blog11

After witnessing the changing of the guards, I noticed several similarities and several differences than in the U.S.A. One similarity was that the ceremony had a band play music. Just as the Ecuadorian president had a band to escort him in, the president of the U.S. has the President’s Own Band play at events. Another similarity was that there were a lot of police officers guarding the entire plaza. There were also snipers that overlooked the plaza. Security is a priority for Ecuadorians. However, one major difference of the ceremony was that the public could get so extremely close to the presidential building. In the U.S., it is almost impossible to get within 100 yrds. of the White House without a proper invitation.
I think Ecuadorians value the changing of the guards so much because it is a very traditional practice. Just as Americans view the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldiers a solitary and formal practice, Ecuadorians view the changing of the guards as a form of respect for their country.

Public transportation is very different in Ecuador than in the U.S. For instance, the bus hardly comes to a complete stop when letting passengers on and off. I had a personal experience with this. I was coming back from the mercado with Vivian and we were about to get on the bus. The bus slowed down, but was still moving ever so slightly. When I got on the bus, I was barely on, all of a sudden, the bus lurched forward. I flew backwards and Vivian had to grab on to me so that I wouldn’t fall off. It was a crazy experience. Also, given the fact that most of all the transportation includes manual transmission, the ride is usually  very choppy. But, after almost two weeks, I can truly say  I am definitely getting used to the feel the bus.

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