1. You see school buses all bedazzled complete with colored lights, but they are NOT for school, you pay a small fee to get on and will be sandwiched between strangers in the aisle. Also, don’t expect people to move when you want off. The good Lord made elbows to throw to aid in exiting buses.
2. Buckets have many uses:
- Coffee
- Juice
- Laundry
- Flushing toilets
- Bucket showers
- Toting water
- Mopping
- Trash receptacle
- Food storage
- Food preparation
- To serve food
- Market displays
- Toting maneuver
- Watering plants
- Plant holder
- Compost
- …and many more!
3. Normal bikes are actually meant for at least 2 people, sometimes more.
4. Motorcycles also work as family vehicles for 4 or more people.
5. Streets are made for people to walk on, in the middle. If a car happens to come, then you can move or they can go around you.
6. Some countries, people will hit humans before they hit the lazy dogs that won’t move out of the road.
7. Brooms can be used to scrub floors and walls, and mops can be used for dry sweeping and wet mopping.
8. Some countries, running water exists only on certain days. Therefore, things such as laundry, showering, etc. revolve around the water schedule.
9. Hot showers are not normal. Be thankful if you have one.
10. Actually, be grateful to have a shower at all.
11. Electricity in Ecuador is twice as expensive after dark.
12. Sometimes, you fail at the language. On this route, that language is Spanish.
- You might mean to ask a store owner how much it costs to use the wifi, but you accidentally ask how much HE costs. Woops…not into that.
- You may try to offer a woman your seat on the bus for the next few hours because she’s been standing for the last 12. But instead you unknowingly profess your love to her and ask her to sit with you for a few hours. Woops again…OR
- …at other times you may try to tell people you’re going to shower because you’re dirty, but instead call yourself a dirty man because you put the wrong ending on the word.
13. Living in your tent is exciting, it means you get your own ‘room’ for the month!
14. Men whistle and cat call at you ALL the TIME. Even if you’re in a baggy t-shirt and basketball shorts with greasy hair. SO attractive! Something about being white…
15. Clothes are not considered dirty until they start to smell bad…but you can’t always tell when that is because you become accustomed to it.
16. When you only get water twice a week, that’s how often you shower.
17. Take toilet paper with you everywhere. Unless you’re at a really upscale mall or pay to use the bathroom, it’s never provided for free.
18. You usually have to pay to use the bathroom, and sometimes toilet paper is not included.
19. Panama has super cheap clothes and food because of the Panama Canal free trade zone!
20. Tomato trees are a real thing. Just don’t expect a normal tomato.
21. You can go volcano boarding in Nicaragua and swim/kayak in a warm volcano crater lake.
22. The equator runs through Ecuador, but if you visit it in Quito, it’s in the mountains and not very hot as one would expect. Still expect a good sunburn though if you forgo sun protection.
23. Yogurt is not refrigerated in Bolivia, and it’s okay.
24. Panama is way hot and muggy unless you go to the mountains.
25. The United States is not the only country that uses the Dollar as money. There’s also Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador…and several others accept it as well. However, when in Panama, they call it a Balboa. Even though the bills clearly say they’re dollars. And if you’re wondering what happened to the gold dollar that people in the States don’t use anymore, they’re all in Ecuador. Seriously. They’re everywhere. Just don’t try to use them in Panama. You’ll have to fight hard to prove they’re US money so they’ll accept them or just end up carrying a bunch around until you find a place that will accept them.
Live Well!
Crystal
P.S.- Stay tuned for the next blog “Life of a Tent Dweller”! Coming to this blog….as soon as I write it. Possible video to be included!
