Day 3

I will post some more pictures and narrate our day, but first I have learned some more things that are not attached to pictures.

Whenever you charge a purchase, they ask you "Cuantos quotas" or how many payments?  You must decide at that time, for how many months you wish to spread out your payments.  You cannot change your mind, or pay it all off at once even if you want to (unless you've said "uno.")  The credit card statements must look so odd, with all different payments for all different purchases.  For us, it is just "uno" no matter what number we come up with, because that is how our statements are printed in the US.

Remember the laws which are just mere "suggestions?"  Well, the speed limit works the same way.  The numbers are simply decorations on the signs.  For this reason, they scatter "policia acostada" (laying down police), speed bumps, all over the streets.  You drive and then slow down suddenly (not to avoid the buses and motorbikes that are squishing you) to drive over these very rounded speed bumps. 

There are 7 classes of social strata, based upon income.  The people pay percentages of their utlity bills, property taxes, etc. based upon their strata.  If you are upper class (6 or 7) you might pay 20% more of what your bill says, in order to fund the lower classes.  Employers have to supply health insurance and it is a law for employees to have it. (Sound familiar?)  You must pay 12% of your wages for health insurance.  The employer actually contributes 9% and you pay 3%.  The interesting part is that this amount covers all people in your family under the age of 19.  There is a government health insurance that pays for some unemployable people.  There is no welfare or social security as families take care of each other.  If you don't have a job, you figure out a way to earn money.  Thus, the food vendors all over the street sides.  And, there are vendors (candy, gum, breads) at the toll booths and stop signs.  Today, while we were in a taxi, a vendor placed a multi-packet of Chicklet gum (those little rectangle boxes with two pieces each) on the dashboard of the car.  He just reached through the open window and set this packet down.  I wondered if the driver even wanted it, and thought it can't be free.  As the stop light changed to green, the same vendor walked back past the row of cars and took back the packets if money was not extended out the window.  So fascinating. 

I live a very sheltered life.  I must get out more.