10 things that are different

We came up with a list of just a few of the things that are different here than in the U.S. These are just the things that are easily explained in a few short phrases, so just imagine that this is the tip of the iceberg. Here goes:

1. For folks with flushing toilets, toilet paper goes in the trash can, not in the toilet (so that pipes can be smaller).

2. Where there are buses, there are no defined bus stops, and no pull cord in the bus. You just have to say (loud enough to be heard, but not so loud as to be perceived as shouting at the driver), "Pare, por favor!".

3. Meat is sold outside in the open, not from your grocer's freezer.

4. Hair color is not something people talk about (over 99% of the people here have black hair, after all).

5. In the campo, animals are fenced out, not in. We've heard of men being gone from home for two days in search of a cow.

6. There are fruit trees everywhere. Mmmm.

7. Often, the bigger the store, the more expensive things are. The equivalent to Wal-Mart in Santa Cruz is where you'll pay the most for just about everything.

8. Goods are transported to small stores in plastic grocery sacks, not in nicely packed boxes. We helped a woman unload at her tienda a few weeks ago, and she had 200 pilfruit (little single-serve bags of yogurt mixed with juice) tied up in plastic sacks.

9. Instead of dispersing themselves like in the states, stores of one variety are all concentrated in one area of the city. (For example, there's a street full of pharmacies followed by a street full of photographers).

10. In the campo, if you visit someone's house, instead of offering you a snack (or nothing at all) like at home, you will likely be offered a large meal.

More to come!