Lizard hangover

Adriana took me out for a classical Ecuadorian hangover breakfast: soup with plantain chips! Then we walked to the family business. Here’s the dad himself among the fans and swimming pools. But they had everything!

Adriana took me out for a classical Ecuadorian hangover breakfast: soup with plantain chips!

Then we walked to the family business.

Here’s the dad himself among the fans and swimming pools. But they had everything! For the kitchen, for your living room … I forgot to take a picture of the sister who was behind the cashier, but she was there, and didn’t look hangover at all. It’s because I saved her from her last drink yesterday. Downed it in 30 seconds. I’m a very nice guy like that.

Here’s León Febres Cordero, an old president of Ecuador, and later governor of Guayaquil. Not very appreciated by Adriana, because of his dictatorial tendencies. And he died from smoking. So don’t smoke! Unless you drink, and don’t do it too often :p

I was supposed to look at this boat today …

But was distracted by this lizard! The size of it! And not scared of humans at all! And it also didn’t try to eat me. We just existed harmoniously in the same place.

So I’m walking with it now. He needs to shit, to piss, and then, yes, get some green here and there. It’s OK, I have plenty of time.

Apparently, there is a park nearby with tons of lizards. It’s not a zoo, no no. They’re all free, like doves. And you’re supposed to not feed them. The park is guarded by Simon Bolivar. I think Latin Americans know everything about this guy, but I don’t, so here’s my short summary:

Simon Bolivar was produced by a long line of New World super-capitalists. So he was rich as hell, and also American as hell. All you need for a good independence fighter! As every rich kid back then, he did parts of his education in Europe, and part of that in France. He wasn’t too fond of Napoleon, but the whole French revolution, enlightenment and all that, caught his heart and when he returned to Latin America, he returned with the idea of kicking the Spanish colonizers out. Which he did.

He was the president of a country stretching from Venezuela to Bolivia for ten years. But like many freedom fighters, he was not that good in giving power away. Out of compassion with the people, of course! So he tried to become the infinite president of this huge country, so for people who also had power ambitions, the only way to achieve them was to break free, and thus we never got a “United States of Latin America” but a long line of independent countries with a long and relatively bad history (compared to the rest of the world 1800-2000, since this part started relatively well).

Why didn’t we get a Latin American USA? One theory, that I don’t know if I believe in, but that’s predominating in my brain, is that the USA (the 13 English colonies, that is) was colonized mostly by self-owning farmers. There weren’t a lot of plantations in those English colonies, not many gold mines. There was land, period. This created a large middle-class. The Latin American lands, however, consisted of plantations and mines, and worked not so well with self-owning farmers, so instead you got big bosses and plenty of slaves. Being a slave (or almost a slave, a very poor worker) simply doesn’t get you the mind you need in order to make a nice revolution, discuss a constitution etc.

But why do you need slaves (or similar) when farming sugar, but not when farming wheat? Because sugar is worth more? The pure plains of New York and Pennsylvania were worth so little that they were given away, and this created the dependent middle-class? Or at least the conditions that made it a blooming field for lawyers and politicians of the type that wrote the American constitution? (Which was very good for its time.) I have no idea, but please write below if you do 🙂

The lizards though, were everywhere. They and the doves are both dinosaur relatives! That’s why they are so good friends, just chilling and waiting for cheating humans.

Just chilling.

Hmm, the sun!

Cheating human giving food! Attack, attack, get those greens!

It’s just a Saturday in the park, relax!

They’re making my pupils so small.

God, I hate that human with his camera! Just give us some greens, like this guy.

Then it was time for Adriana to go back to the theatre, while I went home to sleep for a while. A siesta! Then taxi to the bus station.

Sitting eating and waiting for the bus. Two policemenish called “Red alert” and two other security staff came and talked to this guy, who got a little bit upset. They talked for about 15 minutes. Then they let him go. I’m sure he learned to not do whatever he did!

Waiting for the bus to the northern border was so boring. But it was great to get on board! I slept well. It was very cold though, as I had left both my jacket and sleeping bag in the backpack. Stupid Swede, you need your sleeping bag even on the equator!

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