some tips for traveling in South America:

ceviche mixto in crab dish (yes, with popcorn) in Quito, Ecuador - August 1st
mariscos mixtos y fritos (with Inca Cola) near Lima, Peru - July 23rd
chupe de camarones (aren't those the hugest shrimp you've ever seen?!) in Arequipa, Peru - July 19th

All three dishes and restaurants were great recommendations and delicious! seafood experiences. Yummy! :) See tip # 3...

there are many ways to travel, and all people don´t go by bus and w/ a backpack to hostal after hostal in each town. there are posh ways to experience all of this on a different budget and with different goals. so take this with a grain of salt...

1. always be friendly to the bus boy (ya know, that young guy who puts your pack under the bus and holds the key to the door) - he can make or break your trip. your belongings are in his care and he gets to decide if/when you get bathroom stops.

2. never leave home (or hostal) without your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. rarely will you find soap available, and there won´t be paper in most restrooms (you may get a little if you pay a small price to enter).

3. try whatever the locals say is good to eat in their town. they´re usually right and whatever else sounds like it´s just what you want, will not end up being what you think it is anyhow. take a risk and go for the new unknown food! (the local dish will not be the one that gives you food poisoning, b/c everybody eats it) See photos above.

4. find places (parks, theatres, markets) that other travelers (foreigners) haven't found. there's nothing like being the only foreigner (love that!) in a cool spot. it's refreshing to see people when they're not working at tourism.

5. be prepared for infrequent and cold showers. how? wear neutral colored clothes, be prepared to take "bird baths" when needed and stop caring about how your hair looks.

6. when you´re going to be traveling all day by bus, make sure to plan ahead or you won´t get a chance to eat. it´s best to pack bread and salty snacks or safe fruit like bananas and mandarinas which you can peel and eat the insides of. be careful w/things like apples and grapes which you can´t properly wash when on a bus - these skins can make you sick. don´t drink much b/c bathroom stops are not guaranteed. (the salty snacks help w/ water retention)

7. make sure to chat w- locals and other travelers. locals will give you cool inside info. on their home town if you´re asking and genuinely interested. travelers will give you tips about which hostal is clean, good restaruants to try, which tour company to avoid... their experiences are more recent than your travel guide book write ups.

*after re-reading this i realize that much of my time here is focused on eating, bathing myself, and using the restroom - pretty basic. many days it´s all about survival here.

i enjoy the challenge. it´s tough sometimes. the rewards for my hard work are many. the sights, the neat places to see, the yummy food, the cool people, the new experiences, the pride i feel from having made it this far...