Quito Warnings and Dangers

The South American Explorers Club is hosting a backpacker's information lunch on September 3rd from 11am to 3pm.. A member of the British Embassy and the staff and volunteers of SAE will be on hand with advise and information about travel, health, and safety in Quito and Ecuador. Citizens of the UK will also be able to sign up for the LOCATE program which helps the embassy assist those in need quickly. A small charge will help cover food costs.

Quito Clubhouse
311 Jorge Washington y Leonidas Plaza

This is a warning for all travellers leaving Quito by bus, especially to those travelling south to Latacunga. We have been robbed in a bus leaving from Quito Terminal Terrestre and have heard now from hostal-owners in Latacunga and other locals that this scam is very common.

There is a gang of three or four young people observing tourists buying tickets in the terminal and then entering the bus before them. One of the group is posing as the bus assistant / controller, advising seats and indicating the passengers where to put the bags (under the seat or in the overhead compartment). The rest of the group seat themselves around the tourists and one of them behind. This person uses the bumpy and bad roads to move the bag back and opens / cuts it to steal everything of value. Sometimes they even close the bags and put back cases or wallets after stealing so that the tourists don’t notice the theft.

This scam is known to the police and the bus companies, is going on since months but no one seems to do anything about it.

Our advice: Keep your bags on your lap at all times. Never place them beneath your feet. Never let someone (not even the bus assistant) touch your bags or let them help you.
We have lost a laptop computer and two expensive sunglasses. Tell this to other travellers, spread the word so that this stops.

Don't walk up to Panecillo or Pinchincha. Everybody will warn you against that, especially the taxi drivers who of course want to make a profit. But it is true. There have been a lot of unhappy incidents. During my 2 week stay I heard of 7 tourists who were kidnapped.
Don't wear gold necklaces except if you have decided to part with it. Everybody I met who used to have a gold chain was robbed of it in plain daylight. They are very swift and well trained...
Don't leave anything of value in your hotel room. It will disappear into thin air even with the door double locked. They are ..magicians...
Don't trust your money with anyone and don't show your big bunch to anyone. It's better to use an ATM card to get small amounts at a time. Always keep your money in a hidden pouch close to your body. Keep a small pack of dollars out to pay bills and never admit you have more.
Don't keep your camera on your shoulder or around your neck except if you have been tired of it and need a new one... They stopped me in the street several times and instructed me to put it in my bag. A European living there told me she had already lost 3 of them.
Many times local people warned me in a confidentially whispering voice that an innocent looking passer by, even a woman, could be a potential skillful thief.
However none of this has happened to me, except that .. the airlines lost my whole suitcase....So watch yours in public transport.
What to do if you have a serious problem: Go to the Ministry of Tourism and make an official complaint! It's much better than trying to solve things out yourself. The address is Av. Roy Alfaro N32-300. Tel. 2 228303.
Good luck! Nevertheless Quito is a nice place.

When you visit the Basilica del Voto Nacional in the Old Town, it's incredibly fun and rewarding to climb the towers and to see the spectacular views from here, but be careful with the steps and lack of railings and the makeshift ladders and planks that provide the access to these areas. They are safe enough if you exercise caution, but while I was there, I couldn't help thinking that there's no way that these facilities would be up to code in the US! ;-)

In the past three months, there has been a dramatic increase in assaults on people hiking from the Teleferico to the summit of Pichincha volcano. Women, men, people traveling alone, and people traveling in groups as large as eight, have been assaulted. The assaults are violent and are not limited to robbery. Currently, there is no security in place for people hiking from the Teleferico. It is not recommended to hike the summit at this time as there is complete lack of security.

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The altitude in Quito is quite high, averaging 2800 m. (9200 feet). When I found out it was that high, I wrote into "Fox News Sunday House Call" and Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld read my submitted question on the air. Dr. Rosenfeld recommends a day to take it easy (certainly not bed rest) to acclimate yourself to the altitude. That means don't go higher into the mountains or do anything strenuous. The altitude didn't have any adverse effects on me until, well into the trip, I took the Teleferiqo up to 4100 m. (13448 feet). I managed to take all the photos I needed, but I was keen to get back to the base at 3165 m. (9680 feet). If you are older or have heart or respiratory problems, see your doctor before organising a trip to here or any other high altitude city.

Quito is surrounded by eight volcanoes: Cotopaxi (pictured at 5897 m. 19342 feet), Antisana, Sincholagua and Cayambe to the east; Illiniza, Atacazo, Pinchincha and Pululahua to the west. The most interesting of the lot is Cayambe, which is east-northeast of Quito. Although it hasn't erupted since 1786, it is the only mountain or volcano on earth that lies directly on the equator (the southern flank, at least) and has a permanent snow cap and glaciers.

Quito is the only capital in the world to be directly threatened by an active volcano. Guagua Pinchincha, only 21 km. (13 miles) west, has continuing activity and is under constant watch. The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when over 25 cm (10 inches) of ash covered the city. The latest eruption was recorded on 5-7 October 1999, when a large amount of ash was deposited on the city. Although not devastating, the eruption caused significant disruption of activities, including closing the international airport.

Activity in other nearby volcanoes also can affect the city. In November 2002, after an eruption in the volcano Reventador, the city was showered with ash for several days with greater accumulation than the previous closer eruption.

The region also is vulnerable to earthquakes. The worst known earthquake to have hit Quito occurred in 1797 and killed 40,000 people. The most recent major seismic event, with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale, occurred in 1987 with an epicentre about 80 km (50 miles) from the city. It killed an estimated 1,000 near the epicentre, but Quito itself suffered only minor damage. About a year before my first visit, the city felt a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale, but no major damage was reported. While I was there, some said a small earthquake happened, but I sure enough didn't feel it.

Like all cities of any size at all, Quito also has its dodgy neighbourhoods. Most of the tourist areas are in the north. Many of the dodgy areas are on the south side and in the hills just above town. There is really nothing much to see south of the Basilica del Voto Nacional. The one area where tourists may clash with a bad neighbourhood is the San Roque neighbourhood on the Panecillo below the Virgen de Quito. Tourists have been robbed making the trek on foot. Taxis are cheap, so be safe and not sorry.