About Ecuador, Let's Get a Few Things Straight

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

Member since 13 March 2014

cccmediaEcuador/Colombia Expert07 July 2022 00:05:33

10285

Have you ever read or been told you won't

need to have your own car in Ecuador because

public transit is so great?

Immigration attorney Sara Chaca puts the lie

to that notion.

"The city bus system is often crowded,

unpleasant, rough and polluted.

"If you are not very careful, the bus is

one of the easiest places to be robbed

or pickpocketed."

Transportation is only one of 15 things

in Ecuador that Sara has identified

that may not be exactly as you read

in International L-----

or Live and I----- Overseas.

Source... Sara Chaca writing at

'Issues for expats living in Ecuador'

rkg695 Contributor

Member since 15 May 2022

rkg695Contributor07 July 2022 21:35:45

159

@cccmedia I鈥檇 definitely rather walk - I find the centres of Quito, Cuenca and Loja quite easy to get around on foot - ask me to go up a hill anywhere in Ecuador though, especially in Quito, and I鈥檒l catch a taxi thanks!

鈥淥h look! the 鈥淰irgen de El Panecillo鈥� is only four blocks away鈥� but 650 feet straight up鈥� TAXIIIII !!!!

The intercity buses i鈥檝e taken between Quito and Cotacachi on the other hand are very clean, comfortable, and haven鈥檛 been overcrowded or feeling unsafe very often. Still keep your bags in your lap never under your seat; the Internet is rife with stories someone will cut them open behind you without you knowing and disappear with your valuables鈥� is it very common? I guess it depends on the route, time of day, and origin city.

i鈥檝e been told to look for the聽鈥淧ana鈥� sign on the bus to be sure I鈥檓 getting a direct route That will get me where I鈥檓 going in a couple of hours, rather than the one that鈥檚 gonna take all day and into the night, stopping 10 or 20 times along the way, in the middle of nowhere, with a lot of random people hopping on and off at unscheduled stops.