- In Granada the most popular form of transport is the bicycle, and they make it work for as many people as they need. More often than not there are at least two people sharing one bike, but I now also know that a family of four can, in fact, ride together on one bike. The same goes for three teenage boys or two old women. Whoever needs a ride hops on.
- As hard as I tried, I could not make myself like papaya. Even skipping dinner so I would be really hungry for the papaya breakfast didn't work. I just don't like the icky fruit.
- Chickens sleep in trees. If you are in the country waiting for an early bus, don't sit under the tree. The chickens will poop on you.
- When you get hit in the nose with a surf board, it's really hard to pronounce a name like Brenda. For several days I had to introduce myself as Bretha.
- Hummingbirds take breaks. In Costa Rica waiting for another bus, about twenty of them landed on the ground and waddled around for about five minutes. Of course, the noise I made getting out my camera was enough to scare them away.
- Staying in hostels is a great way to meet people from all over the world. It's also a great way to get your ear talked off about way better places and trips than the one you're currently on. A few of my favorite quotes (supposedly heard by the staff) posted on a sign in a hostel:
You think that's cold? I was in Antarctica once...
Oh yeah, that's not a bad chicken bus ride. One time in Laos my bus flipped over eight times...
Grasshoppers? That's nothing. I ate baby chinchillas in Brazil...
Despite that sign, I had the misfortune of having the bunk next to a guy from Vancouver who claimed to be fluent in Spanish after reading a phrase book on the bus for five hours. He also claimed to have been in Nicaragua during the civil war helping the Sandanistas for three weeks. He is now only 19 years old. I bet he had the best second grade "what I did over my summer break" essay ever!
- If you leave smelly old sandals and ugly shorts unattended on the beach, they will get stolen. The same goes for broken sunglasses.
