Highland dwarfs

Aistė | Travel | July 09, 2010

Have you ever considered the legends’ origin? I had an opportunity to consider this issue when we have visited small village Alausi in the mountains of Ecuador. After this trip I do think that there is a serious of reason why writers placed dwarfs in the mountains.  Since I have been watching locals (by no meanings willing to insult them), I really do think that this legend is based on reality.

There was a fiesta in Alausi, thus many locals were dressed in their national clothes. Youth from other small highland villages and even some dances from Peru and Columbia were present.  Thus, we had a great opportunity to “explore” locals and their neighbors.

People are very shy. However, that does not mean that they are minding only their business. They are really interested in the white faces on their streets, still they lower their eyes as soon as they notice your look. On the other hand everyone that we spoke to were very friendly, patient with our Spanish and helpful.

Very interesting and cute that a lot of these highland locals still dress in their national clothes everyday. These colorful clothes, their height (I’m 1,64 m tall and I’m considered to be a tall woman), shyness and tradition to cary everything on their backs make them look like real fairy tale dwarfs. We felt like we have somehow traveled into an Ecuadorian national fairy tale.

We have planned to catch a train and ride it on the roof in Alausi. We wanted to see famous “El nariz del diablo” that is a XIX century railroad construction wonder. Here the train literally climbs the mountain. However, due to the lack of information we have missed the train. So we just spent more time wondering around the village. We have tasted their national meal – pork skin and decided to move on. We took a bus that was supposed to take us closer to the vulcan Chimborazo, which is the furthest point from the center of the Earth.