1. When I went to the Banco Pacifico on my first day here in Guayaquil to convert my American Express travelers checks into local currency, the teller counted out a handful of American dollars. I looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked if she'd understood that I actually wanted "Ecuadorian money", and she proceeded to tell me that Ecuador uses American currency as their official legal tender. What the hell!?! They do have their own system of "centavo coins" for small change, but all their bills are US. And it's 1:1, so there's no conversion issues here like in India where it's like 11,000 rupies = $1. Weird... but convenient for the US tourists! Still seems like kind of a rip-off. They can't make their own money, for goodness sake?
2. Myth buster: I've been so excited all this time to see if it's really true that toilets in the Southern Hemisphere flush counterclockwise as opposed to clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. But damnit, it's not true. It's all a hoax perpetuated over time! Toilets only flush in the direction that the jets inside the bowl tell them to, and it has nothing to do with the contrasting rotation of the two hemisphere. I've tried several different flushing experiments in my spare time down here and found they flush in either direction. I'm so disappointed!
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Off to Lima, Peru tomorrow morning, very early, just for one night and then off to Cusco and Machu Picchu for 4 days and nights! Buenos noches, everyone.
hey say hi to Joran Vander Sloop for us see if you can solve that crime in Aruba OK?
ReplyDeleteToo funny that you mentioned that because I actually Googled the prison where he's being held (Castro Castro Prison in Lima), and it's not far from where I'll be!
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing about the currency. It sure educated me!
ReplyDeleteI've really been enjoying your trip.
About that clockwise/counterclockwise flushing thing: I heard it was the bathtub drain that changed direction in the southern hemisphere. Try it, and let us know.
Here is a link to a YouTube video taken at the Equator which demonstrates the draining thing --as well as the egg balancing, resistance/strength and balance walking.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBVntSA-qoQ&feature=related
Actually, I couldn't get it to link but you can cut and paste.
Here's another water video set in Africa on the Equator.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb69HENUZs8&feature=fvw
Thanks for the suggestions and information. Most articles I've read state the following:
ReplyDeleteSwirl direction
It is a commonly held misconception that when flushed, the water in a toilet bowl swirls one way if the toilet is north of the equator and the other way if south of the equator, due to the Coriolis effect – usually, counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. In reality, the direction that the water takes is much more determined by the direction that the bowl's rim jets are pointed, and it can be made to flush in either direction in either hemisphere by simply redirecting the rim jets during manufacture. On the scale of bathtubs and toilets, the Coriolis effect is too weak to be observed except under laboratory conditions.
Some also suggest that charlatans and swindlers love to fool tourists with their trickery re: this intriguing issue and therefore perpetuating this mystery. So apparently, the jury is still out.
Oh oh..... I've misled kids for years telling them about the toilets. Now this will be a good lesson about learning from experience instead of taking other people's word.
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