A Frank Assessment of Quito Part 1

     So, Quito back in the day (say 10 years ago?) was known mostly because of how unsafe it was, with the Centro Historico (Historic Distrect) being so filled with thieves, robbers, muggers, and every type of unsavory character that even the locals didn't carry anything of value and shut their shops before dark. Southern Quito wasn't much better (Northern Quito is the rich area). However, the gov't decided that the way for them to start making some money was to focus on tourism; and that meant making Quito safer and more attractive to the touristas. So the gov't invested however-many-millions of dollars into clearing out the unsavory types from the Centro Historico and fixing up the buildings. They also invested in some heavy security and some much-needed lighting. Along with giving the tourists something to see, they needed to give them someplace to stay and someplace to reaaaally spend their money. Hence, Mariscal Sucre! (also known as Gringoland) It is full of restaurants and nightclubs and basically everything a tourist could want, all at sky-high prices of course.       I, of course, live in the South, near El Recreo, (a huge mall) so I have a better knowledge of this area than any other. Compared to most western countries, this area would be considered a slum, or ghetto. As I look out my window, I can see trash up and down the street, two tires randomly on the sidewalk, and stray dogs ambling about. Loud music plays every night from a club across the street in a rusting warehouse. The decades of high crime have left an indelable impression on South Quito, with every house being built like a fortress. I've only seen one house without either a high barrier wall or heavy metal doors with multiple locks. My house has huge metal doors with 3 locks on the outside, plus another locked door in the garage, and another heavy metal locked door at the entrance of the living area. The houses around us are the same, or have 15-20 foot walls topped with barbed wire or broken glass set in concrete. Also, practically every car in Quito has a car alarm on it, most of which are prone to going off for no reason at all, so you will hear a constant stream of alarms of different types going of though the day and into the night.
      I live one block off of a major street and two blocks down from a major trollybus station, so transportation is easy enough. (a trollybus is an elongated bus that runs on electified wires above the street) The trollybuses are an experience, let me tell you. I have to cross the street to get to the station (an experience in and of itself) but it's easy to get in. A ticket is .25 cents, and the trollybuses are regular so there isn't too much of a wait. Getting on the trollybus is a different story though. Ever seen a rugby scrum? Yeah, it's kind of like that. It's one of those crowd situations where you are being hurtled forward and jostled and shoved, and you realize that if you trip and fall, you might just die. The trolleybuses are always packed, and personal space is a foreign concept. Thieves are also known to frequent the trolleybuses, ranging from pickpockets to muggers. When riding, everyone holds their purses or bags tightly in front of them. I never carry anything of value in my purse or in my pockets, and wear conservitive clothing without flashy jewelry, and so far it has worked well. Getting off is equally a struggle. You have to literally shove and elbow your way through to the doors without any thought to personal space as you use all of your strength to work your way through areas no wider than a few inches. There's a lot more, but I am going to have to write about that later. As it is getting late. Adios, and Dolce Suenos.