Science has studied the brains of squirrels quite intensively. In fact, the part of the brain that remembers cache locations for acorn nuts is apparently over-developed for the size of the animal. A grey squirrel's memory for cache locations allows an average retrieval rate of 60%. Of course, that means that 40% is never recovered and likely to become a sapling next year.
When we returned the bikes, it was somewhat like a mad dash to pack out luggage and retreat to the hotel for a nice relaxing evening. We had segregated out "really stinky" kit from the "somewhat stinky" kit. This meant that boots, jackets and riding pants were all in a suitcase together. I have often noticed that TSA "helps" themselves to small things of interest from my suitcase while in their control, but overall, I guess that part of the redistribution plan of life.
A few weeks went by before I switched from my winter riding jacket to the jacket I took to Ecuador. As I put it on, I was thudded on the chest by this bohemia. Curious to know what box of rocks this might be, I opened one of my interior pockets to find this:
![[IMG]](https://blaster11.smugmug.com/Vacation/ECU16/ECUD10/i-zsb2f6d/0/L/0319160753-L.jpg)
Look at this new found fortune--My heart flutters on if I even need to go to work today. Alas, it amounts to no more than $37 in one-dollar bills which had been wet, then dried (maybe more than once) into this nice 3" fatty of a brick. I guess not even TSA dared to enter the lair of the dirty riding boots to "redistribute" this wad of cash for me. Apparently, I am no better than a squirrel in remembering where I cache important items.
The old addage is true; once you have been to Ecuador, you will return to your life a changed person.
When we returned the bikes, it was somewhat like a mad dash to pack out luggage and retreat to the hotel for a nice relaxing evening. We had segregated out "really stinky" kit from the "somewhat stinky" kit. This meant that boots, jackets and riding pants were all in a suitcase together. I have often noticed that TSA "helps" themselves to small things of interest from my suitcase while in their control, but overall, I guess that part of the redistribution plan of life.
A few weeks went by before I switched from my winter riding jacket to the jacket I took to Ecuador. As I put it on, I was thudded on the chest by this bohemia. Curious to know what box of rocks this might be, I opened one of my interior pockets to find this:
![[IMG]](https://blaster11.smugmug.com/Vacation/ECU16/ECUD10/i-zsb2f6d/0/L/0319160753-L.jpg)
Look at this new found fortune--My heart flutters on if I even need to go to work today. Alas, it amounts to no more than $37 in one-dollar bills which had been wet, then dried (maybe more than once) into this nice 3" fatty of a brick. I guess not even TSA dared to enter the lair of the dirty riding boots to "redistribute" this wad of cash for me. Apparently, I am no better than a squirrel in remembering where I cache important items.
The old addage is true; once you have been to Ecuador, you will return to your life a changed person.
