"After a full day spent sketching and painting the sights of the old part of Quito, I set off to spend my last few days in the area, to the north of the city. I started by taking an early bus to Olavato, a distance of about 75 miles. It was a scenic ride with the road descending into the spectacular Guayllabamba gorge, before climbing back into an area of rolling hills and fertile dairy farmland. A few miles out of Olavato the road passed along the side of a large lake, flanked on the side by a beautiful volcano.
 
Within a short time of my arrival it clouded over and soon started to rain. I had planned to spend the night in Olivato, which was highly praised in my guide book. However, I realised with the deteriorating weather there would be little for me to do, so when I noticed there was a 3pm train on to Ibarro, I decided to take it.
 
I returned to Olavato and soon found a hotel. The following morning there was a weekly market with a special area set aside for the local weavers. These weavers, who were famous throughout South America for their products, worked from their homes in the surrounding villages. I found the designs of the many different garments and rugs on display all most attractive, and I could understand why the weavers of this area are so highly regarded. Although on the rest of this trip, I had avoided buying any souvenirs, mainly because of the problem of having to carry them, as I was now nearly at the end of my trip, this seemed an ideal opportunity to buy something. With so much that I would have liked, I found it quite difficult deciding what to have. In the end, after some hard but friendly bargaining, I settled for a poncho and woolly hat, bought for £7.50.
 
Having found the market of so much interest, after buying my souvenirs I thought I would go out to one of the nearby villages, in the hope of seeing some of the weavers at work. The 3 mile walk through the lanes to Pecuche, the village I chose to visit, was a pleasant one and was well rewarded. Not only did I get the chance to paint the picture above, but found the villagers most friendly, and happy for me to come into their small workshops and watch them at work." - MH