Northern Ecuador is a verdant land of rolling hills, towering volcanoes, strong cultural identity and skillful craftspeople. Visitors can marvel at the majesty of the Andes, meet local people and take home beautiful crafts. Combined with the country’s rich, diverse but as yet unsung cuisine, these are the elements of a fascinating and rewarding journey.
“We’ve been organizing trips to the northern Andes for decades,” remarks Cristina Valdivieso, Metropolitan Touring’s Commercial Manager for the United States, “but we’re always looking for new ways to inspire our guests and allow them closer contact with people. Cuisine allows us to do just that, and our new full-day hands-on experience has the added twist of an encounter with the colors and flavors of the Ecuadorian Andes.”
Guests depart Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, for a scenic drive through, down and round the Andes to Otavalo, a well-known cultural and handcraft center surrounded by volcanoes, rivers and lakes. Its residents are friendly and welcoming, and rank among the most successful indigenous groups on the continent.
Although the itinerary includes time at their famous handcraft market, where eye-catching textiles predominate, the main focus of the visit is on local cuisine and ingredients in the nearby ‘municipal’ market where the Otavalos make a stop to eat when they come with their wares to the market (sorry, no tasting here)—a place bursting with the aromas of home cooking and dozens of spices. Here, guests can get an idea of the stunning range of produce available in Ecuador, a result of the country’s numerous climates and ecosystems.
From the market, a short drive leads to the 17th-century
Andean estate of Hacienda Cusin, where a chef will be waiting to walk visitors through the preparation of a tasty, traditional Ecuadorian lunch.
Guests will prepare their own grilled trout from nearby Andean rivers and farms, empanadas (turnovers stuffed with a variety of ingredients), ending with a famous helado de paila for dessert (ice cream made in the traditional way by hand with pure fruit juice). All is washed down with a glass of wine.
On the way back to Quito, the itinerary visits the showroom of an Andean rose plantation. Ecuador grows the world’s most beautiful varieties, and color explodes throughout the farm as visitors learn how roses are grown, packaged and shipped.
Metropolitan Touring’s new itinerary is a rewarding day, full of Andean landscapes, cultural interest, vivid colors and intense flavors.
Metropolitan Touring, www.metropolitan-touring.com