We are travelling around Ecuador now - feels safe, people are very helpful and welcoming, trying to make tourists especially feel comfortable- overall it seems all overblown- not sure who really benefits from hard working Ecuadorians losing now business because tourism will slow down. Hope this situation resolves quickly for the sake of everyone.
We are in Quito right now near Parque Carolina. Everything seemed normal today. My wife and I walked to the mall and to a coffee shop. There are lots of people running in the park. The traffic was light yesterday but seemed normal levels today.
Thanks Mike. I'm sending your videos to my family so they worry less. And I read that Noboa released plans for two new prisons to be built. One in Santa Elena.
Thanks Mike. I was looking for this kind of local info. I know you live in the Olon area and I am headed there next week for several weeks. So this was particularly valuable to me. Gracias
@JohnSmith-SdTkt We as well are leaving Canada on Jan 20 to make our way down to Olon for a month. It will be nice to vacate the cold temperatures here. As seasoned travelers and not by choice, we have been in conflict areas before (i.e. IRA clashes in London and Germany as well as a 1992 Coup attempt in Venezuela) We will avoid areas we have no business being in and try our best to enjoy what Ecuador and its citizens have to offer.
Fair reporting. The first expat vlogger who does read local newspaper articles. The explosion at the nightclub was an attack by terrorists according to the authorities.
Thank you for your intelligent reports. I agree with your assessment of the situation. The US has a much bigger drug problem than Ecuador. The US IS a huge part of Ecuador's problem. Ecuador is working on theirs, the US, we don't recognize it. On the chart you show, it stops at 2019. I found some more numbers for the US. 70,630 drug deaths in 2019, 91,799 in 2020 and 106,699 in 2021.
@@98f5 I look at the numbers as an indicator that drug use is growing. I know of people with drug use, mostly it's grandparents stepping up after their children have given up on their user child but, I know a few users too. Like you said, they made their choice. There are a lot more people that suffer because they made that choice. I'd say we all suffer because of drug use.
@jerrym3261 yeah i agree we all suffer from irresponsible people, parentless homes, and generally degenerate behavior. I lost about 20 acquaintances who i went to highschool or college with since 2000, most of them due to opiates of one sort or another, most the ones i knew got started with the "legal" drugs from their doctors and later moved on to worse shit. Unfortunately its made me a bit jaded towards people as i too have my own experiences with drugs when i was younger yet the way i see it, its a choice, not a disease, and society enables people too much with the victim mentality. I pray often that our society will change for the better, but i think the problem is deeper than drugs, i think the problem is the shift towards people viewing having a moral compass being a bad thing. The answer is self control, and everyone struggles with that, and when theyre told by the powers that be there is no right and wrong well the problem compounds. Sorry for the rambling rant
@@98f5 Thank you! It's good to know there are still a few of us. More and more I think the fall of the USA empire is drawing near and the ones that survive will be better for it.
I'm currently in Quito. The first day, when TC was taken, there was widespread panic. The city stopped. Businesses closed, and the streets were a complete gridlock because people were trying desperately to get home. TC is located in Guayaquil, but watching the images on TV was terrifying from anywhere in the country. When you see a terrorist put a stick of dynamite in the presenter's jacket pocket, you naturally freak out. Especially when the message they wanted to send out was that you shouldn't mess with gangs. But after that initial panic, it's back to normal. At least where I'm located, you wouldn't know anything is amiss. In 2019, there was a general strike over the removal of fuel subsidies. That looked more like an actual civil war than this does. I was here then, too. At some point, I'll be able to come to Ecuador when there isn't a civil war. Lol.
@KrisandMike ah the way i read into that is they were just randomly checking people for tatoos and them arresting them if they had a gang tat regardless if they had any other reasonable suspicion of a crime. We also photograph prisoners tatoos here in America
Francisco de Orellana Para hacer uso de este contenido cite la fuente y haga un enlace a la nota original en Primicias.ec: www.primicias.ec/noticias/sucesos/explosion-incendio-discoteca-coca-orellana/
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Thanks for the update. My wife and I are in Malacatos, chilling out and trying not to worry too much about it. Hoping the peace stays peaceful.
Thanks 👍. Take care.
Hello from Vilcabamba.
We are travelling around Ecuador now - feels safe, people are very helpful and welcoming, trying to make tourists especially feel comfortable- overall it seems all overblown- not sure who really benefits from hard working Ecuadorians losing now business because tourism will slow down. Hope this situation resolves quickly for the sake of everyone.
Thanks for the update. Take care .
Thanks, Mike. Much appreciated. Glad everyone is safe and well.
Thanks 👍
We are in Quito right now near Parque Carolina. Everything seemed normal today. My wife and I walked to the mall and to a coffee shop. There are lots of people running in the park. The traffic was light yesterday but seemed normal levels today.
Good to hear. Thanks 👍
Thanks Mike. I'm sending your videos to my family so they worry less. And I read that Noboa released plans for two new prisons to be built. One in Santa Elena.
Thanks 👍. Yes there is a video showing the new prison design on primicias
Thanks Mike. I was looking for this kind of local info. I know you live in the Olon area and I am headed there next week for several weeks. So this was particularly valuable to me. Gracias
Your good to go. Enjoy your trip but keep checking for latest news developments.
@JohnSmith-SdTkt
We as well are leaving Canada on Jan 20 to make our way down to Olon for a month. It will be nice to vacate the cold temperatures here. As seasoned travelers and not by choice, we have been in conflict areas before (i.e. IRA clashes in London and Germany as well as a 1992 Coup attempt in Venezuela) We will avoid areas we have no business being in and try our best to enjoy what Ecuador and its citizens have to offer.
Fair reporting. The first expat vlogger who does read local newspaper articles. The explosion at the nightclub was an attack by terrorists according to the authorities.
Thanks. I try to keep informed using local sources in Ecuador.
Yes Ecuador has made a conscious decision to call cartel and gang members what they are, terrorists.
Can you please share the websites you're getting local news from? Especially the ones pictured in the video? Thanks! @@KrisandMike
@@rianahensel2700Primicias and el universo
I feel safe living in Ecuador. I live in Vilcabamba far from the maddening crowds.
A fair and balanced analysis and video! Looking forward to more!
Thanks very much
Thank you, once again for another informative video. Stay safe.
Thanks 👍
Thank you for your intelligent reports. I agree with your assessment of the situation. The US has a much bigger drug problem than Ecuador. The US IS a huge part of Ecuador's problem. Ecuador is working on theirs, the US, we don't recognize it.
On the chart you show, it stops at 2019. I found some more numbers for the US. 70,630 drug deaths in 2019, 91,799 in 2020 and 106,699 in 2021.
Canada has a similar problem and is largely being ignored. Thanks 👍
100k people gone who are now no longer a burden on society. I guess its sad but everyone is free to choose how to live
@@98f5 I look at the numbers as an indicator that drug use is growing. I know of people with drug use, mostly it's grandparents stepping up after their children have given up on their user child but, I know a few users too. Like you said, they made their choice. There are a lot more people that suffer because they made that choice. I'd say we all suffer because of drug use.
@jerrym3261 yeah i agree we all suffer from irresponsible people, parentless homes, and generally degenerate behavior. I lost about 20 acquaintances who i went to highschool or college with since 2000, most of them due to opiates of one sort or another, most the ones i knew got started with the "legal" drugs from their doctors and later moved on to worse shit. Unfortunately its made me a bit jaded towards people as i too have my own experiences with drugs when i was younger yet the way i see it, its a choice, not a disease, and society enables people too much with the victim mentality.
I pray often that our society will change for the better, but i think the problem is deeper than drugs, i think the problem is the shift towards people viewing having a moral compass being a bad thing. The answer is self control, and everyone struggles with that, and when theyre told by the powers that be there is no right and wrong well the problem compounds.
Sorry for the rambling rant
@@98f5 Thank you! It's good to know there are still a few of us. More and more I think the fall of the USA empire is drawing near and the ones that survive will be better for it.
Wish you guys safety and tranquilo!
Thanks. Another quiet day so far
I'm currently in Quito. The first day, when TC was taken, there was widespread panic. The city stopped. Businesses closed, and the streets were a complete gridlock because people were trying desperately to get home. TC is located in Guayaquil, but watching the images on TV was terrifying from anywhere in the country. When you see a terrorist put a stick of dynamite in the presenter's jacket pocket, you naturally freak out. Especially when the message they wanted to send out was that you shouldn't mess with gangs. But after that initial panic, it's back to normal. At least where I'm located, you wouldn't know anything is amiss. In 2019, there was a general strike over the removal of fuel subsidies. That looked more like an actual civil war than this does. I was here then, too. At some point, I'll be able to come to Ecuador when there isn't a civil war. Lol.
Thanks. Great perspective
Be safe thanks for the report…
Thanks 👍
4 US airlines stopped flying to Ecuador.
Some will be to lack of demand. I am sure most people canceled.
It may be the safest time to visit, as a tourist, with all the security/military out on the streets?
So far so good 👍
Very interesting, thank you. Sorry to hear that there are plans for a prison in Santa Elena tho.
Apparently the new prisons will be in secluded areas so that cell phone signals can be jammed as well as other reasons. We shall see.
Puyo is calm.
Excellent 👍
So you can get arrested if you have the wrong tatoo? What happened to due process?
They are specific gang tattoo's that are exactly the same for members of the gang. Normal process after arrested.
@KrisandMike ah the way i read into that is they were just randomly checking people for tatoos and them arresting them if they had a gang tat regardless if they had any other reasonable suspicion of a crime. We also photograph prisoners tatoos here in America
@@98f5 Extraordinary circumstances
Where is the nightclub that was attacked last night.. what City ?
Francisco de Orellana
Para hacer uso de este contenido cite la fuente y haga un enlace a la nota original en Primicias.ec: www.primicias.ec/noticias/sucesos/explosion-incendio-discoteca-coca-orellana/
The nightclub fire that killed 2 was in Coca, in the Amazon, almost 300 KM from Quito.
Olon - ok
👍
You are in Cuenca?
No north of Olon.
Lasic removal of your tattoos ❤
Lol perhaps