Did you know that Panama Hats are actually made in Ecuador. They have been making them for hundreds of years. The story goes something like this. When the Ecuadorians decided to export their hats, the only port that could ship them all over the world was Panama. So, when the hats arrived at their different destinations, everyone thought that since the hats came from the port of Panama, they were made there.

The making of the hat is fascinating. It all starts with a local plant here in Ecuador and goes thru many stages. If you would like to see more about the hat, go to this website - http://www.homeroortega.com/trayectoria.php?id=EN

I went to the Museum today to see it personally. There are several places to view the making of the hats, but the one I visited was Del Sombraro, Homero Ortega. When I arrived, a tour guide had just started his talk. It was kind of funny, because the group I joined to see the tour were French people, the guide only spoke French. So I have been studying Spanish for 2 months and get a tour in French! Merci Beaucoup!

The actual weaving of the hats is done as a home business. Then they are brought to the cities to be processed into colors and various shapes. The finished products were absolutley beautiful. At the museum the hats were priced from $45.00 and up. I believe I will buy some at the small local shops in Cuenca where you can purchase them for $12.00 and up.