Photo Gallery

These cone-shaped huts are made entirely of páramo straw (ichu grass). They are a direct legacy of the Puruhá culture. They are actively maintained in communities around Cajabamba in the canton of Colta (Chimborazo province). The people wear traditional dress, which includes felt hats with short brims and thick woollen ponchos. These provide protection against the extreme cold of the Ecuadorian Andes. – Ecuador – 1977

Sunday market in Cajabamba, west of Riobamba. Two hundred varieties of potato, ranging from small white tubers to huge red sweet potatoes, a dozen varieties of maize, quinoa (‘Peruvian rice’), pulses, as well as animal feed and, occasionally, modern fertilisers and colourings are on offer at these markets. - Book: Picture 31 - Ecuador - 1976

Lunch at the Sunday market in Cajabamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 137 - Ecuador - 1976

An indigenous woman from Riobamba in her traditional dress, carrying her child on her back in a sling. The brown felt hat is typical of the indigenous population (mostly Kichwa) of Chimborazo Province around Riobamba; it is a distinctive symbol of indigenous identity and belonging in this region. The child is carried safely on her back in a traditionally woven sling. The poncho provides reliable protection against the cold in the cool high altitudes of the Andes. – 1977