Hello there, this is Katie reporting from Chiclayo, Peru. As Heather mentioned, we arrived in Peru yesterday and have been exploring this town ever since. It is a small to medium sized town and it is sweltering hot. We are thankful for every indoor facility with AC. As far as I know, this is in drastic opposition to the conditions you all enjoying back at home, as I have seen facebook pictures of trees covered in ice. Please send some ice here. At least I can put it in my room temperature coca cola. I opted out of the beach today, preferring to spend my time in a Plaza or park. But Heather is off to catch some more rays but Hallye is also accompanying me and catching up on emails and whatnot. She is also blogging at the moment telling you all more about Vilcabamba, our last stop in Ecuador.
So far Peru is nice and the icecream is even more unavoidable than it was in Ecuador. Yesterday Hallye and I made a pact that we would limit ourselves to one indulgence a week with the ice cream. Lets see..that was last night...I doubt we make it past midday. After internet, we are headed to the market where they sell love potions and rabbit tongues. No seriously. Peru has a very rich shamanistic culture and we are about to check out what all the fuss is about. DOn´t worry, we won´t be having any spells cast on us...unless they have something to do with getting rich or being immune to heat. More on Peru later, though. I think its time for some ECUADOR TOP TEN LESSONS LEARNED_TRUTHS TO BE TOLD!!!!
OK, now before I begin let me say this...you may get the impression that most of these seem to be casting a negative light on Ecuador. DO NOT, please, get the idea that for some reason we left Ecuador thinking it was a rotten country. They are meant to be humorous and at the same time entirely true and sarcastic and Ecuador would not have been the wonderful place that it is without these. So here we go...
1. Buses will NOT stop for passengers. You must employ McGuyver-like tactics and use any means necessary to get yourself on and off a moving bus.
2. There is no such thing as liability. Basilicas will let you climb their metal stairs to the bell towers during lighting storms. Schools will allow five year old children to walk home in down-town Quito. You cross the street at your own risk even when the green walking man says its ok. Again...buses stop for no one.
3. Law enforcement is more like a social club for people who want to wear cool uniforms and carry guns. Cops stand around texting while you are getting robbed on the trolleybus..where the conductor is also texting.
4. Food is good. And Cheap. One word...Almuerzo. One Price...$1.50.
5. You white? You pay more. Market sign says $1.00? you pay $1.25. The so called ¨Tourist Tax¨.
6. You wipe? You pay 10 cents. You want clean bathroom? You got it, complete with toilet seat and paper.
7. Speaking of Internet Cafes, there is a one in ten chance that that your microphone, headset, camera, keyboard, and mouse will work simultaneously. Makes it hard when skype is your only communication with the United States.
8. Ecuador is beautiful. A ten hour bus ride is no problem. Its like watching a National Geographic Marathon or Planet Earth Live. Yóu´ve got sea, moutain, jungle...
9. I´m not sure if you all know this but... littering creates jobs. You are doing the trash picker-uppers a disservice if you do not throw every bit of your garbage out the window. If you do not litter, you are taking away the jobs of thousands of people. Something to think about Obama.
10. If you do not know where you are going, DO NOT ask for directions. People would rather tell you wrong directions than say they have not the slightest idea where you are trying to go. You are better off just wandering around for hours.
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