Cuba tomorrow!!!

Hey everyone,

This is just a quick update, the entry below is much more detailed. Yesterday was our first day in Quito. And we..... went to the middle of the earth! Ok, that needs some explaining. Quito is practically on the equator, but if you go about 15 kilometres north or Quito, you can actually stand on the equator. So we took the bus out to the point of the equator. There was a huge monument that showed you where the equator lies and tells you that you are at a latitude of zero, which is pretty cool. We didn't have a compass with us, but I guess if we did it would have been even better. We crossed hemispheres a few times just for fun and then left because there really wasn't that much to do.

Okay, a few funny things about Ecuador. First of all, their currency is the US dollar, they got rid of their own currency about five years ago because they were in such economic crisis. Also, they really aren't so big on local food here. To be honest, we have only eaten Chinese and Shawarma since we got here! Also, everyone (especially men) has a crazy long nail on just one finger. It is really strange, we notice it every time someone is counting out change for us or pointing us in the direction of something. It is weird, and we aren't sure why they have it. I mean, we have a good guess....

We are going to Cuba tomorrow morning. We have no idea what the internet situation is there, so we might not be able to update for a while. We are still trying to arrange some accomodation in Havana for the next week, so if anyone reading this has friends or family in Havana who would be willing to help us out, let us know! We are then flying from Cuba to Costa Rica where we will begin our work with the "La Tortuga Feliz" project for saving the Costa Rican Sea Turtles. We will be there for two weeks. We will almost certainly have no internet there, as we will be working out in the rainforest and along the beaches of Costa Rica. If anyone is interested in what kind of work we will be doing with "La Tortuga Feliz", they have a really great website in English with pictures. Check it out: www.latortugafeliz.com

Only three weeks 'till Toronto!

Alice and Tova