1. Lots of street ads: There are literally hundreds of ads on a block. Most of them are recurring and/or boring for tourists. They can be fron anything like cereal bags to soccer sets.
2. 8-digit telephone numbers: They look something like this: 5442-1297. They are different from the normal numbers, so do NOT try to speed dial.
3. Avienda and Calle signs: Unlike the States, there are such things as Avienda (goes north-south) and Calle (runs east-west). They are also numbered, in order for each city.
4. Disgusting Purple flowers that taste like plastic: Do not drink this when made into tea. It will tell you that if you really want it to. Expert tip: Only drink if you know that you have a parasite in your stomach. Actually, don’t drink it at all.
5. Weird Lights made out of plastic Bottles: Sometomes if you go into cities like Alotenango or other developing cities, you will see piles of bottles they will likely use for everyday applications. Need to protect a smoke alarm? Use a plastic bottle. Need to prop a table up? Use a plastic bottle. Need to go to a baño? Fine, I won’t go there.
Zachloco! I love how you share your views! Thanks for the interesting perspective. Avenidas are avenues. I suppose they go north south as they are major thoroughfares. Calles are streets, which are smaller than avenues. Good observations on your part that you notice they run east west. It may not be true everywhere else. ¡Divertirse y feliz viaje!
Hi Zach, in Manhattan, the borough I live in NYC, and in the Bronx, avenues go north-south and streets go east-west. The funny thing about NYC is that in the borough of Queens, the avenues are east-west, the streets are north-south. They like to keep us turned around here and confused.
My guess is that because Manhattan is shaped long and skinny in the north-south direction, they created the wider roads (avenues) going north-south so people can get where they need to go faster. Since Manhattan is the main commercial borough, the other 4 boroughs oriented traffic to head towards Manhattan. So the Bronx, which is north of Manhattan, followed Manhattan’s grid. Queens is to the east, and it’s east-West avenues make it easier for people to get to Manhattan. At least this is my guess.