Top Threes of Ecuador

Things I ate
1. Fresh fruits and fruit juice EVERYDAY
2. spinach ravioli with carbonara from Clasico
3. Cuy (roasted guinea pig)

Things that bothered me
1. They put cilantro in everything!
2. Machismo
3. Pollution and "The Cuenca Cough"

Thoughts about my students
1. Everyone had a cell phone
2. The nice boys are going to grow up to become disgusting men
3. Good looking kids

Interesting people I met
1. Big Renee - May have been a lesbian, may have been a man, scary laugh...such a character!
2. Martin - has been all over the world, was left for dead in the Australian outback and had to survive on his own urine.
3. Sunny - the only American I met who knew where Cranbrook was!

Places I went
1. Vilcabamba, the Valley of Longevity, nestled in the Andean range
2. Canoa, a surf town with water as warm as a bath
3. Banos, the adventure capital of Ecuador

Things I want to remember
1. The look on Dad's face when the horse spooked
2. The taste of fresh maracuyas
3. The giant turtles on the Galapagos

Things I want to forget
1. Food poisoning
2. The rage I feel whenever a man is inappropriate
3. The hell of my first semester

People I'll miss
1. The Canadians
2. My roommate, Kristi
3. The guy at Clasico

Things I'll miss
1. The fruit and veggie market
2. The shy smiles of children
3. Rio Tomebamba

Cultural quirks
1. There's chauvinism without chivalry
2. Everyone litters and doesn't think it contributes to pollution
3. It's okay to call someone fat, or ask them embarrassing questions about their love life, but it's not okay to want to have personal space

Reasons it's good to be back
1. Hot water, hot water, hot scalding water
2. You can put TP in the toilet!
3. Hanging out with family and friends again