There are Nine Universals of Culture which are the major areas that define one cultural group from the next. They are Material Culture; Arts, Play and Recreation; Social Organization; Language and Non-Verbal Communication; Social Control; Conflict and Warfare; Education; World View; and Economic Organization. Here are just a few examples in pictures of how differently, different cultures can do the same things.

Like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid here we are in the heart of South America the whitewashed town of Sucre, Bolivia, absolutely transfixed by being in the middle of a huge, huge, empty land of harsh, spectacular beauty, yet thriving in this beautiful city of 200,000.

As I am want to do these days, as the ubiquitous bells of the churches ring for the morning masses, I drift awake and wonder...where am I? About that same moment I realize just where I am, and can't help but give thanks for being so lucky as to be on such an adventure. This morning as I lazily laid there listening to the quiet I realized this new city we had picked to live in  was about as far away as you can get from anywhere. Sucre, despite being in a gorgeous city of over 100 chapels, a major University (founded in 1625 the second oldest in the Americas) hundreds or restaurants and all kinds of activities...we are surrounded by a thousand miles of empty.

We had no idea how empty until we headed out by taxi yesterday for the 65 mile trip to Tarabuco, an adobe market town, laid out in a small arroyo at about 10,000 feet. The pictures tell the story but this is definitely not Wal-mart although just two blocks from our place here there is a huge modern grocery store, and a cinema;)

Just a few more days and it's back on the road, this time to Bolivia and the whitewashed college town of Sucre (yes another college town 30,000 students).

You would think that being just down the road (only Peru between us and Bolivia) it would be easy to get to, but we can get back to Colorado faster and cheaper (flights Denver to Quito are running about $625 now) than La Paz.  Round trip from Guayaquil to La Paz is $854 unless we take American Airlines which requires a stop in Miami first. We've decided to fly the short hop to Guayaquil this time it's only 77 miles but the Andes have a way of making that a five hour trip and air travel with-in Ecuador is easy, comfortable and cheap $33. (Once again in Guayaquil we will be waiting 6 hours this time which is just enough to get a great prawn late as the season is in full bore right now.) Then at 7 p.m. we fly to La Paz arriving at midnight so the cold air's density will hold the plane up while landing. A quick Taxi ride takes us into La Paz itself a beautiful city, sitting at 12,000 feet where we will stay one day before we have one last 40 minute flight (or a 16 hour butt-busting bus ride) to Sucre. We know it's a great city similar to Boulder and Cuenca, but it been hard to find any but the most basic information, so we are flying a little blind. Hopefully we will be able to change that for others as we report back. Meanwhile it's one last evening at La Parola for live Blues tonight, and I think Saturday will be a long night of Salsa dancing at Tinton, Verde y Maduro. I have a feeling I'm going to miss the live music, but who knows, when we first came to Cuenca we didn't expect electricity (yes, I was that clueless)