Travel Safety Ecuador

February 10, 2008

Tungurahua continues to be very active. Ash has subsided to some degree but has been reported reaching 2 km in the sky. Lava was observed on Saturday night. There was increased seismic activity in the area over the past week which was also the case with the eruption in 2006.

February 7, 2008

Since 9:30 am on February 6, 2008, the seismic activity of the Tungurahua volcano decreased with a small explosion in the afternoon. According to the Instituto Geofisico of Ecuador, this indicates that the volcanic system  is exhibiting low pressure and could be a sign of new eruptions to come. 1,500 hundred people were evacuated yesterday near the volcano. The international airport is monitoring the situation closely and may have to cancel flights or change routes depending on the ash condition. At present ash has not reached Quito. The airport had flights disrupted in 1998 and 2002 due to volcanic activity.  Sources have indicated that travel via bus to Banos has diminished.

Yesterday traffic was blocked at the international bridge at Rumichaca near Tulcan and truckers were not allowed into Colombia. A strike was called by Colombians due to Ecuadorians failure to provide the documentation or information regarding perishable items being exported to Colombia. Tires were set on fire in the middle of roads and tourists and merchants were having to use motorcycles for transport. el comercio

While rains have diminished Los Ríos and Bolívar they are engulfed with mosquitoes which has put authorities on alert for such illnesses as dengue and malaria.  Reports state that it is almost impossible to leave residences at night because of the intensity of mosquitoes. In Quevedo there has been one confirmed case of hemorrhagic dengue El Comercio 
 

February 1, 2008

32 cases of malaria have been reported in the province of El Oro. Huaquillas the border town with Peru has 27 cases and El Gumbo 5. 

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Rains and floods are raising havoc in five provinces in Ecuador. President Correa has declared a state of emergency in Esmeraldas, Guayas, Bolivar, Canar and Los Rios. The rains have been some of the most intense in ten-years and winds in coastal areas have been recorded at 55.5 km.s

January 17, 2008

Two Ecuadorians and a wanted Peruvian were shot and killed as they attempted to cross the border with Peru in Huaquillas with two stolen motorcycles. Two policemen were injured in the crossfire.

Beginning January 15, 2008, taxis in Cuenca were required to begin using taxi meters. However, a number of taxis only use them if requested by the passenger. Meters are to be displayed so the passenger can read them. The current set price is $1.14 for each 2.5 km. The transit police are to monitor compliance. However, most Ecuadorians are use to negotiating a price before taking a ride to their destination. 

Tungurahua is still very active and ash is covering many of the hamlets nearby. Also, much of Riobamba has been covered in ash. 

January 10, 2008 Tungurahua Volcano

Seismic activity remains high at Tungurahua Volcano near Banos. The Instituto Geofisico stated that they cannot discard the possibility of an eruption similar to July and August of 2006. The volcano is emitting ashes in the general vicinity and explosions are being heard. Remain vigilant and monitor local broadcasts. The Red Cross of Ecuador has made preparations in case of an eruption.   

January 7, 2008  Tungurahua Volcano

Tungurahua Volcano has increased activity and has caused the evacuation of 1000 residents near the volcano. They are allowed to return to their farming in the daytime but, remain on alert and must leave at night. Authorities believe activity may increase in the next several days. At the present time Baños remains unaffected. However, be alert to any local announcements. At the current time the volcano is experiencing about 5 explosions per hour. A number of the evacuees have been staying in Baños which no doubt may place a strain on the numbers of vacancies for tourists. The Instituto Geofísico stated in reports that the volcano is acting much the same way it did just prior to erupting in 2006.

December 29, 2007 Guayas-Manabi

The road between the province of Guayas adn Manbis is blocked at La Cadena. Tensions are high at this point due to lack of being able to travel on this road and traffic is backed up. One radio station is calling for residents to go to the Ministerio de Litoral and protest that buses are not being allowed to cross into Manabi.

Roads at the present time are in poor shape in the Manabi province. This is having an affect on the tourism industry. Manabi is a very popular tourist area for Ecuadorians during the holiday period. Reservations are down this year as compare to others. 

Traffic police in Guayaquil are making a concentrated effort stop vehicles with window film and remove the film. It is not permitted in Guayaquil and is believed to be used by criminals to escape identity.

Between December 1, 2007 and December 27, 2007, there have been reported 168 vehicles and 68 motorcycles stolen. 109 of these vehicles have been apprehended. In December of 2006, 114 Vehicles were reported stolen.

Quito Ecuador -

There has been recent seismic activity at the Tungurahua volcano. 1200 people from 10 villages were evacuated to other areas. Active since 1999, the vocano last errupted  in August of 2006 and caused severe damage to residences.

December 19, 2007

There has been an increase number of sexual assaults by taxi drivers or as accomplices in Guayaquil. A number of these attacks have occurred after the fare was picked up in what are usually considered a safe area. These areas include Las Penas which is a high tourist destination and borders along a popular nightlife area called the "zona rosa" and malls such as San Marino. It is recommended if staying in hotels to use the taxis based at the hotel as in most cases they are better screened. Also, you can call taxi services to pick you up (Taxiamigo -222-2222 or 233-3333). When calling the service ask for the driver's license plate number. Also, many taxis in Guayaquil and Ecuador in general have converted their taxis to LP gas. Because of questions of installation and quality of systems there have been incidences of cars exploding resulting in injuries and deaths.