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We’ve visited Otovalo just before entering Colombia. It is famous for its Saturday market, claimed to be the biggest in South America. It was an interesting experience indeed.

In the animal part of the market, next to a big bag kicking in all directions, two heavyweight pigs got in a fierce fight. One almost lost its ear. Probably they don’t know that sooner or later they will end up on the table as a tasty parilla. The cows were blankly staring at the scene, and small pigs were loudly squeaking while being dragged away by their owners.

In the product’s part, the same animals could be bought, but in a significantly altered state. They were complemented by all sorts of weird fruits.

Finally, in the craft products section (Polish ‘Cepelia’), we could admire the products of local artists. There were hundreds of stands and each was essentially selling the same set of things. We also had an occasion to experience the local pick-pocketing techniques. While walking on a not so crowded street, I was suddenly squeezed from all sides by ‘random’ people passing by. My first reaction was to check the pockets (mine, not theirs). Bingo! – somebody’s hand was already trying to borrow some items. Of course, there was nothing important in my pockets anyway. So far 2:0 for us! The general common sense should help avoid 99% of potential problems. Pure luck accounts for the remaining 1%.

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