Otavalo, Part 3 - Food

(Otavalo, Ecuador)- While the traditional clothes and handicrafts are a draw for tourists, locals buy food for the next week's consumption. It's definitely different from how we shop at Kroger's.

I bought a small loaf of bread for Isabel to munch on. It cost eight cents. I couldn't believe it when the young girl said "ocho centavos". I had her repeat it twice- not because my Spanish was so bad, but because I just couldn't believe the price could be so low.

I really screwed up by not eating a single thing from the carts. The guidebooks warned that while the food was authentically local and quite tasty, it also brought with it some health risks. I'm such a wuss. What's a little diarrhea?

Bananas or plantains. Either was widely available. They filled the air with sweet aroma.

Fresh grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. It's a pain to scoop 100 grams of beans from the ground to a bag for sale, never mind the health risks. I don't know why they sell food from the ground.