Artesanias
A walk down Amazonas in Quito will quickly give you an idea of the wealth of handicrafts being made in Ecuador; you'll also see, in some of the classy boutiques, that the work can be of a very high quality. For the best deals, however, for both you and the artist, go to the source, where you'll also get a chance to watch pieces being made. Some local markets, most notably Otavalo, feature a range of crafts from many surrounding communities. In other cases, you can go to the workshops themselves, chat to the experts and buy from them directly. Perhaps Ecuador's best-known craft is weaving , in part due to the popularity of the Otavalo weaving market. A good deal of textiles, certainly those of the highest quality, are still made by traditional means, using backstrap looms, for example. Although you'll see plenty of chunky woollen hats, gloves and sweaters, hammocks and wall hangings, not everything is made with an eye for the tourist dollar; home-woven belts, blouses, hair-wraps, shawls, ponchos and hats are as much a part of indigenous traditional dress as ever. Weaving is not confined to the Otavalo area, and you can pick up fine textiles and tapestries across the sierra. Salasaca , near Ambato, is famous for its colourful tapestries , while other villages in the area produce shigras , knotless net bags made from woven fibres. Further south, around Cuenca, you'll find the beautiful ikat ponchos , made by the time-consuming process of weaving previously tie-dyed threads. On the coast, most famously in Montecristi near Manta, weavers work in dimly lit workshops to produce the Panama hat , the world's worst-named piece of headgear, considering it originated and is just about exclusively made in Ecuador. Woodcarving is also a strong tradition, with San Antonio de Ibarra in the northern sierra enjoying a reputation for some of the best carvings on the continent. Far removed from the graceful lines and intricate chiselling of San Antonio's workshops, in the Andean foothills of the Oriente, brightly coloured balsa parrots and toucans are made, from the smallest keyrings to carvings you'd have trouble hauling through the front door. Further into the Oriente, the distinction between craft and function becomes more blurred. Blowpipes, bows and arrows, and knitted fibre bags are as much tools of the trade as handicrafts, though necklaces and ceremonial headdresses are often available too (avoid those made from birds' feathers, as it's illegal to take them out of the country). Tagua nuts , also known as vegetable ivory, are the sustainable alternative to the real thing, and are carved into exquisite miniatures of animals and birds, while in Calderon , outside Quito, bread dough is the material of choice for making colourful figures and gewgaws. Cotacachi , near Otavalo, is the country's centre for leatherware , with racks of belts, bags and jackets for sale. In the odd highland village, such as La Esperanza outside Ibarra, you can have bespoke articles made, whether cowboy boots or saddles and riding gear.
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