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Danger in Guayaquil
I just read this disturbing report. I’ve been to Guayaquil twice at the start and end of this tour. I wonder if dTauck has any plans to tackle this danger. Having been caught up in a tear gas attack previously in South America a day before the start of a Tauck tour, it would make me nervous.
Ecuador: Guayaquil blast 'declaration of war' by gangs - officials https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-62544570
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Thanks for the link, British. We’re on the May 12 2023 Peru and Galápagos Islands trip. Our itinerary states that for the beginning of the Galapagos portion, due to air schedules, we stay at a Quito airport hotel before flying to Guayaquil to board the ship the next morning. At the end, we do stay in Guayaquil and have a free afternoon before the Farewell Dinner in the hotel. The itinerary suggests a walk along the waterfront or just enjoying the hotel. Under the circumstances, a spa day at the hotel might be nice. I assume Tauck will take additional precautions if necessary.
I’m sure by next May, things will be ‘back to normal’ for there, I was thinking about people who might be going now. We first went to Guayaquil about 2007 and the hotel was not very central. Last time we were in a nicer hotel and we felt quite safe walking to the waterfront area. It was near Christmas and there were lots of decorations. Like any foreign country, it’s the usual advice, take no flashy jewelry or watches, no fancy clothing and maybe one credit card and a bit of cash when you go out walking.
We are taking this tour on May 20, 2023. British, thank you for sharing this information with us and we had no idea about the gangs and violent crime in Guayaquil. It is scary but I am sure Tauck is aware and would take any necessary precautions to keep us safe.
I've been waiting for "back to normal" for 2 years now. We've got 2 trips booked for 2023 and I fully expect we'll still be talking about stinking vaccines and masks.
Last year we decided that we were going to travel again after many cancellations. In July, 2021 we went to Iceland with Silversea and had a wonderful time. Then on September 1 to September 15 we were on the Rhine and Moselle cruise with and on September 19 to September 30 we did the land tour of Switzerland with Tauck. We had to take numerous tests and of course we wore a mask as did all the other people on the tour. It was worth it to travel again.
This year we went to Northern Spain and four days later did a river cruise on the Douro river. Also, last month we did the Inside Passage of Alaska and had a wonderful time. We wore masks but not everyone did. It not just for protection for ourselves but other people. We are just going to keep traveling while we can and are in good health. We have four Tauck trips planned for next year and will follow the rules, however, unless things changed we will still wear masks.