SPF 45

Did I mention that Ecuador is right on the equator and that it´s really hot here?  Being on the equator also means: sun set and sun rise at about 6:30 pm and am everyday of the year.  It also means that at night, the stars actually look closer and brighter than I have ever seen them in my life.  And obviously, but maybe not obviously enough ---

It means that the sun is extremely strong.... so after a 40 minute walk on the beach the other day (wearing spf 45) I got a really nasty sunburn.  I know that I should have known better, but it´s not that hot when you´re walking on the beach, so very deceptive. Actually, the temperature isn´t that hot at all - maybe 80 degrees when it is the hottest, but with the sun being so close and with the humidity, it feels like about 125.  Anyway, the next morning, Jaime, my spanish teacher and a man who´s probably 70 years old (with a 25 year old wife, btw) went into the garden, cut off a leaf about the size of my entire arm from the aloe vera plant and slathered it all over me.  I know that the blue bottled aloe I buy at CVS comes from this plant, but Í´ve never seen an aloe plant so big, and I´ve definitely never actually had it slathered all over me.  It works!  The sunburn was gone in literally a couple of hours.  Amazing.

On the topic of health, I also go stung by a jellyfish the other day while swimming in the ocean. While I would normally freak out about something like this, it really didn´t hurt, but there was a small blue line forming down my finger where I was stung which then had me a little bit worried.  When I showed Juan-Carlos, the guy who runs the school-hotel where I´m staying, he said not to worry - that I should rub my finger where I was stung with very very hot sand for about 10 minutes.  I thought that was very strange, but did it anyway and poof in about 10 minutes, the whole thing was over.  No more blue line, no more stinging... totally gone.  Does the hot sand kill the venom?  wtf?  Anyway, that´s my 2nd experience with Ecuadorian home rememies in 3 days, so I can´t wait to see what´s next. :)

That´s all for now.  Going to have lunch and will write again soon!  xoxo