So First off I would like to say Feliz dia del amor y la amistad, because here in Ecuador we celebrate a day of love and friendship!
Next off to all you anti-globalization types out there such as myself, you will be happy to know that Western values have not taken over all of Ecuador. A few days ago in Otavalo, where you may know I went about 2 weeks ago, there was a lynching. Now don't start thinking this is a normal thing for all of Ecuador, but in some areas, Indigenous rule is over police law. The Otavalenos have 4 rules, one of which I cant remember, but they are as follows, do not lie, do not steal, work hard for what you have, and ------. The two men who were lynched 3 days ago were guilty of breaking the second rule. Now all of this may seem gruesome to some of you, s
o I say this, don't be so ethnocentric. The two Colombian men were found stealing from members of the community, so it is local custom to make an example out of them. Mind you when I went to Otavalo everyone I met was extremely, kind, gentle, and small, but when you break one of their cardinal rules you pay for it and you are made an example of. Th
ey don't have much so what they do have sure means a lot to them. Typically whistles are blown throughout the town to gather all of the citizens together, the offenders are then whipped with thorn vines, and set on fire int he middle of the town square. I know, it sounds terrible, but now you will never steal from an Ecuadorian Indigenous person. You may ask yourself, why didn't the police step in? Good question, but you try 
stopping a few thousand angry little men and women from taking justice for a cultural offense with only a handful of officers, it wouldn't work. Moving on I will be returning to Otavalo, but there is nothing to worry about, I'm not Colombian which is an offense in itself here, Colombia is blamed for all of Ecuador´s internal problems, and I wont be taking, ill be spending a lot of money.
So Ecuador received a package 2 days ago from my parents and grandparents, getting it into my own hands was a a true task. I received a notice saying that there was a package waiting for me at whatever place they all go, why they could not have delivered it to my house I could not tell you. So yesterday I took a taxi to the western part of Quito to the office and was shocked to find out how difficult and bureaucratic even the simplest of tasks is. Rightly so I had to bring two copies of my passport, but I did not know that until I got there, so I had to go across the street to get 2 copies, come back, having lost my place in line, get back in line, present my notice and two copies, sign some papers, only to pay a dollar and receive my number. Now think of the RMV... this is the office I was in, i waite
d for my name or number to be called behind a number of other gringos, and was finally escorted into the back room where the woman proceeded to rip open my package right in front of me in search of narcotics, firearms, or any other capitalistic forms of propaganda only to find baked goods and pair of shorts. I then had to leave the package to sign more papers, pay 8 more dollars, go back across the street to make more copies and then sign more papers. Finally I was instructed to go back into the package room, which was overloaded with packages from around the world, pick up my goods and I was free to go. The trouble is when I went back, my package was gone! Imagine my anger when neither I nor the worker could find my baked goods! Finally after a few mins of searching we came across the valentines day treats and I went on my way! I can surly say it was worth all the trouble, and i thank all of you involved in the 45 dollar shipping, baking, and love that I received yesterday. I have already eaten a whole bag of cookies by myself. Well I hope you all are enjoying the frigid cold as much as I am enjoying the warm sun, brownies, bread, cookies and candy here in the southern 
hemisphere! Here are some pics of my house!
Next off to all you anti-globalization types out there such as myself, you will be happy to know that Western values have not taken over all of Ecuador. A few days ago in Otavalo, where you may know I went about 2 weeks ago, there was a lynching. Now don't start thinking this is a normal thing for all of Ecuador, but in some areas, Indigenous rule is over police law. The Otavalenos have 4 rules, one of which I cant remember, but they are as follows, do not lie, do not steal, work hard for what you have, and ------. The two men who were lynched 3 days ago were guilty of breaking the second rule. Now all of this may seem gruesome to some of you, s
o I say this, don't be so ethnocentric. The two Colombian men were found stealing from members of the community, so it is local custom to make an example out of them. Mind you when I went to Otavalo everyone I met was extremely, kind, gentle, and small, but when you break one of their cardinal rules you pay for it and you are made an example of. Th
ey don't have much so what they do have sure means a lot to them. Typically whistles are blown throughout the town to gather all of the citizens together, the offenders are then whipped with thorn vines, and set on fire int he middle of the town square. I know, it sounds terrible, but now you will never steal from an Ecuadorian Indigenous person. You may ask yourself, why didn't the police step in? Good question, but you try 
stopping a few thousand angry little men and women from taking justice for a cultural offense with only a handful of officers, it wouldn't work. Moving on I will be returning to Otavalo, but there is nothing to worry about, I'm not Colombian which is an offense in itself here, Colombia is blamed for all of Ecuador´s internal problems, and I wont be taking, ill be spending a lot of money.So Ecuador received a package 2 days ago from my parents and grandparents, getting it into my own hands was a a true task. I received a notice saying that there was a package waiting for me at whatever place they all go, why they could not have delivered it to my house I could not tell you. So yesterday I took a taxi to the western part of Quito to the office and was shocked to find out how difficult and bureaucratic even the simplest of tasks is. Rightly so I had to bring two copies of my passport, but I did not know that until I got there, so I had to go across the street to get 2 copies, come back, having lost my place in line, get back in line, present my notice and two copies, sign some papers, only to pay a dollar and receive my number. Now think of the RMV... this is the office I was in, i waite
d for my name or number to be called behind a number of other gringos, and was finally escorted into the back room where the woman proceeded to rip open my package right in front of me in search of narcotics, firearms, or any other capitalistic forms of propaganda only to find baked goods and pair of shorts. I then had to leave the package to sign more papers, pay 8 more dollars, go back across the street to make more copies and then sign more papers. Finally I was instructed to go back into the package room, which was overloaded with packages from around the world, pick up my goods and I was free to go. The trouble is when I went back, my package was gone! Imagine my anger when neither I nor the worker could find my baked goods! Finally after a few mins of searching we came across the valentines day treats and I went on my way! I can surly say it was worth all the trouble, and i thank all of you involved in the 45 dollar shipping, baking, and love that I received yesterday. I have already eaten a whole bag of cookies by myself. Well I hope you all are enjoying the frigid cold as much as I am enjoying the warm sun, brownies, bread, cookies and candy here in the southern 
hemisphere! Here are some pics of my house!
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