I've decided to collect some of the funny memories I have from my amazing times in Ecuador right here in this blog. I will eventually put them in order but for now, I just want them here for safekeeping and for your reading enjoyment. :)
SMACK Went the Lizard:
One of the first times I visited the beach town of Salinas (back in Spring 2000), I was over at a friend's aunt's house in Salinas and I saw a little lizard or gecko crawling up the wall. Right as I was saying, "Oh, is that your pet?", the woman went SMACK and killed the little lizard with a shoe! (I have a hard time not chuckling while writing this now, but it was definitely a little disturbing at the time!)
Cucarachas in the Fridge:
Another somewhat funny-somewhat horrifying story was when I first moved into an apartment in Salinas way back in Fall 2001, I didn't have any furniture and no refrigerator, which is a little challenging in a hot climate. (My roommates and I pretty much bought the food we needed to cook for that day and didn't have leftovers!) Within the first month though, my dear friend, Andres lent us his uncle's fridge which he wasn't using and was being stored in his back patio. I was so grateful to finally be able to keep milk and other perishable items at home! But about a week later, I heard a scream from the kitchen and my friend and roommate, Alli came out running--there were multiple cockroaches creeping out from under the refrigerator!! (It still makes my skin crawl to think about it!! Ooh, I just got the shivers!) I guess storing a fridge, even if it's empty, is not a good idea in tropical places, because they become shelters for you-know-whats! Eeww! Luckily after the fridge incident, the cockroaches I saw were mostly outside, not inside, but I usually freaked out or got grossed out when I saw them outside too. You just don't see them much in the Great Northwest so I'm not used to them. (Although I did see a big beetle that was border-line cockroach size) outside my condo here in Kenmore this past summer...ahh, climate change!)
