Quirks about Quito

 After spending almost 3 months in Ecuador (time really does fly when you're having fun), I've been compiling a list of quirky things about the country. Although I absolutely love Quito and Ecuador, there are some downright strange things...

Not refrigerating milk or eggs. 
Really? Who does this? I guess it is interesting because I learned that you actually don't HAVE to refrigerate milk or eggs, but it still is rather unnerving to purchase lukewarm milk.

More on milk--they only sell it in bags or boxes.
Screw cartons, Ecuador is all about the bags and boxes. I still have an irrational fear of bagged milk and have yet to go within three feet of the stuff.

Buses don't stop.
I might have mentioned this before, but public buses don't stop for people to get on or get off, they only slow down. You know you're a true Ecuadorian when...you can jump on and off of moving buses. Additionally, the buses don't stop at designated stops and will stop anywhere in the road to pick up/drop off people. Although I actually really prefer this system because it is SO much more efficient, it is a wee bit dangerous.


No one has small change.
Never have I ever felt like such a high roller with my $20s before coming to Ecuador. No one EVER has small change, which means less than $10. What is even more frustrating is that the ATMs only gives out $20s. Because of this, I am always on a quest to break my $20s by spending $1 on water on random corner stores. The epitome of this quirk was in Canoa when my friend got 75 cent eggs and they didn't have change for her five dollar bill.

Panaderías on every corner.
This one is actually not a complaint, quite the opposite really. The bread here is incredible...they don't do any of the nasty Wonder bread where the only wonder is how anyone actually enjoys packaged bread. Every day my family buys fresh bread from one of the thousands of panaderías and every day we have a different type. The only complaint I do have is that I am constantly attracted into panaderías after smelling the delicious aroma on the street. Luckily it's hard to spend more than 35 cents on a delicious piece of bread.


Paying to use the bathroom.
I refuse to give in to this on principal. Although I know that I've been spoiled in the U.S. where there are lots of public bathrooms, I hate paying for a bathroom. The other funny thing about bathrooms is how we have begun to classify them. You know it's a fancy bathroom when there is toilet paper. When there is toilet paper, soap, AND towels (a rarity that has been stumbled on five, maybe six times), it's basically a 5-star bathroom. And another prevalent bathroom occurrence-lack of a toilet seat. I still have yet to figure out the point of installing a toilet sans toilet seat. At least my legs are getting stronger...

Buying bottled water.
Okay, so I know this one is pretty obvious and that I knew about it before coming to Ecuador (which is a third world country with non-potable water), but it still bugs me. As an environmentalist (well, I like to think of myself as one), I hate buying bottled water based on the detrimental affects that bottles have on the environment. As a penny-pincher, I hate spending money on water. Plus, I just plain miss the taste of tap water, which I think is way better than bottled.

Yield to pedestrians? False.
In the U.S. (and especially at Duke), I always love to say my favorite law is "Yield to pedestrians." Here, you will find out VERY quickly, the cars do not stop. Ever. The second week I was here I saw the bloody aftermath of a student who had been hit by a car in front of Salesiana University. Think you can cutely wave and step in front of an old man driving a car? Think again because he WILL run you over.