Ecuadorean highways combine the etiquette of the U.S. east coast with the switchbacks of West Virginian mountains.  The road winds through the peaks as if a bored student had scribbled it there.  Speed limits and caution signs litter the roadsides, and a single fluorescent line separates two lanes.  Kevin referred to the signage as “sugerencias” — i.e., suggestions.  Traffic swerves freely across both lanes, around trucks, buses, and the occasional car.  When nobody approached from the opposite direction, we straddled the center line.  On tight curves, Kevin slid over into the other lane.  I watched every twist and turn to stave off carsickness — hardly a sacrifice, considering the view. Read the rest of this entry →