About those updates

Jesus Christ, I need to keep up with these things. I take too long to write. I also take too many pictures. More than a HUNDRED pictures to sort through for you, after just two days of failure-to-update. Granted, those two days were spent touring around and doing tourist-y things, which naturally accumulates more photos, but even so. I might have to just start selecting a picture of the day or two to send off, because this is getting insane.

No! I am creating a Flickr account. Uploading pictures, of which I have taken 337 since my arrival in this country.

Some of them require a bit of explanation, and if anyone has questions, you can email me and ask. For now, my brain is pretty well fried from a long walk around Valpo in the heat and dust and bugs.

I have decided I hate bugs. When winter comes and they all die, I will laugh. Long and hard. People will look at me even funnier than they do already, but I will enjoy myself. You'll see.

A few observations:
1. People will board buses to sell stuff. Jump on, hawk wares, jump off at the next stop.
2. Valpo is dirty. After I returned from my walk, my arms were grey from all the dust and dirt blowing through the air.
3. When talking to a gal named "Paloma," keep in mind that "paloma" in this context means "dove," and not "pigeon."
4. To cross the street, you walk up to the curb, look both ways, and run for it as soon as there's a gap in traffic. This holds even if there's three lanes filled with cars speeding by like blurry ribbons of DEATH
5. Each micro (bus) is different and charming in its own unique rattling butt-jouncing I'm-going-to-fall-apart-any-second-now-but-hey-Jesus-saves-and-the-radio-is-kept-at-decent-volume-by-law sort of way.

About the eagle thing: there were two layers of wire around the big eagle enclosure. This poor dumb bird had gotten itself stuck between the two. We, with the help of some hefty sticks, managed after about an hour to pry apart the wire and prod the eagle through the resulting opening and back into the enclosure proper.
Upon reflection, I suspect poking an eagle with a stick repeatedly is not something I'd be able to get away with in the States.

One high point: I can now successfully navigate the bus system. At least to and from the university (I made it there and back without getting run over, lost, accosted by gypsies, or kidnapped by drug cartels).

Okay. Here is my photostream. I am UnoSombrero. Enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48182168@N05/