By The Way, Just Sayin'

Sometimes people email me after reading my blog with questions about traveling to Ecuador or other relevant topics. It's always a little startling to see someone I don't know has been reading my blog and felt so inclined to email me, but it's always a good feeling and I take the time to respond as best I can. Sometimes people have simple questions about Cuenca or Ecuador as a whole, and sometimes they even ask if they can meet up.

I got an email a couple of days ago from a woman who is going to be traveling through South America, and after reading my blog about bus hijackings, was considering canceling any travel through this country. I just wanted to take a moment to point out that you can still travel to Ecuador and be perfectly safe.

While I don't recommend taking a night bus in this country, travel by day is usually OK. It might not be perfect, but you're not risking death either. I don't want people to think that any negative things I might have written have been aimed at deterring travel here. I've had some great experiences traveling throughout this country, and I'd feel really badly if I found out that people were avoiding coming here based off of my writing. That would be counterproductive. I want to give a better insight into Ecuador, not be afraid of it.

So, in conclusion, feel free to travel to this country. It's probably just as safe as any other country in the region, and if you're going to take the time and risk of hitting up Colombia, Peru, or Bolivia, you might as well take some time for Ecuador as well. There are great people here and great things to do. But, as always, practice caution when you're on the road and make smart decisions. And you'll have a great time.