another instance of the skydive effect
So we went to find the post office today since my parents had sent me a package. It was a hassle even understanding the crazy dude who called us to let us know they had the package, but when we finally found it in what seemed like Quito's Chinatown, we found out that they'd be charging us over $130 just to pick up the package and copies of our passports. I handed him the passports to make copies, and he pointed me to the papelería across the street. Business partners?? :P Keep in mind that nobody EVER carries around $130 in Ecuador.
Also, we should've known it wasn't going to work out; it was our first attempt, after all. ;) We'll try again later this week...second attempt always seems to go a bit better.