Timeline 12th Nov to
22nd Nov 2005

It's been unusual for us to choose accommodation on the basis of its proximity to crime. It's something that in ten months and three continents of travel we have never given any great consideration, but this was to be the case in Quito, capital city of Ecuador.

By all accounts, those from guidebooks and fellow travellers, Quito was not a pretty place to arrive, especially at night. As we were arriving at 11pm we decided it would be in our best interests to book ahead -- wandering the streets if there was no room at the inn was not an advisable option!

Reports conflicted greatly, with regard to which area was safest to stay, the Old Town or New Town. Most favoured the latter but one hostel in the Old Town with Swiss owners went to the unusual bother of displaying latest Old Town/New Town crime statistics straight off the Police press, if such a thing exists.

Muggings versus armed robbery, violent assault versus pickpocketing. Decisions, decisions. We went against the grain and opted for the Old Town.

Upon walking through the doors at airport arrivals we were confronted with the biggest sea of faces since the Beatles landed in America. Our flight was not particularly full and even then we were one of the last off. Who or what all these people were waiting for was baffling. Saturday night TV can't be very good in Ecuador.

Thankfully, no one was remotely interested in us and wading our way through to find a taxi was simple enough even if the driver wanted to know how much his "Teep" would be before we had set off. We played dumb. 25 minutes later we were checked in to the hostel. Easy.

Next day we ventured out to explore the Old Town fully. As the name would suggest it was this area that formed the heart of old Quito before the centre gradually shifted north. It's a pretty place with old colonial buildings lining the streets and several busy plazas' where locals meet and sit or read. In an attempt to attract the tourists back to an area that was only recently the haunt of petty criminals and shady characters, the government is embarking on a programme of renewal and safety.

Almost all the buildings are being repainted, bringing their intricate detail and charm to life once more, the smaller plazas are being opened up with new paving and seating and there is a large and very visible police presence which is reassuring. There is even a small Tourist Information bureau, but as tends to be the case with these offices in South America, the staff rarely has any information to offer and speaks only Spanish when they do. We witnessed no examples of petty crime or hostility. On the contrary local people seemed delighted to see us and would approach us to talk.

The main square of the Old Town, Plaza de la Indepencia, is one of the most beautiful I have seen in all my time of travelling and I would imagine once all the renovation work is complete, in a year or two's time, the Old Town will be as attractive as any in Europe.

The New Town, just 10 minutes walk away, has little in the way of attractions but is where the majority of businesses, travel agents, bars and accommodation can be found. And according to the crime statistics it's where pickpockets have a field day.

The main downside to Quito is not the over exaggerated crime levels but the pollution. The narrow streets are constantly full of traffic, particularly buses, which all spew out thick black fumes. It is so bad it affects all your senses within seconds. You can see and feel the contamination rise around you, then smell and taste it as it descends, and even watch it as it settles as black specks on your clothes. Horrendous.

It was for this reason we were keen to leave Quito and get out into the varied and exotic countryside.

Two main attractions lie north of Quito. Firstly we visited Otavalo, a small but attractive commercial town two hours north of the capital which every Saturday hosts the largest market in the continent. Sellers come from all over Ecuador and neighbouring countries; goods on offer range from textiles, crafts, clothing, souvenirs and even livestock. We visited on a Monday and although the market wasn't quite as large as a Saturday it was still sizeable while being quieter.

The other point of interest is Mitad Del Mundo (Middle of the World) where the Equator divides the earth's hemispheres and gives the country its name. Despite this complex being only 15km north of Quito city centre and the biggest tourist attraction in the area, it is a challenge to get there.

On our first attempted visit, we had so many false leads that we eventually gave up. Not that people deliberately mislead you, on the contrary, people can't do enough to help. It's just that in their eagerness to assist, they'll make information up or offer directions based on rumours or guesswork. On our second attempt it took 2 buses (not including those that didn't turn up) 1 taxi and the best part of two hours.

Once there, we discovered that the equator is in the wrong place, an error by French scientists in 1736 has positioned it 240 metres out. A small museum nearby, funded by donations only, reveals the true location (left) as well as a fascinating explanation and its related links to pre-Inca civilization, all of which the government has no interest in promoting.

Moving further into the countryside, we stopped off at a small isolated lodge nestled in the hillside near the small town of Baeza, surrounded by cloud forest and run by two UK ex-pats. It was a great place to chill out for a couple of days and an ideal location to explore the forest with its waterfalls and stunning range of butterflies and flowers.

Continuing west, took us to the region known as The Oriente, home to Ecuador's section of the Amazon. This area accounts for almost half the size of the entire country but only 5% of the population.

We based ourselves in the small town of Tena, which is as far as civilization goes before it gives way to the highly prized Amazon. The jungle begins just minutes from the town's outskirts.

Prior to 1941 Ecuador's slice of the Amazon was even larger. During a period of political turmoil Peru saw the chance, and invaded, seizing 200,000 sqkm which amounted to half the size of the country at that time.

Political instability has long been a feature of Ecuadorian society. The Incas invaded in 1460, followed by the Spanish in 1532. Revolution followed revolution in an almost continual cycle and in the last century there have been civil wars, military coups, more invasions and several economic crises. In the 1930s there were 14 presidents and from 1925 to 1948, 27 governments.

As recently as April 2005, the then president was forced from power amid violent protests against his rule. Alfredo Palacio now holds the position; he is the fourth president in just eight years.

Strangely enough the people and country as a whole seemed quite calm and relaxed and society was not overtly volatile. Where it was at its most serene was in the Amazon. Agents offering tours into the rainforest and jungle can be found in most of the frontier towns such as Tena, Coca, and Puyo. From our investigations it would appear all operate on an eco-tourism basis with a share of the profits going directly to the indigenous villages that are visited.

Our trip included a boat ride down the Amazon River, a visit to an animal rescue centre, a visit to an isolated village and a three-hour trek through the Rainforest. Hot and humid and after a close brush with a poisonous snake, we followed the course of a small river as it made its way along through the forest and then actually underneath the tropical vegetation floor, only resurfacing once we had scaled up through canyon walls with bats flying around our heads. It was an incredible experience and one of the highlights of our entire trip so far.