This post was written by students Elif and Niki. 

We left the village early Saturday morning for a day trip to the city of Otavalo to experience and shop at the famous market. The Otavalo market is one of the biggest in South America. People from all over go there to sell and buy a multitude of goods including alpaca socks, hats, and blankets, live stock, and even puppies and cuy (guinea pigs). Our adventure started off with a scavenger hunt. We took selfies with cows, tried on ponchos, and found out how much a cuy costs. Then we crossed the famous Pan-American highway and made our way to the artisan section of the market. We bought a variety of goods including gag gifts for a secret gift exchange. Everyone got to practice their Spanish and bargaining skills.

Later that night during our group meeting, we played a game called “Birdie on a Perch.” In order to play, everyone chooses a partner and decides who is the birdie and who is the perch. When music starts, everyone begins walking with their eyes eyes closed. As soon as the music stops, the birdie finds the perch and jumps into their partner’s arms. The last group to do so is out, and people continue to get eliminated after every round. After a hilarious game, Max and Eric won. We then exchanged our gag gifts. I, Elif, had been talking about how I wanted an Ecuadorian necklace, so when I received one from Naiya, I was so happy because she knew what I wanted. One of the funniest gifts was a hat Jack received from Avi. It was a colorful beanie that covered his face. After our heart-warming gift exchange, we discussed our plan for the next day. It was a long and fun-filled day with amazing experiences we will remember forever!

– Elif and Niki