¡Grin-Go! There were certain logistical problems associated with my life in Ecuador – what else would one expect – and my 10 months in-Country instead became 5. Not to worry as it was an experience that I wouldn’t have missed. I’ll write more when I’ve had the chance to decompress.

Class is dismissed. As my semester at SECAP was winding down I was rather delighted to see that my core group of students, the survivors, had learned some English under my tutelage. Early on that wasn’t so evident. For our final day of class we spoke about parties and about future plans.

No Botar Busura. I was going to do an entire ‘sanitation’ posting, but really, in this case, one picture is worth a thousand words. The sign says, "No Littering." You can't make this stuff up, and in Ecuador you don't have to.

¡Un Gallo Malo! Below is a photo of one of the neighborhood roosters. This guy doesn’t know day from night, and accordingly, he belongs in the stew pot.

¡Agua, Agua, Agua…veinticinco centavos! ¡Coco, Coco, Coco…veinticinco centavos! ¡Helado, Helado…veinticinco centavos…Helado! The vendors on the buses have a regular rhythm and cadence here, and I don’t know what would happen if one of them was to break with tradition.

Espuma de agua jugosa. Juicy water foam. There’s all this talk about how, in Ecuador, they drink their fruit, but that’s really not ‘zactly true. Instead I find that they drink a watered down, sugared up concoction that contains just a hint of fruitiness. I'm just saying...

Gracias, Mama. For Mother’s Day, at 0700 sharp!, we are going to loudly serenade you  - and the entire neighborhood – for 30 minutes.