many shops in Calderon: "Bread Dough" figures
Calderon is just north of Quito. On your way north to Otavalo, stop by one of the numerous shops- you'll see them from the highway- that sell "masapan", Calderon's world famous "bread dough" figures. There is a huge variety of this brightly painted craft - my favorites are the ones that sit in buses - so cute! I can't remember exactly how much the bigger pieces cost, but you can buy the smaller pieces, like pigs and penguins, 5 for $1. Even if you don't buy any, it is still worth the trip to check them out. And in most places you can see people actually making them too.
