Random Observations
These are things I´ve noticed throughout my trip. They´re not specific to any area or country.
1. Change. No one, not vendors, not restaurants nor stores have change. The problem is compounded by the fact that the ATMs only give large bills ($20.00 is considered a large bill). There is always a stand off to see who`s going to produce the change first. I´m pretty good at holding out.
2. Fried food. If you order it, they will fry it. The Latin American diet is based heavily on fried food, not rice and beans, as I once thought.
3. Street food. Most guide books recommend against it. But I´ve found some delicious cheap eats from folks cooking and selling food in stalls on the streets. The best was the chicken lady on the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. I along with some friends had our dinner there almost nightly. Often, for extra cash locals will buy a giant 3 liter of soda and sell it by the cup full. It appears to be a profitable business venture.
4. Keys in the door. If you leave your key in your hotel room door and go to bed, don´t be suprised to be awoken by a strange man in your room lecturing you in Spanish about leaving your key in the door. Oof!
5. Wolf calls. No, they don´t think you´re super cute. It´s a national sport and they do it to pass the day.
6. Busses. Vendors will board busses to sell their wares. They´ll stay on the bus for a stop or two before getting out. You can buy food (fried of course) ice cream, water, soda, belts and snake oil. You will almost certainly learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. If it will fit through the doors, they will transport it. One of my more memorable trips involved climbing over two kitchen cabinets in the isle of the bus to get to my seat. I´ve also seen mattresses folded in half and stuffed into the storage area below the bus. Bed frames fit nicely in the isle. Busses are NEVER too full. In particular the chicken busses. If you stop it, they will board. One recent trip I notice a woman with 3 geese secured in a large sack with their necks sticking out. Imagine my suprise at the end of the trip (5 hours) when they got them off the roof of the bus for her. They were alive and well. The roof of the bus will also do as a seat if you´re desperate to get somewhere.
7. Ceviche. Ceviche here is cooked, which mind you, I don´t think is necessarily a bad thing.
8. Athlete´s Foot. Who knew it would be so itchy?
9. Dogs. Most are strays, however there are some pets. The cutest thing is seeing them with homemade harnesses made out of twine. And of course, they are permitted on busses. Strays however are regularily kicked.
10. Service. If there is a good conversation to be had in the kitchen, most waitresses will let you starve before taking your order. There is simply no sense of urgency. Getting the check usually involves flagging someone down and then arm wrestling.
11. Drinks. Getting drinks to go is not a problem. They pour it into a little bag and send you off with a straw. How convienent!
12. Child labor laws. Simply do not exist.
13. My Backpack. I have come to loathe my backpack. It weighs more than I´d like to know, despite giving away as much as I can. I constantly am bruised on my upper arms. Sometimes I fantasize about it getting stolen.
14. Traffic lights and stop signs. These are treated more as suggestions than requirements. The most unique stop lights I saw was in Flores, Guatemala. It was a guy putting out orange cones on the road and then moving them off.
15. Coffee. Coffee in Latin America (with a few notable exceptions) is total schwag. Most of the times it´s instant coffee or Nescafe. It´s just wrong and broken. I once had hot milk served with a side of coffee syrup. Most of the good stuff is exported so what remains is slim to none. Milk, to go with the coffee is usually powered milk and water, heater. I´m becoming pretty good at skimming off the skin. EW!
16. Waiting in line. Most people don´t get the concept of waiting in line. They cut, push and shove with little regard for anyone in front of them.
17. Toilet paper. Last but not least, it pays to keep a roll in your bag, at all times. And it is NEVER put in the bowl and flushed. It goes in the trash barrell. I´ve finally gotten accustomed to it, and it´s not as foul as it sounds. Trash is emptied daily.
More observations...
18. Number of hotel rooms inexplicitly missing toilet seats: 2
19. Number of hotel rooms sporting exposed, sketchy wiring: 11
20. Sadness. There is nothing sadder than seeing a monkey chained to a tree.
21. Plants. It´s amazing to see so many gorgeous plants (that I have potted back home) just growing naturally in the wild.
1. Change. No one, not vendors, not restaurants nor stores have change. The problem is compounded by the fact that the ATMs only give large bills ($20.00 is considered a large bill). There is always a stand off to see who`s going to produce the change first. I´m pretty good at holding out.
2. Fried food. If you order it, they will fry it. The Latin American diet is based heavily on fried food, not rice and beans, as I once thought.
3. Street food. Most guide books recommend against it. But I´ve found some delicious cheap eats from folks cooking and selling food in stalls on the streets. The best was the chicken lady on the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. I along with some friends had our dinner there almost nightly. Often, for extra cash locals will buy a giant 3 liter of soda and sell it by the cup full. It appears to be a profitable business venture.
4. Keys in the door. If you leave your key in your hotel room door and go to bed, don´t be suprised to be awoken by a strange man in your room lecturing you in Spanish about leaving your key in the door. Oof!
5. Wolf calls. No, they don´t think you´re super cute. It´s a national sport and they do it to pass the day.
6. Busses. Vendors will board busses to sell their wares. They´ll stay on the bus for a stop or two before getting out. You can buy food (fried of course) ice cream, water, soda, belts and snake oil. You will almost certainly learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. If it will fit through the doors, they will transport it. One of my more memorable trips involved climbing over two kitchen cabinets in the isle of the bus to get to my seat. I´ve also seen mattresses folded in half and stuffed into the storage area below the bus. Bed frames fit nicely in the isle. Busses are NEVER too full. In particular the chicken busses. If you stop it, they will board. One recent trip I notice a woman with 3 geese secured in a large sack with their necks sticking out. Imagine my suprise at the end of the trip (5 hours) when they got them off the roof of the bus for her. They were alive and well. The roof of the bus will also do as a seat if you´re desperate to get somewhere.
7. Ceviche. Ceviche here is cooked, which mind you, I don´t think is necessarily a bad thing.
8. Athlete´s Foot. Who knew it would be so itchy?
9. Dogs. Most are strays, however there are some pets. The cutest thing is seeing them with homemade harnesses made out of twine. And of course, they are permitted on busses. Strays however are regularily kicked.
10. Service. If there is a good conversation to be had in the kitchen, most waitresses will let you starve before taking your order. There is simply no sense of urgency. Getting the check usually involves flagging someone down and then arm wrestling.
11. Drinks. Getting drinks to go is not a problem. They pour it into a little bag and send you off with a straw. How convienent!
12. Child labor laws. Simply do not exist.
13. My Backpack. I have come to loathe my backpack. It weighs more than I´d like to know, despite giving away as much as I can. I constantly am bruised on my upper arms. Sometimes I fantasize about it getting stolen.
14. Traffic lights and stop signs. These are treated more as suggestions than requirements. The most unique stop lights I saw was in Flores, Guatemala. It was a guy putting out orange cones on the road and then moving them off.
15. Coffee. Coffee in Latin America (with a few notable exceptions) is total schwag. Most of the times it´s instant coffee or Nescafe. It´s just wrong and broken. I once had hot milk served with a side of coffee syrup. Most of the good stuff is exported so what remains is slim to none. Milk, to go with the coffee is usually powered milk and water, heater. I´m becoming pretty good at skimming off the skin. EW!
16. Waiting in line. Most people don´t get the concept of waiting in line. They cut, push and shove with little regard for anyone in front of them.
17. Toilet paper. Last but not least, it pays to keep a roll in your bag, at all times. And it is NEVER put in the bowl and flushed. It goes in the trash barrell. I´ve finally gotten accustomed to it, and it´s not as foul as it sounds. Trash is emptied daily.
More observations...
18. Number of hotel rooms inexplicitly missing toilet seats: 2
19. Number of hotel rooms sporting exposed, sketchy wiring: 11
20. Sadness. There is nothing sadder than seeing a monkey chained to a tree.
21. Plants. It´s amazing to see so many gorgeous plants (that I have potted back home) just growing naturally in the wild.
posted by amy at 4:11 PM
1 Comments:
OMG - I love that random observations #2 and #11!!
LMAO!!!
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