About the tropics, general stuff

Some of you have asked about the bugs, the humidity, the 'reality' of our trip... so, thought I'd put a few things down. You never know when some of you will decide to make the trek to visit B and R...it's a hard journey, but well worth it.

First, the bugs. Yep, there are some! But, I'd say no more than we see at home at some times of the year. We learned quickly that one needs to close the doors at night if you have lights on... The mosquito netting around the bed helps, too. And, DEET. Wish we'd gotten a pic of a huge butterfly/moth-type flying bug... It had to be about 8 inches across, with intricate markings on the wings. A dark brown, blending in with the floors, with white markings...Much bigger than the bats we see at home. We helped it out of the room quickly. No bugs at the higher altitudes, at least we haven't seen any here in Quito.

The chickens and birds keep the bug population down.



And, then there the internal buggies... bottled water works, Pepto-Bismol adult chewables or caplets work, too. And, we learned the local farmacia is your friend. Be sure to get your shots (through public health's traveling nurses) and see your personal doc for any other tips/meds.
I think by the time you get all the shots, you can travel most anywhere in the world. And, you'll need a passport........

The humidity isn't bad. In fact, we only felt slightly sticky a time or 2, when the rain was heavy one of the days. The stickiness could well have been DEET/sunscreen related...

Yep, there is mud when it rains. We still can't figure out how the locals stay so clean! We'd see little kids playing in bright, white clothes, and not a speck of dirt or mud... Speaking of the children... all we had the opportunity to enjoy were happy, and obviously well cared for... so nice to see kids being kids. Families maybe poor, but the family unit is strong here and love abounds.

I got a question off-blog wondering about what we were reading... I started/finished 'world without end' by Follet, a great read set in 1300's... wool and dye merchants and healers included, along with the usual intrigue. Rich just finished the prequel, Pillers of the Earth... my next book. Yeah, that's a hardback I'm reading in one of the pics, all 1000+ pages, and yes, I left it for B/R's new bookcase. No need to carry that back home!

Off to the market now, more later.

Love, N