Only five minutes away from the city of Otavalo are found two attractive touristic spots: the San Pablo Lake, found southeast of the city; and the Lechero Tree, located at the top of a nearby famous hill called “Rey Loma”, where an indigenous fortress was built. These two magical places are the main characters of a fascinating legend:
The story tells that North of Ecuador in the Andean mountain range, in a region now known as the Imbabura province, there was a time of great drought during which nothing would grow at the fields. According to the indigenous tradition of those times, it was necessary for a young maiden to be sacrificed in order to calm down the rage of the Imbabura volcano, who was believed to be the cause of such bad season.
A beautiful indigene girl called “Nina Pacha” (which means “Light Source”) was chosen for the sacrifice. Nina Pacha was in love with a young man called Guatalquí, who was ready to do anything to save the life of his beloved one. It was impossible to escape from the village, since it was very well surveyed, so the lovers decided to get help from a powerful wizard. He told them that the only way to leave the village and escape from the sacrifice would be having Nina Pacha cut one of her two beautiful long braids. Both lovers had to hold on to one end of the braid without letting go, as a proof of their union and their love’s strength. The wizard added that they could not look at each other’s face nor back to the village until reaching the top of the nearby mountain, otherwise she would become a lake and he would become a tree.
The lovers began their escape following the instructions from the wizard. With a lot of effort, the couple was finally approaching the peak of the mountain, but they were not alone: they were being chased by a crowd of angry villagers. When the two lovers were about to get caught, Nina Pacha could not help looking back, and Guatalquí did the same involuntarily. At that moment, the sky cleared and the Imbabura volcano awoke from his sleep. The beautiful Nina Pacha became a big lake at the feet of the volcano; and at the same time a lightning struck the young man, who vanished leaving behind a leafy tree known nowadays as the “Lechero”. At the end, the shocked villagers witnessed a hard rain falling over the fields …the drought was over.
It is said that from that moment on, the lake and its guardian tree became a place of prayer and rituals related to the crops. The tree and the lake are very close to one another, and you can have a whole sight of the lake from the top of the hill where the tree is at, as if the young Guatalquí kept surveying his beloved Nina Pacha, staying together forever like they couldn’t before.
Nowadays, it is believed that when you visit the Lechero tree for the first time, you can make a wish while hugging him tightly. As long as it is a positive wish, the tree will make it come true.
Photo: Ecuador a la Carte
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