Interesting Experiences

Living in another country also means getting to know the culture. And it's easy to forget that three months is a decent amount of time to do this, but there’s still so much that one doesn’t know. For instance, I recently ate the super delicious dish 'Mondongo' (without realizing it). Apparently, it’s quite popular here… and it consists of a somewhat special part of the cow – the stomach! To be honest, it looked like mushrooms to me, so I thought nothing of it. I usually eat everything here and like everything, but this was really the first time that I didn’t enjoy something here. The thing is, I only found out afterwards what it was!! :D You realize again: The mind definitely plays a huge role in whether you like something or not, but the tongue generally doesn’t trick you. It was definitely a funny story and a running gag for days. Every time during a meal, it was: 'Today we have Mondongo, Jamie!' :D

Meanwhile, it is not only the off-season, but accordingly also the rainy season. The waterfalls now have significantly more water and look even more beautiful. Recently, I went to one of the nearby waterfalls again. Shortly before that, I discovered a three-meter-long boa constrictor. An incredibly beautiful animal and only my second snake here since my arrival!

The crazy part: Less than an hour later, I saw another snake. This time, however, not in such a relaxed manner. I was alone on a trail in the middle of the rainforest and stood still for a few minutes to observe some birds. And just as I was about to continue, I noticed as I stepped that a snake was slithering right next to my foot. Just 10 centimeters away. Naturally, my heart was racing like crazy :D

That made me realize how quickly such things can happen. If you’re unlucky, you step on a poisonous snake, and then it's good night!

I did a bit of research afterwards, and I’m pretty sure this one fortunately was not poisonous. But to be honest: I certainly don’t want to find that out myself…:D