OTAVALO/COTOCACHI

Hope everyone is staying safe! The hurricane is all the news here. I’ve been super busy at Academia Cotopaxi getting ready for the new school year, attending orientation meetings and setting up my classroom. It’s huge! I have a SMART board in front, an entire wall of windows with a million dollar view of the rolling Andean hills and volcanos, lots of little nooks and spaces that 7 year olds will love! We begin September 5…so much still to prepare!

But, I’ve really been getting the royal treatment here. Yesterday, the school took us to the market in Otavalo, stopping along the way at the “real” equator site. (Yes, there’s some debate as to the location of the actual line!). The best part was the Hacienda where we stopped for lunch. Just an exquisite presentation of all the food…for all my foodie friends let me describe it. For those of you not interested in these sorts of things skip to the next paragraph! So, we arrive, the doors are held, we are greeted with hot towels. The starter was ceviche in a music box! Then a delicious rich plantain soup followed by  a palate cleanser of basil sorbet. The entrée was coconut shrimp and fish. Really flavorful. Followed by passion fruit mouse.  Yum. Apparently foreign dignitaries and other wealthy travelers stay in the Hacienda which also includes a full spa.

Cotocachi was after lunch…it’s a town full of leather. I got a nice light brown satchel. I’ve just been go go go-meeting new folks at social events, arranging the room, reading a new curriculum. It will be nice to relax today!

Stay safe!

Rachel