Electric Shower and the Mariscal

Hey team this is the view looking up the hill to my house. The clouds were just barely ringing the tops of the mountains. You can also see the giant street that I scurry across to school every day. Yes I climb that hill, every day...ok ok not to the top but you can see the tiny apartment buildings in the distance. They are far enough.



Ok and so this is the electric showerhead. Ok so it is sideways in the picture but you get the idea. I can´t figure out how to turn it because all the instructions are in spanish.


So this has been the best cultural adjustment so far. There isn´t like a central hot water heater. Basically the water for each shower is heated up at the shower head. With electricity, which doesn´t sound all that safe but apparently it is. Anyway so you have to just barely turn it on because if it is strong water pressure it can´t heat up the water fast enough. So this is how my shower goes...ease the water on, then wait until it starts to get lukewarm, jump in because you only have so much time. Try to get as wet as possible while it is warm, then it turns burning hot so I try and turn up the pressure a little bit. Then I hear the dreaded noise of like a sputtering. And the water slows to a trickle. While it is dripping freezing cold water. I soap up everywhere I can. I squint through the soap running down my face and ease the water back on. Then I jump in and try to rinse as fast as possible. Then I try and change it...sputters back to a drip. Conditioner...sometimes but sometimes it is just to cold and soft shiny hair isn´t quite worth it.

This is the cafe where we ate in the Mariscal after we got out early yesterday from the hospital. The Mariscal is ¨gringolandia¨ but I thought it was great and wherever we go there are never very many. Even last night after the salsa class some of us went out to try our moves. There are tons of people on the street trying to get you to come into their bar. And at the bar that herded us in with a very catchy chant of ¨gratis! gratis! gratis!¨ they were obviously specifically targeting groups of gringos and still there were probably 70% locals in the bar. It was an interesting mix of Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas and latin flavor. Salsa I think, it wasnt really reggaeton but it definitely made people move. Everyone in club ¨Yes¨was moving.

Today was my last spanish class and tomorrow I go on a tour of the old town and head to Baños. I am pretty excited. I was the one that made reservations for our group so I hope my spanish was good enough. There was a moment when she said ¨Confumadas¨and I thought she was asking about smoking so I said "oh no nunca fumar¨or we never smoke and she burst out laughing. Apparently all she was saying that our reservation was confirmed. Not the last time I will misunderstand.

Last note: the hospital is pretty much the same as the US but with less tests and scans. They say they spend more time examining and talking to the patient. Which is true...without gloves. And so far the only time so far I have been stranded without toilet paper was at the hospital of all places! Actually I have been pretty impressed with the time and care they take with patients. We havent had that much time at the hospital but so far I have enjoyed my time.

On to the jungle!