Differences between the US and Ecuador

Hey Everyone!
Nothing incredibly exciting happened this past week, mainly just recovering from the high from my previous weekend.  Last week, I didn't have a picture of the tubing, so here is what that looked like.

We were all tied together, so no one could get lost.  Since there were rocks all over the river, we had to wear helmets-not the leisurely float that we were expecting.  But tons of fun, and probably much more fun than a casual floating down the river anyways.

 I have now been working at the travel agency, South Expeditions, for about 3 1/2 weeks and am finally starting to feel comfortable there.  I have really been trying to increase the company's presence on social media, so please follow South Expeditions on Facebook, twitter, and instagram :)  I would really appreciate it and there are some awesome pictures of all parts of Ecuador!  The person that I am filling in for already went on maternity leave, about 2 weeks earlier than expected, so I was slightly forced to jump head first into this job and figure it out as I go.  Luckily, the people at this company are so nice and willing to help me with anything that I could possibly need.  One of the things that I am responsible for in addition to social media, is a promotion campaign for 2 new trips that are in December of this year.  The promotion material was already done, but the owner hated it, so he asked me to re-do it.  This was my first real assignment at this job, and I was so excited to actually do something important!  As y'all know, I have no experience in marketing, so I pretty much just winged it, and the owner thought it looked great- SUCCESS!  And of course I have to ask that if you know anyone wanting to come to Ecuador on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, then send them my way, and you can get the commission.

This coming week is another holiday week, their version of Labor Day, so it will be a 4 day work week.  Most people are leaving town, but since I have been gone so much lately, I decided I will stay in Quito to save some money and relax with Dakota.

One of the biggest differences between the US and Ecuador is the driving.  Ecuadoreans are incredibly nice people, and don't seem to have ANY sense of urgency.  However, when they are behind the wheel in a car, their personality does a complete 180.  I have never heard so many horns beeping in my life- they make New Yorkers seem calm.  It makes absolutely no sense, but they will start honking to horn before the light turns green.  What are they trying to accomplish??  A general rule here, is that there are no rules when you are on the road.  Road lanes and stop signs are merely suggestions.  And the cops do absolutely nothing if you run a stop sign.  These drivers also love to use their warning/caution lights.  It's almost as if you can do no wrong as long as you honk your horn or use your warning lights.  I have been in a cab before that literally backed up 2 blocks down the road with traffic coming.  I just had to close my eyes and pray that no one hit us.  The cops only direct traffic here, because the lights aren't good enough?  Sometimes, you will see a cop, with a whistle of course, directing traffic on a one-way street  where there isn't an intersection.  Maybe someone can explain this to me, but why would a cop need to direct traffic when there is only one way you can go?

Another one of my favorite things are the street performers.  Since tourist season is about to start, I have to admit that these street performers have really upped their game.  No longer is it good enough to just juggle.  Now, you have to juggle while standing on a tight-rope.

Yep, that is correct- they tight-rope across the lane of traffic during red lights.  I was lucky enough to see the set up of this the other day.  One side of the rope is already attached to the pole, and as soon as the light turns red, they run across the street and tie the rope to the other side, then hop on.  I must say, this is pretty impressive!  If I wasn't in a hurry to get to my class, I for sure would have given this guy some money- he deserved it!  The first time I saw this, it reminded me of Phil Dunphy tight-rope walking across the yard in Modern Family.

However, if tight-rope walking isn't your specialty, you can always juggle fire.  Another equally dangerous option.

The other category of street performers are the dancers.  I had the pleasure of stopping at a red light and seeing one of the best costumes- skeletons!  I couldn't get a picture but imagine 2 guys dressed up like this.

They weren't the most talented, but their costumes were the best that I have seen yet.  I guess you need an excellent costume if you lack talent.  Hopefully, they can have more practice before the big rush of tourists comes.

Hopefully, I will have some more exciting things to talk about for the next post, but thought y'all might be interested in the craziness that is Ecuador driving!