Things I´ve Noticed

Dear Mom and Dad,

Here are a few things I´ve noticed thus far...

1. I love not having a clock or a watch. I sleep when I´m tired and eat when I´m hungry. It´s the best feeling ever to know you´re on no time schedule.

2. Do you ever wonder how the street musicians who make music by banging on random trash objects like cans and jugs sound soooo good? Let me tell you. Practice and more practice. Fortunately our hostel is located near where these people hold their band practice. And they practice. For hours on end. I will never leave money for these street musicians anymore because I know somewhere someplace some poor soul had to listen to their ¨band practice.¨

3. Charlie´s feet smell. BAD. At times I have to make him wash them in the sink before he even sits next to me, and he does shower daily. He says, ¨thanks Doc.¨He must get that from his father?

4. Girls stare at me because of my combat boots. I think they are appalled by them because they aren´t feminine enough. I know they are ugly in color without any heel, but really ladies? They aren´t THAT bad.

5. My eyebrows will never stop growing. Amber may be impressed when she sees me upon my arrival because Charlie has been taking the time to  pluck them for me. It´s a little odd letting him do this, but it beats doing it myself. He´s too nice :)

6. The public bathrooms are a crap shoot. It´s a 50/50 chance if I will use them. None of the toliets have seats on them, so it´s a good thing I have mastered the art in squating, as if I would sit down on them anyways. Here is a picture of one of the cleaner public restrooms. No pictures of the gross ones because I simply turn around and leave immediately. Hopefully I´ll never have to go THAT bad. Oh, you also have to pay 15 cents for toliet paper.

7. Charlie is way more domesticated then he seems. Here is a picture of him washing our clothes in the sink, so they are clean now that we are leaving Quito. It is official; we are busing up North to Otavalo for two days.

Love always,

Matti Jo