I'm so sorry to hear what happened to the two girls. Certainly deeds like these made my country to be seen as an unsafe place for foreigners and even for locals.

Ecuadorian reality:

It's so common to see the Ecuadorian army and the police patrolling together against the crime in Quito's streets, but it's not enough.... Thieves, robbers, killers and rapists can be put in jail easily (if caught), but they are set free the following day.

I'd say Ecuadorian Legal System is one of the most corrupt of South America... this is the only country where a thief after been caught has the right to leave jail the following day if the value of the item robbed by him/her doesn't exceed the USD. 600,00. (crazy!!)

I've been object of a robbery in Rucu Pichincha as well (10 years ago). I never got any help from the police. Instead I had to take myself to the hospital to take care of my enjuries. The only thing I'd recommend is "avoid desolated places, and walk in large groups".. I know it's hard to prevent being robbed against a gun or a sharp object, but this could help.

I didn't know about this last bad experience, not even for the news, but for SP forum. I guess police's priority was to take more care of Quito's parties and festivities than for the rest of us up there.

Ecuador, a beautiful country:

Besides everything, Ecuador is such a beautiful country full of amazing places as the Amazon, the Andes, the Pacific Coast and the Galapagos Islands... its people are helpful and friendly, and although sometimes in strange ways... they are always ready to help the tourist in any situation.

I've been robbed in Peru twice, it wouldn't be fair to judge that amazing country just for a couple of assholes who only try to destroy a country's good image. Hope to visit it soon as I hope not many people would change their minds of visiting mine.

Anywhere in the world there are good and bad people, safe and unsafe places.. it's our job to take care of ourselves and to be cautious.

Once again I'm so sorry for what happened last Dec 7 2007, It's good to know the rapist finally got caught by the police for the peace of mind of all of us.

HIGH EXPEDITIONS wrote:I'm so sorry to hear what happened to the two girls. Certainly deeds like these made my country to be seen as an unsafe place for foreigners and even for locals.
...

Sad to see a long time member (and big contributor) make his first ever post in a thread like this.

WouterB wrote:Sad to see a long time member (and big contributor) make his first ever post in a thread like this.

Yes, I wish I was giving my point of view in a different subject. It just pissed all of us off here in the touristic area. Hope it'll change soon.

I'm planning a trip for mid-late Jan, and have my tickets already. Even after hearing this I'm still planing on going. Never was planning on doing Rucu, and will be spending most of my time outside of Quito. That should lower my chances of having a problem I would think. Is there much crime near the higher peaks? I haven't heard of such...

Ammon Hatch wrote: Is there much crime near the higher peaks? I haven't heard of such...

I haven't heard about any bad experience in the higher peaks. They should be safer 'cause they belong to National Parks and Reserves. Park rangers usually control the entrances, they don't do a searching of cars and people entering the parks, though.

HIGH EXPEDITIONS wrote:Anywhere in the world there are good and bad people, safe and unsafe places.. it's our job to take care of ourselves and to be cautious.

I definitely agree with this assessment, which is why I'm not changing my plans. Life is fraught with risk, man-made or otherwise.

Can you give any advise on how an American could keep a low profile and minimize himself as a potential target?

dioid wrote:Just to make it clear - was he alone or was it a group of bandits?

I hear you brother....as contrarian as my views are.

Ammon,
I was in Ecuador this past July and experienced few problems. I am 19 and was traveling alone. I did Rucu, Cotopaxi and Chimbo and never felt unsafe at the mountains. In Quito or other bigger cities just play it smart, avoid poorly lit areas, don't carry a camera around your neck or keep a lot of money on you. Also it may sound stupid but if you walk confidently, there is a much less chance someone is going to mess with you.

Corax wrote:Aqui, cabron, aqui. (here, asshole, here) he told them and made a sweeping gesture over his throat. The robbers got uncertain, looking into the face of a man which obviously wasn't sane. [/i]

Works for me Janne....but prob helps if one really isn't quite sane to begin with I suppose. I stole back shit from a gang of six with guns...I had a crowbar. Like your friends girlfriend.....my wife was not impressed with my behavior regarding that incident even though she drove the get a way car. When I am in that mode it is not a pretty sight to say the least. It is an automatic response some of us are built with I guess, good or bad....prob bad. I can emphatically say how sorry I am for these two women. It blows me away a man could walk away......cannot comprehend it..... no how, no way. My daughter has done extensive work in Ecuador. I am familiar with its bandits.

I just want to clarify a couple things here:

- This thread was originally started two years ago, and recently revived. Nothing wrong with that, just realize that any information from the first several pages is 2 years old.
- We felt safe right up until the incident. Just because you went somewhere and felt safe doesn't mean that it is. Clearly many foreigners have perfectly fine trips to Ecuador, but it would be misleading to draw a conclusion about the country's crime rate based on an isolated anecdote (good or bad).
- If I were ever to go back, I would pony up the extra cash to for a guide to meet me at the airport, drive me the @#$! out of Quito, and climb with me (or at least take me to the base of the mountain and hang with me on my days off). True or not, I got the impression that traveling with a local (in a private vehicle) significantly cuts down on the risk of violent crime.

mattyj wrote:- If I were ever to go back, I would pony up the extra cash to for a guide to meet me at the airport, drive me the @#$! out of Quito, and climb with me (or at least take me to the base of the mountain and hang with me on my days off). True or not, I got the impression that traveling with a local (in a private vehicle) significantly cuts down on the risk of violent crime.

I'm getting the @#$! out of Quito the night we arrive (straight from the airport), and our transport will all be hired drivers. Another reason I felt like it's an acceptable risk for us. I definitely appreciate this tread and anecdotes from both sides. I don't want to go blind.

I traveled in Ecuador with no problems. Some of the time in Quito and Guayaquil I was alone. Once in Guayaquil I was about to leave the taxi and the driver told me to wait when he noticed some "youths" in gang colors right outside the taxi. He pulled up 100 yards and I avoided the bad element.
Be aware and don't do anything stupid and you will most likely be OK. There is always some risk, but it should not be over dramatized IMO. (Of course those that suffered at the start of this thread have my sympathies).

Like this thread I was in Ecuador two years ago. While bad things do happen overall the country is not a bad place to travel. The normal precautions should be taken for any city not just Quito. Stay out of dark streets, know your surroundings, have a dummy wallet to use as a distraction, travel in groups, etc. Don't use this thread to plan a current trip to Ecuador. Get some recent beta. Cheers!