Nah, I was not in Equador. I was in Miami, getting a new passport, since mine only had 5 months of validity remaining, and one needs 6 to enter South American and European countries. Officer Cooke was extraordinarily sympathetic and was very keen on my being able to get my passport the same day, since he was convinced that the medical supplies I had with me were desperately needed. Despite all of his pleading, and warm words of support, I had to spend the better part of a day lugging my bags from the passport agency to various Walgreens, through thunderstorms, in search of one that had a working photographer. With all my comings and goings, each time passing my bags through an xray machine and having them searched, Officer Cooke and i grew quite close.