Open Mind

Ok, so I have to remember wisdom when traveling. Not my own, or other people´s, but the notion of it in itself. The two people with whom I was annoyed yesterday were young. And I know better. Not that being young equates with anything, hell, I´m young and age only a number. But last night I had two separate conversations with two different men, strangers to me, Antonio from Spain, and Leo from Ecuador, both probably in their late 40s early 50s. We covered a range of topics from illegal immigrants working in our respective countries & the pros & cons, to movies, bus travel and religion. The Spaniard said he didn´t believe in God. The Ecuadorian did, but also mentioned world unity. That as people we have to come together to share and negotiate for all. His words reminded me that I have to keep an open mind and that I cannot be offended by a quick conversation or off-hand comment. People can call me whatever they want...Anne or Ana usually works just fine...I´m finding that random people met on a bus or in a restaurant or on the side of the road tend to have more of an open mind than foreigners traveling the world. It´s surprising that a person living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of Ecuador has a more worldly view than someone from a burgeoning metropolis. I´m learning that I much prefer the authentic experience, talking to people in the communities and in stores more than other travelers in my hotel. And I prefer to speak Spanish with a stray remark or word in English, to learn and share, rather than argue about politics or jockey for some sort of position.

Yesterday, I saw a fileted pig. Its back on the table, its ribcage split open, pools of blood in the valleys of the ribcage. A woman sliced off portions of the pig per order. And there are so many unusual animals here. In the garden at Cafecito, there is a bird that sounds exactly like a frog! And in Baños, every so often, I heard this wild screech...almost like something out of Jurassic Park. I never found out what it was, but imagined a velociraptor!