A Trip Up North!

         Who would have thought that a trip to Ecuador would be so eventful?  It was one of the funnest, most random trips of my life and I learned a lot about Peru. Here are the first fifteen things I can think of that I learned on this trip. First, public bathrooms are very different here. They don’t have toilet paper, unless you want to pay, or toilet seats or soap. Second, you can wait in bus stations for hours and still find ways to entertain yourself. Third, granadillas look like alien eggs.

         Fourth unofficial buses have cockroaches and people sleeping in your seat. Fifth, Moncora has really cool hotels where you feel like you’re in a bungalow! 

         Sixth, they eat ceviche, raw fish, for breakfast and as a side for every other meal and they think it’s weird when you don’t like fish. Seventh, banana French fries are amazing! Eighth, we’re a lot closer to the sun so it’s entirely possible to burn every part of your body so you feel like every movement causes pain. Sunscreen lesson learned…I will always carry spf 50 with me from now on. Ninth, there is no border patrol between Ecuador and Peru you can just walk from the sign saying “thanks for visiting Peru” to “welcome to Ecuador” without anyone checking your passport. 

         Tenth, you can buy mini monkeys, puppies, goats, birds, or squirrels in the markets near the border. 

         Eleventh, when you say “welcome to the island” in Spanish for a commercial on a sinking island you get paid in free banana fries and Pepsi! Twelfth, Punta Sal is the prettiest beach I’ve ever been too even though waves unexpectedly came up and attacked us when we were eating lunch on the beach and carried our salad away.

          Thirteenth, Peruvian movies on cheap buses have really bad acting and are a little too dramatic. Fourteenth, this country was not made for tall people which is really unlucky for me. My legs seem to find the back of bus seats easily and my head likes to hit the roof of every combi or taxi I get in. 

          And finally, moto taxis are really as fun as they look! Thanks to the Castillos, we had an amazing trip and we got to see a whole different side of Peru!

Peace and Blessings…Peace and Blessings!- (high five for the first person to guess what that’s from)

Love always,

Carrie Ann