Today I got see how voting works in Ecuador. Voting is mandatory and must be done in the town where you were born. So here we are in Puyo so that Jairo can vote, and today was the big day. One thing I thought was interesting is that men and women vote separately. First you find out where you vote, much like in the US. Jairo had to vote in a high school. Once you get there, there are hundreds of tables, each one with a number. You find out your number, go to that table (for your gender), and then get about 6 pages worth of people to vote for. There are so many political parties here, it’s really incredible. Because of the efficiency of the table set-up, even though everyone has to vote, it actually only takes about 5 minutes. You’re in and out! The efficiency of the system strikes me as very un-Ecuadorian!
After voting, we decided to buy a cake and have a joint birthday party for Jairo’s dad and me, since Jairo and I were in Quito for both birthdays. It was an ice cream cake! I honestly think I could eat a whole ice cream cake myself. Maybe two.
It was a really nice day, and another reminder of how great it is to be around people you love and take time to celebrate everyday moments with them. I’m not looking forward to leaving Puyo!
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