The US base - surprise, surprise - is no more.
My first three days were spent in Otavalo staying in a cottage in a wonderful hacienda. I was the only guest and had an army of people looking after me including someone lighting my log fire and putting a hot water bottle in my bed while I had dinner. It is warm here during the day but at night gets very cold because of the altitude. The hotel, Las Palmeras Inn, is one of the most relaxed and friendly places I have ever stayed in and a bargain at £40 per night. www.laspalmerasinn.com
Otavalo lies in The Northern Highlands of Ecuador with the altitude ranging from 2500 to almost 5000 metres.Try jogging. It is not easy. The landscape and lush countryside remind me of Scotland.
I was in for another dose of indigenous culture because this is home to the Otavalenos who hold strongly to their traditions. Many of the men and boys wear long single pigtails, white trousers, ponchos and felt hats. The women are very striking with hand embroidered blouses, long skirts and shawls. Every Saturday they come to town to buy and sell animals and produce, starting at five o'clock in the morning. The animal market is sheer chaos and if you don't want to see live chickens with their feet bound or bulls running amok then this is not for you. By 10am everyone has done a full day's work and tucks into whole roast pigs, chicken and fresh trout prepared by market vendors.
The Otavalo region is famous for many things - the traditions of its people, amazing leather goods, great coffee and wonderful scenery.
I went on a seven and a half mile hike around the circumference of Lake Cuicocha. At over 4900 metres the air is thin. Cuicocha means guinea pig - eaten by the locals and considered a delicacy. In the middle of the lake - see photographs - there are two islands. The indigenous people who lived here hundreds of years ago thought the larger of the two islands looked like a guinea pig, hence the name. Lake Cuicocha lies within an extinct volcano although the water still bubbles and no fish can survive in the lake because of the sulphur.