On Saturday the 30th of June, I was walking to the cinemas from Hotel Ecuador and not 30 feet from my hotel i was violently mugged.
A fat man asked me for directions and I thought that was strange since I am a white and a tourist. I turned around and he was gone.
He was hiding under the awning in the darkness and when i continued to walk, he grabbed me from behind in the sleeperhold position.
I was fighting this for a few minutes and was hopeful that at least i could use my legs to throw him off balance. That was until two other men showed up to complete the mission. At first, I was glad and I thought they were going to help. I wasnt that lucky and nobody from the nearby chinese restaurant or the security guards at Hotel Sander or my hotel or the casino around the corner could hear my screams.
I lost consciousness for a few seconds. They stole my wallet and my glasses of all things.
Nobody came to help which I think is typical in South America and in Latin America they usually attack in 3s or 4s.
I've been in Peru and Ecuador for a few months and this was my third time in Guayaquil. Just be careful. Never walk alone at night.
I travel a few months of every year and usually i stay in moderately cheap hotels to save money.
Yours is not the first report on here recently about Ecuador crime. Traditionally Peru was the danger spot... but at least anecdotally, Ecuador is taking the lead. Can't say from your post that you did anything wrong. Cheap hotel didn't seem to have anything to do with it. Be even more cautious and use taxis...even on short hauls.
Guayaquil is more dangerous than Quito and always has been unfortunately but taxis are cheap in Ecuador so take them as it would only cost a dollar or so for a short trip.
One night in Paris I was walking to my hotel and one early morning in Barcelona I was walking to the subway. One fellow yelled at me to get my attention and I guess so that I would stop. He was with another fellow. I ignored them and simply kept on walking, away from them. No further problem. One evening in Tijuana one fellow greeted me heartedly as if he knew me. I simply ignored him and walked away. No further problem. I do not stop for anyone for any reason even tho' they might be legitimate and I might be rude to them. Better to be safe.
Last November I stayed a few days in Quito. On the 2nd day, my boyfriend and I were walking through the park La Carolina and were attacked by 2 men.
It was a Sunday afternoon and they were maybe 500 people in this park. As this men were not armed, my boyfriend started screaming and defending our stuff.
Fortunately, 2 men came to help us and made this 2 men flew away, so they did not succeed on stealing us.
After that, we discovered that police was only 30 meter from the place we got attacked !
But I also remember that 3 drunk men tried to rape me in Paris (on 31st december on Champs-Elysée and nobody helped me), and my brother got violently attacked in London.
Since that, I avoid big cities, wherever they are and take taxis as often as possible even if I know that taxis are not always the safest place to be...
I'm with you, Celestine, in my latter phase of foreign travel I hightail it out of those big cities and discover all the hidden treasures around the country. In my first phase of foreign travel around the world, I ONLY did the biggest of cities. Now, it's only the smaller cities, and the joyful memories of these places continue to accumulate. I spent two memorable days in San Pedro de Aluasi with the large Indian population there. Also enjoyed Guaranda, Ibarra, Tulcan, Azoques, many other places in Ecuador and other countries in SA, just doing small towns. Night clubs don't interest me, I end the day reading in my room among a selection of great books I lug along. And I'm intelligent to know that there can be incidents in small towns too, but so far I've had no incidents staying in the smaller towns.
trusted partner
