Home Sweet Home

Here are a few pictures of our lovely apartment. We are of course in Ecuador, so things are never quite what they seem. One of my main requests (okay, okay, so it is more like a demand) is that we live in a place with air conditioning. This apartment was better than some we've stayed it - every room has an air conditioner. What luxury I thought.

Until of course it was time to turn them on last night. None of them actually work.

I was also very excited about the prospect of having hot water. The showers actually have two handles, one for hot and one for cold, indicating that there is actually a hot water heater somewhere in the building. This is a GREAT improvement over the "suicide showers" of apartments past.

A "suicide shower" is one where the water is run through an electrical contraption and then empties directly onto your head. They have outlets directly above the showerhead to plug these things into. Be warned; DO NOT TOUCH them while in use!!! Touching the showerhead, to adjust the direction of the water for example, results in electrocution that leaves your arm tingling for 20 minutes. Also beware of any metal shower-caddies. They do a lovely job of holding your soap or shampoo but chipped or cracked enamel may result in fried fingers if you grab the soap in the wrong way.

Needless to say, I was very excited by the prospect of real hot water. Now I'm sure there is a water heater somewhere, but it must be about a gallon tank, because "hot" water is not hot. Not really warm either. More like just barely warmer than the cold water (which is about the temperature of Lake Tahoe).


But hey, after sweating all day without air conditioning, who wants a hot shower anyway?