Culture Shock travel

by Marilyn
(WestCoast Canada)

The toilet paper issue is in many countries. It is the same in China and many of the bathrooms there are simply ceramic holes. In Canada, the toilet paper rule is similar in many places on the west coast where septic tanks are used and where water conservation is practiced. In Ecuador I was pleased to find a regular toilet at the home of a friend that lives in the secondary jungle. I mean the ceramic variety too. Just add water after your "event" and it flushes away. Paper is put into a bin there too.
The food can be certainly different. Roasted chicken feet are nothing! Roasted gusanos, guinea pig, ants, monkey meat/brains. I have eaten gusanos (larva), ants and guinea pig. Different but not all together bad. Haggis appeals to me much less! The homes and kitchens where I have stayed/visited/eaten are spotless especially considering they are open cabanas.
For me the biggest shock was the number of stray dogs. Where I live the stray population is almost 0. My own pets have a much comfier home than many of the people and children there. That is very sad.

I have had no problem with crime. Guayaquil is a dangerous city. Ecuatorianos say this too but wandering through the wrong parts of any city in the world - US and Canada too - is a silly thing to do. I have also walked alone, in the middle of the night, in Ecuador - well chosen spots that is - and felt completely safe. I wouldn't do that in Guayaquil or Quito though.

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Jul 18, 2016
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Living in different areas
by: David and Lin

When I was a child, I lived in Quito for 5 years and in Limoncocha 1 year. That was 55 years ago so you can imagine the changes I've seen. It was much safer back then in the city. 23 years ago my wife, daughter and I lived in several coastal towns and in Guayaquil. Although it's relatively dangerous, if you get to know it there isn't much to worry about. Since then we have lived in Bolivia, Nicaragua,and Peru, our current home. Conditions are basically the same in all these countries - cities are more sketchy, small towns very safe.

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