Otavalo revisited: The livestock market

A year ago, we visited Otavalo along with three other couples during the temple closure. It was a very interesting experience to see the market place being set up in the central plaza beneath our hotel window starting at 4:00 AM and then to look at the many products and foods that were on display. There is something about the Otavale~nos that is captivating. Maybe it's their dress. Their unpretentiousness or their work ethic. Whatever it is, we never seem to tire of seeing them or being with them. We love to see them come to the temple, to welcome them at the reception desk or see them sitting in the baptistry waiting area in their distinctive Sunday best. And so it was with pleasant anticipation that we went to Otavalo again to revisit the central market place. This year we also visited the livestock market. This is not like the livestock market in Jerome, Idaho or any other that you might see in the states. Here it is a free wheeling market place. The "farmers" bring whatever animal(s) they have to sell and park in any available space in a two acre area to display it. The day was damp with a light rain falling most of the time, but that didn't seem to dampen the spirits of the sellers or the buyers. It is all over before noon. The animals that we saw on display were: sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs (an expensive delicacy here), chickens, ducks, and one lone cow. There may have been horses for sale but we didn't see them. Entire families participate. Children will tend a goat or some other animal while their parents are busy doing something else. It is interesting for us to see the children involved in this process as they prepare for their own future in this society.
Otavalo is a city of less than one hundred thousand people surrounded by volcanoes and mountains of the northern Andes. The elevation is about 9000 feet but it doesn't seem that high. The mountains towering over the city and the green landscape give the impression that it is much lower. The majority of the residents (probably 80 or 90 percent) are indigenous, quichua speaking people. Those who have joined the church consider themselves "lamanitas" and the other people "latinos". There are two stakes of the Church in the area. Most people are bilingual. They speak spanish as well as quichua (their native language). Some of the older generation do not speak spanish so most church services are conducted in quichua with the hymns being sung in spanish and a few words and phrases in spanish. The temple ceremonies are available in their language and efforts are being taken to have native quichua speakers assist them in the temple. Now, back to the livestock market. Some of the highlights are shown in the photos. But there were others as well. A boy sitting with his goat on a grassy bank overlooking the market place, a dog nose to nose with a rabbit, children with guinea pigs and chickens. One pig being "led' across a road by his new owner. His feet were braced against the effort and his squeeling could be heard for blocks. The pigs had to be lifted into the back of pickup trucks. (a daunting effort with the two hundred pound pigs objecting all the time) Upon leaving the livestock market we proceeded on foot back toward the center of town, through the fruit and vegetable market, then through streets crammed with vendors with all kinds of things to sell. Along the way I spied a hat that looked like it might offer some protection against the downpour that had descended upon us. The price was a reasonable $14 and the hat served its purpose well. A few blocks more we found another vendor of hats who was willing to sell the same hat for $6. Oh well, win some, lose some. The experience served to remind us that these people are expert at what they do. They are able to size up a customer and set the price accordingly. They have been doing this for hundreds of years.