Octavalo, Ecuador

This is the biggest market in South America apparently.  I'm sorry.  I return without souvenirs family, just a pair of the typical black velvet shoes the ladies wear that I thought looked like some pretty casual black flats.    I ate a lot of mote, corn, with arvejas, peas, tostado, toasted kernels, some cheese, salt, hot sauce on top.  When I hopped on another bus with my little snack bag, I even asked another vendor for an extra squirt of hot sauce and she gave me a refill, even though I didn't buy from her originally.  Talk about generosity!  I came to Octavalo and it turned out it was party day, a huge street fair, beauty pagent, parade all happening that evening.  I met a Colombian girl who had come into town to hear her friends play Andean music (lots of zampona happening here) and she and I split a  taxi, wandered with me to find a hostel (cheaper than Colombian, about $5 a night) and wander until we found a good viewing spot for the parade.  We got squished a lot, then I lost her, but called it an early night.  Apparently, people stayed out dancing in the street until 2am.  I was pretty beat from bus rides so I was in bed before 10pm.  I ended up in a room with two Austrians who are WALKING all over the world.  They don't carry much, live simply eating lots of fruits and veggies they say, but just get their shoes resoled when needed.  Wow.  Mad props.  Tis amazing what you figure out that you don't really need when you commence life on the road.

Apparently Buddha said (somewhere along the line), Good people keep walking whatever happens...  in good fortune and in bad.  I would use quote marks if only I knew where to find them.  I think that my mini lesson is get over the fact that the nice girl who wanted to take pictures of the parade accidentally deleted all your fotos from Colombia.  Be grateful I still have a camera.  Be thankful to the people who took pictures in Guatape, Medellin, Cocora and Armenia, I have those and I have memories that will stick with me for some time.  Gotcha Buddha.  Be like Nemo.  Just keep swimming.