What the States really needs is more buses.

I´m serious about this. Bus rides in Ecuador can be long. They can be crowded. They can be uncomfortable. They can involve being jostled within an inch of your life over unpaved roads, and being fallen upon by smelly old men standing in the aisle next to your seat. Or standing for hours in the aisle yourself.
BUT - and this makes it all worth it - they also involve one of the most entertaining spectacles I have ever seen, "los vendores informales" - the informal vendors, as the newspaper calls them.
Here is what happens. Every time the bus stops, whether to let people on, let people off, or even just wait for a red light, dozens of vendors crowd into the probably already crowded aisle and try to sell you everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. If they could fit the kitchen sink onto the bus, they´d probably try to sell you that too. They push, they shove, and if they absolutely can´t squeeze themselves through to the back, they shout really loud, to make sure everyone knows exactly what they are selling.
Granted, the most common items are food. On the way to Canoa a few days ago, we were offered fried chicken, shrimp soup, apples, oranges, ice cream, empanadas, various types of unidentified meat, and more candy and soda than anyone should ever be exposed to. But sometimes it´s even more interesting - once, we were offered a complete dental care system, complete with lecture on oral hygiene. And followed, of course, by more candy and soda.
It´s really entertaining. And after ten hours of being so entertained, we arrived in the sleepy little beach town of Canoa, land of palm trees, piña coladas, and shrimp. We can see the ocean from our room, and it´s a wonderful place to relax and recover from being sick. Pictures later -