We arrived back at the IES Abroad offices at 8 PM after a varied 13-hour excursion north of Quito. Departing at 7 AM, our first stop was an important archaeological site called Cochasqui. 
The Caranqui people built a series of flat-topped pyramids here, some of which are in reasonable shape. These pyramids pre-date the Incan culture.
Next we stopped at a local restaurant for a late breakfast. The restaurant featured a local bread called bischotos, served with cheese. The coffee, tea and hot chocolate were excellent as well.
Then, it was on to the market at Otavalo. On Saturdays, the roads through the center of town are closed to traffic so even more vendors can crowd into the market. The diversity of crafts and foods was amazing. 
Collectively, we made a significant contribution to the Ecuadorian GNP!
The next stop was a wonderful lunch in the nearby town of Cotacachi. From there we drove to Laguna Cuicocha, a large lake that fills the crater of the Cotacachi volcano. 
Three islands in the center of the lake are actually dormant volcanic cones that rise above the deep water. The water here is relatively warm (62 degrees Fahrenheit) because of the heat being generated from below the lake by magma. Andean Coots were very common along the shoreline. We all took a 30-minute cruise around the lake with an informative guide who explained the formation of the crater and the lake. We then hopped on the bus and came back to Quito.