Next stop after Papallacta was famous town of Cotocachi. It’s fame derives from local leather goods production; it even has dedicated ‘leather’ street with multiple stores offering many designs. Next Cotacachi to is Otavalo, with largest indigenous market in South America. The vibrancy of colours of each stall and its products of textile, jewelry and painting creates feast for the eye.

Just slightly north is amazing Laguna Cuicocha, a volcano caldera filled with lake and two islands. As I hiked up over the ridges, I constantly encountered many new alpine flowers. Some were of the same species as we see in North America, but most a totally new discovery to me. It is a such an amazing feeling to see something totally new and as an artist it awakens the feeling of innocence and purity.

After leaving the highlands of Cotacachi, I continued south to capital city of Quito to see and paint the ancient Inca ruins of Rumicuho. I set along the ancient stone wall, staring into immense valley below. I tried to imagine how the landscape looked and felt before the modern infrastructure took over surrounding planes and hills. The mist and fog were constantly moving in and out of the valley giving it out worldly expression.

No visit to the area would be without the visit to the ‘Mitad del Mundo’, the exact point where the equator crosses the Ecuador. It was mapped out by two French scientific expeditions.

Notes from the Field: Cotacachi Higlands.