Is Quito Dangerous?
Quito, Ecuador has a terrible security reputation and the question, “is Quito dangerous”, is one I’ve been asked often. Many travelers, even experienced ones, are hesitant to visit the South American city due to security concerns – but just how dangerous is Quito?
High Crime Rate
Qutio has an exceptionally high crime rate, even when compared to other big South American cities. The most common crime against tourists is pickpocketing, either by quick hands or intimidation. The use of knives is becoming more frequent in muggings but violence is usually rare if you’re compliant. Despite the statistics and the State Department warnings, walking the streets of Quito isn’t a terrifying experience.
Know Your Limits
According to the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), in Quito crime occurs at all hours, but much of that depends on where in the city you are. The tourist and backpacker areas of Plaza Foch, Parque Itchimbia, Cumbaya, and La Ronda are safe both day and night due to a (very) heavy police presence in the area. You’ll be free to walk around these areas, even at night, and will clearly see where the police protection ends. By sticking to those areas, especially at night, you shouldn’t encounter any problems.
- Although the area around the apartment I was staying at looked very quiet, I was told not to walk around much after dark. At night you shouldn’t assume a street is safe, even if right next to a populated area.
- When in the Old Town, stick to the square and the well lit side streets (they will be obvious). There is a heavy police presence here and while you’re likely to see beggars and prostitutes, will be relatively safe walking around.
- OSAC statistics show that traveling in groups of 2 or more significantly reduce your chance of being a victim of crime in Quito.
Despite this, getting around in the city by taxi is relatively uneventful. You can drive around most places at night very cheaply and it’s a good alternative to walking if you aren’t sure where you’re going. It is still a good idea to keep your electronics and jewelry out of sight just in case.
Quito Common Sense
In Quito you never walk around with more money in your pocket then you’re willing to have stolen. You shouldn’t stroll around chatting on your cell phone either – both the distraction and the phone make you an enticing target. It’s also standard practice to keep your electronics out of sight at all times.
- That said, walking around most parts of Quito during the day isn’t scary.
- Stay within the main streets at night and if you’re unsure of a route by foot, take a cab to be on the safe side.
- Never walk in any of the parks at night.
- The police response to crime reports is minimal and street criminals are rarely apprehended so don’t expect much if you have to file a report.
Practice common sense, like keeping an eye on your belongings and being aware of your surroundings and in most of the city during the day you should be fine to walk around. At night, most of the areas around hotels and hostels have a heavy police presence and the streets with security are very brightly lit up relative to anywhere else.
Not Too Dangerous To Visit
I may have made Quito sound like a scary place for some of you but it’s not. With all of the warnings I had heard about it I was expecting a much more chaotic scene as opposed to the normalcy I encountered. By using the advice above and sticking to the right streets at night you’re much less likely to face trouble, especially in the major touristic areas. Avoiding the city completely and missing places like the Mitad del Mundo and the other heights of Quito would be robbing yourself out of the food, culture, and beauty that is Quito.
How To Use Multi-City Flights To See More Places For Less
You can often find cheaper flights by routing yourself through a number of destinations using multi-city trip searches. Many people assume that adding stops on your flight from say, New York to Madrid, is more expensive than just letting the search engine like Travelocity or Kayak do it for you. I’ll show you how you can use this method to add a few days or weeks at the cities in between, make it to your final destination, and return home – all without paying a cent more for airfare and potentially saving quite a bit on airline tickets.
First Look For Stopovers
Many national airlines, like Icelandair, offer stopovers in the capitals of their county of origin. For example if you’re flying Air France from Washington DC to Tokyo with Air France you can call to ask if they’ll let you stay in Paris for a few days. Typically stopovers don’t cost any extra airfare and you may be able to get a package deal or try your hand at hostel (wait, what is a hostel?)
Often you’ll need to call the airline, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.- If you have a credit card linked to a frequent flyer account and book over the phone, remember that both Star Alliance and One World will get you bonus miles (3-12) for every dollar you spend on the ticket. This is also often the case if you book directly through the airline’s website.
Airlines used to promote stopovers heavily years ago when long layovers were more common but a few still do. Icelandair usually features good deals and you can make the most out of your stopover in Iceland the next time you flight across the north Atlantic.
Begin With A Single Stop
Stopovers are the easy way to save a bit of money while adding another stop on your journey. To find even better deals and open up your travel options, go to your favorite online travel agent – for this post I’ll use Kayak.com; you can of course use Travelocity or a host of others.
- Start with a regular round-trip search and get a round trip figure.
- Take note of any stops and the cities the layovers are in.
Hack The Route
Now that you have a ballpark figure, starting point, and final destination you can begin hacking the route.
- Use the multi-city option and begin with a single route. Look for the cities generally on the way that don’t cross oceans or backtrack through continents (much like how RTW tickets are setup).
- Look for any stop that costs less than 50% of your original round trip price. A flight to Paris from many North American cities on United is often cheaper if you fly through Guatemala City or Buenos Aires as opposed to booking a regular round trip fare.
- Get creative. Look for any major cities you can think of or want to see. Often two places that seem completely unrelated are important routes for airlines and to fill seats they offer lower fares.
- Be flexible. Play with the travel dates, starting your searches with Wednesdays. If there is more than one nearby airport try using them as well.
Treat this part like a game to find the single lowest fare to some city remotely along your way. It is often time consuming and you can spread out your searches over a few days. Also, use Farecast to narrow down the best time to buy.
Getting The Second Leg Done With
Now you’ve got a very cheap one-way ticket to Buenos Aires on your way to Paris, so you can start looking for the second flight to get you all the way there.
You know at least one leg is cheaper than 50% of the total round trip price; now begin playing with dates and connecting cities to get an lower overall fare.
Using the same multi-city search, see what happens to your total airfare when you add the final destination. If it’s less or the same, great – if not, change the dates, or the city in between if your travel plans are flexible.
- If you’re really after the lowest possible fare and don’t mind a bit of extra travel, you can add another stop, using the same method above. So your flight from New York to Buenos Aires to Paris might actually require a day in Amsterdam.
- Hopefully you’ve got some frequent flyer miles – if so, you might be able to use them for the more expensive legs of your trip.
It sounds crazy, but often these added routes are still cheaper than conventional round-trip fares.
So, What’s The Catch?
What you save in money, you lose in time searching for every possible connecting city or varying dates you can think of. Not to mention you’ll spend a few days or a week in another stop along the way, which might not be ideal for everyone.
You’ll also likely have to deal with longer layovers and if you’re checking in luggage, that’s more time you’ll be hanging around airports. There is of course the added cost of the hotel, hostel, or lodging in your middle destination, which could end up more expensive depending on your travel plans.
Not Only For Round-Trip Tickets
Having said all of that, using multi-city flights is a great way to see or revisit a completely different city or country on your way to that final destination. You don’t necessarily have to be going round-trip either.
- You can also try booking past your destination (and getting off at the layover) and using hidden cities for lower fares.
I’ve used this method many times to “stopover” in places for up to a month or more, and still save on airfare. It’s one of my 10 pieces of practical advice for backpacking novices and you can use it next time you want to spice up your trips for less.
[photos by: _sarchi (globes), k.landerholm (chisel), Marcus Ramburg (skeptic)]
The Path To The Top Of Quito’s La Basilica Church: In Pictures
June 3, 2010 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video, Travel Journal
Getting to the top of La Basilica Church is a great way to explore the heights of Quito, Ecuador but it’s more of a journey than most expect. Climbing the towers (shown below) are just the first step, and not the last, on your way to a tiny perch 115 meters (~375 feet) above the ground. The climb to the top of Quito’s La Basilica Church isn’t for the faint of heart or those afraid of heights as you can see in this visual path to the top.
Even La Basilica Church Runs On South American Time
I don’t think I saw one correct clock during my entire time in Quito. It didn’t bother me though since my internal clock is already set to South American time. (In the distance there you can see the Virgen de Quito statue on El Panecillo hill.)
Entering La Basilica
You may be greeted by one or more ‘church tour guides’ who will demand a bit of money for walking you around and giving you bogus facts. Don’t be duped by them, the church doesn’t have tour guides unless you pay for one at the ticket counter. Entry to the lower part of La Basilica, and this view, is free but you’ll need to purchase a $2 ticket to begin your path to the top.
Across The Courtyard
It’s in the courtyard where you can purchase your tickets and make your way to the first climb to La Basilica’s bell towers. The path up La Basilica’s towers is through a series of wide stairs and seems simple enough and the elevator looked like it hadn’t been functional in ages. This is where most people assume things end, which can be a bit disappointing, until realizing they’re not even half way up.
That’s Only The Beginning
Either of the two towers will get you to this point in the church, where you’ll walk across a narrow wooden bridge directly over La Basilica’s interior arches. I was about half way across when I took the picture below.
At The End Of The Bridge
These are the best “stairs” you’ll find on your climb to the top. They at least resemble stairs and aren’t a straight up shot like the ladders waiting for you ahead. I should mention that the stairs/ladders are welded into the stone and firmly in place.
The View From The Middle
All of a sudden it’s slightly cooler and much windier nearly midway up. This is one of the wonderful views you’ll find as you gather yourself for the ladders to come.
Don’t Look Down
There isn’t much but air behind these set of steps, and while it’s not much harder than climbing a ladder, it can be intimidating if you look down. There were plenty of people who go stuck below or made it up half way, only to climb back down.
Don’t Look Around
You are almost at the top and the wind will be stronger and everything below much smaller. One of the reasons I mentioned that this climb just wouldn’t cut in the US or European is that a fall or slip from here could very dangerous. There isn’t much between you and the roof many meters below if you were to fall through. Again, it’s really just the height that makes it intimidating, if you can climb a ladder you can climb all the way to the top of La Basilica Church.
You’ve Made It, Now All You Have To Do Is Get Back Down
The entire platform at the top is approximately 2.25 x 2.25 meters and open air. You’ll get a clear 360 degree view of Quito and the surrounding mountains and volcanoes, even if you don’t go all the way to the edge. It’s a steep climb down and almost everybody I saw hesitated a moment before finally taking their first step back to the ground.
The key for many to getting up the ladders is not to look down and not be discouraged by the people who can’t make it. I think seeing them put many off and certainly had me thinking twice for a moment. The path to the top is all made worthwhile by the sights and sense of accomplishment. Once you summit La Basilica you can climb Pichincha Volcano, made much easier in the comfort of a teleferico cable car.
You can see more of my pictures from La Basilica Church here.
Why Do You Still Feel Bouncy After Long Flights And Cruises?
June 2, 2010 by Anil P.
Filed under Air, Health and Fitness
Many of you who have taken long flights have probably experienced that slight wobbly or bouncy sensation a few hours after landing – as if you were still rocking in the plane during flight. This lagging sensation, broadly called “land sickness” can also occur after a cruise, car ride, or any situation where you’re in motion for an extended period.
Why It Occurs
To find the answer I got in touch with several doctors (many thanks to Got Passport for the references) to find out. The immediate sensation you feel is caused by your brain receiving mixed signals from your eyes and vestibular system in the ear. It’s similar to why many people experience seasickness – your eyes tell your brain the body isn’t moving while the vestibular system in your ear feels the sensation of motion. It’s confusing and can be slightly disorienting, especially as the vestibular system gets conditioned and used to what its feeling.
When you get off the airplane or boat, your inner ear is on autopilot and keeps telling your brain there’s motion, forget what those eyes say! Eventually though for most people the effects subside after a few hours or days at most.
Mal De Debarquement Syndrome
For a rare few however, the bouncy feeling may persist for much longer – months or years. It’s a condition known as Mal de Debarquement syndrome (MDD or MdDS) and very little in known about it except that it primarily effects women between the ages of 40 and 50. Also, those who suffer from it are likely to do so after a long cruise rather than a flight.
- MdDS is likely a genetic condition not caused by injury to the ear or brain and thought to be related somehow to the sex hormones estrogen or progesterone.
- The MdDS Balace Disorder Foundation has coincidentally named June MdDS Awareness Month.
There is no cure or treatment although being in motion, ironically, tends to eliminate the symptoms.
Preventing The Bouncy Feeling
There is little research on land sickness prevention and there isn’t much you can do about it but relax…literally. Stress and fatigue can make you feel even more bouncy and may prolong the sensation so use these 3 ways to reduce flight delay stress or hone stress to improve your travels altogether.
There is also an acupuncture point on the inside of your wrist, about two finger widths up (shown right). Applying firm pressure there with your fingers may combat land or sea sickness.
Have You Ever Experienced Land Sickness?
I tend to have the feeling for several days after a flight which is more of a nuisance than anything – especially in the shower. I’m curious to hear what your experience with land sickness has been. You can let me know using the poll below or leaving a comment (perhaps winning a prize in the process).
Have You Ever Felt Bouncy After A Flight, Cruise, Or Car Ride?
- Yes, it happens often (55%, 11 Votes)
- It's happened, but rarely (30%, 6 Votes)
- No, I don't know what you're talking about (15%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 20
Loading ...In short, the sensation is normal if it only lasts for a few hours or days and is caused by your body’s balance system getting used to constant motion only for it to stop suddenly. Don’t stress in the air or at sea and you should be feeling better in no time.
[photos by: World Of Oddy (girl jumping in bouncy castle), Orin Zebest (woman's ear), jodigreen (star tattoo)]
