Garbage

Probably the most impressive fact about Ecuador is that it is very clean.  Oh, it's like most places that have there not so picturesque spots, but for the most part it is impressive. That is especially true when you take into consideration that they don't recycle here and they are pretty much used to just throwing their trash down where they stand or out the car window.  I was walking down a path yesterday that was lined with beautiful bushes and there was a potato chip bag stuffed into it.  The impressive part is that it all gets cleaned up DAILY. You can be out in the evening and there is a crowd of people milling around being trashy and when you go out the next morning the streets are amazingly clean.  There are men in overalls with brooms that look like they came out of a fairy tale (twigs on the end of branches) sweeping, sweeping. There are those with heavy brooms and shovels to pick up dog poop and other sticky stuff.
Then there is the trash trucks.  EVERYDAY! Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday is food trash day. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday is trash day. Guess that could be considered recycling of sorts.  You hear the trash truck coming because it sounds like an ice cream truck. The truck that delivers gas canisters has a different tune as does the bottled water truck in some cities.  It's a remarkable system that really works well and it keeps the multitude of dogs out of the trash.
The massive amount of dogs and ice cream are fun subjects, but they will have to wait until next time.  It's almost 3 am and the taxi will be here at 4:30 to take Sherry and I to the airport in Quito (about a 2 hr drive) for our flight home. Bittersweet for me.  Love it here, but anxious to see everyone and get on with life.