Upscale Markets. Way, Way Up.

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All You Need Is a Good Altitude

From mansion elegance to street vendor chic, the great buys in Ecuador may only be exceeded by the breathtaking environs.

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That didn't keep us from exploring the city, a delectable mix of seedy and trendy (New Town) and a maze of colonial-era cathedrals, plazas and museums (Old Town). Of course, we immediately sniffed out the semi-obscure artisans' craft center beneath the San Francisco Cathedral and scooped up gorgeous woven scarves, colorful tagua nut jewelry, Amazonian pottery and folk art crucifixes. Yikes, my first store and I'd already blown $190. I might as well have been in Old Town Alexandria, but consoled myself with the knowledge that this was a fair-trade co-op that supported the indigenous community.

We found treasures that were far more affordable the next day at Otavalo, an hour and a half north via the Pan-American Highway, the region's main north-south route. The largest and most important market in the country, if not the continent, it draws visitors every day of the week, but Saturday's the biggie. We had arranged for a driver from Hacienda Cusin, our lodging for the next two days, to pick us up in Quito early in the morning, and Angel appeared right on time. Two hours later, after dumping our bags at Cusin, we stepped into the Plaza de los Ponchos.

It was dizzying. And paralyzing. Picture an entire town taken over by market stalls: block after block of textiles, jewelry, masks, leather goods, hats, paintings, ceramics, food, clothing and more . . . with Andean pipe music playing, vendors shouting, shoppers pushing, produce smelling. All we could do was plunge in. I memorized: ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much?) ¿Tomará menos? (Will you take less?) And the completely ineffectual Sólo curioso, gracias. (Just looking, thanks.)

We strolled, we pointed, we bargained. Two subtly dyed cotton scarves for $12 seemed plenty cheap to me, but it was a thrill to get them for $10, and the young Andean woman selling them looked happy, too. By the end of the afternoon, I'd accumulated six tagua and seed necklaces ($30), two delicately embroidered baby dresses ($8), two straw-and-leather handbags ($28) and -- my best deal by far -- an enormous multicolored woven tablecloth for $10.

Tip No. 2: Bring lots of tote bags to carry your stuff home.

Far from the gringofest we'd expected, Otavalo was a window onto indigenous culture. It was impossible not to admire the style of the Otavaleños as we made our way around town. They make up 20 percent of the population, and their pride and prosperity are apparent. Their costumes are so distinctive: embroidered white blouses, skirts, layers of gold beads and shawls for the women; long braids, slacks and ponchos for the men. Tiny variations on these themes -- the addition of a fedora, the way a shawl is draped, the fastening on a ponytail -- say everything about where you're from.

The Heights of Luxury

Settling in at the Hacienda Cusin that afternoon, we caught our breath and looked around. Wow. Built in the 17th century and artfully restored over the past decade, the walled estate is a haven of whitewashed buildings, 10 acres of perennial gardens and its own stables. Guest rooms are furnished with rustic antiques, colonial art and regional textiles, and most have fireplaces, which the staff comes in and lights each evening. And all against the dramatic backdrop of the Imbabura volcano.

We wandered into a garden party on the grounds, where a group of vacationing Quiteños was watching a dance troupe perform. Lucy Mehler, a native Ecuadoran sporting pearls, lots of silver jewelry and stylish black capris, said she and her city friends come here once a year to relax in the countryside. Her pride was palpable. "My husband is a hotelier, and we've lived around the world," she said. "We could have picked anywhere to retire. We chose Ecuador."

We ate dinner by firelight that night: quinoa soup with herbs and corn, mushroom tart, chicken and vegetables from the hacienda's garden. Even better: the Chilean wine at $2.50 a glass.

No electricity till 3 p.m., the staff announced the next morning. No problem: We hired a driver and set out for the nearby towns of Agato, San Antonio and Cotacachi for, respectively, textiles, woodcarvings and leather. At the home and workshop of a local weaver, an elderly woman demonstrated the craft for us. She spoke no English, but we didn't need words to comprehend the complexity of her task as she combed the rough wool and turned it into yarn. Then we took the obligatory turn through the shop, where, inspired by the grace of the indigenous women I'd been observing, I bought a black shawl for $45. So worth it.

We hit the jackpot again in Cotacachi, a town with more leather stores than I have ever seen in one place. Adele scored a black jacket for $60, her great find of the trip. I might have bought a purse or two, I forget.

We had no money left for woodcarvings, so it was back to the hacienda for tea. Except there was no electricity for hot water, so we really had no choice but to head to the bar for Chilean red. There, as night descended, we played a fierce game of Scrabble by candlelight. Adele trounced me. I blame the altitude.