Random notes

The tops of all the garbage cans in Baños are clown faces. The mouths open for you to put garbage in...not sure if it´s fun, cool or just plain creepy.

Also, the garbage truck makes the rounds through town about 5 pm and plays music as it gathers the garbage. The music is almost as annoying as the ice cream trucks in New York. The thought of listening for the music of the garbage truck, though, is so much less enticing.

I have met several friends while here as well and realized that I haven´t mentioned a one. I met Meredith my first day. She was on the bunk below me in Quito, got in the same day I did, only from Boston. I gave her 2 Advil liqui-gels on the second day to cure her hangover and we were buds from then on. Ahh, the power of Advil! I also met Ben in Quito, an Australian who´s been traveling since last March. He and I exchanged slang. Maybe I´ve just been hiding under a rock, but who knew that New Zealanders are called kiwis?!? Most recently I met Fiona, another Australian. She was teaching English in a mining community in the jungle. She had some stories to tell...being heli-evacuated because the indigenous people are threatening to kill everyone in the mining community. Now that´s serious!