Just after New Year and before school started up again on Monday the 6th, we decided to visit a few markets south of Quito. we booked at a nice hacienda with a great view to Tungurahua Volcano just outside Banos. This volcano has erupted twice while we have been stationed in this country, last year at this time, while we were in Banos with the kids, did not see it due to overcast days, and again in July, while we were away on holidays. Should it happen again, and thinking about my own experiences and not of people living near the volcano, I hope it will happen, we will book into same room with front row seating at hacienda Manteles.
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Cotopaxi volcano seen just as one leave Quito on the Pan American Highway
 We visited the Thursday market in Saquisili, a small town with markets on all 4 city squares and an animal market on the outskirts of town
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| Sherry negotiating on baby llamas, $100 for one. Although they are cute still too big to bring home in the car, so we walked away |
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| Ilinizas volcano in the background |
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| breakfast |
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| A walking supermarket, anything you need from cooking oil, toilet paper, toothpaste, cleaning chemicals, candles, matches |
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| reused old tires, those buckets can hold water |
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| street kitchen |
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| the view of Tungurahua from room at Hacienda |
Second day of the trip, we drove up on the paramo in Llanganates national park
On the way back we came through a village, Pillaro. Here they have a festival each year during first week of January, a parade of men and women in costumes with devils masques. One legend says that many years ago the village chief got tired of young men from the neighbour village coming to steel the young women, so the chief created the devil masque to scare the intruders. Result anyway a very colourfull parade twice daily for a week.
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