things to get used to

Now that I am back in the states there are a few things I need to remind myself of (even though I was only in GUA for 11 days):

• It's OK to flush toilet paper
• Don't say Spanish fillers to anyone that looks Latino (i.e. 'Hola', 'Gracias', etc.)...not a good habit to form trust me. This goes for restaurant workers and Hertz rental agents
• Coffee here is flaming hot. Wait 5-10 minutes before consumption.
• Tap water is safe
• Dollars should not be as freely spent as Quetzals (ratio is 1:7.5)
• MasterCard and Amerian Express are valid forms of payment
• Tipping is NOT automatically included on the bill and is more than 10% (they set the bar lower)
• My activity level is less now...so food does not need to be consumed at the rate previously lest I want to gain weight.
• Seat belts are required and speed limits must be obeyed
• Blogging will continue on a almost-daily basis...electronically and not in a Power Rangers notebook.