Comments on: Ecuador: Race to the border http://enperublog.com/2007/02/08/ecuador-race-to-the-border/ All you could ever want to know about Peru Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:03:16 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lee http://enperublog.com/2007/02/08/ecuador-race-to-the-border/comment-page-1/#comment-24453 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:01:18 +0000 http://enperublog.com/?p=452#comment-24453 I have family in Tumbes. I have crossed this border 5 times and been shopping there just as many. It is not a beautiful place, but very commercial; it is where Tumbesinos go to shop when they can’t find what they need in Tumbes. Most interesting as a tourist were the witch doctors selling herbal medicines and wooden sculptures for use in their rituals. Interesting shoes from Brazil and Columbia; good selection of fresh juice including some jungle fruits. I have never had any trouble except for a rude animal seller. It is busy, it is a coastal city, so the usual precautions apply. Most of the crime in these cities is opportunistic snatch-and-grab; possibly you would be outnumbered; often by youth. Backpacks, purses, fanny packs, cameras…if it can be easily separated from your body, watch it. But honestly I have witnessed/been involved in 3 such attempts in Tumbes, but never in Huaquillas.

I use a money belt. Travel in a group, with locals if possible. If you are googling about this border crossing you will find more news reports about armed robbery on the buses than on ground; so what to do? Not take a bus? Just accept the risks of being foreign in a developing country, keep your eyes open, trust your intuition and enjoy your trip.

There is a tourist minivan running from Machala to Guayaquil, a bit more expensive but if you feel safer in a van, it’s an option. The touts at Peruvian immigration are actually quite helpful, if you need help; no scams, just high unemployment. If you don’t need their help, thank them and ignore them, but if they help you, they appreciate a tip. A sole or two. Once I lost my immigration paper and they helpfully introduced me to an officer who forged a backdated stamp for $10. It saved me a trip all the way back to Tumbes.

]]> By: Macará border crossing | ...en Perú - Travel Culture History News http://enperublog.com/2007/02/08/ecuador-race-to-the-border/comment-page-1/#comment-17153 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:41:24 +0000 http://enperublog.com/?p=452#comment-17153 […] crossed the Peruvian/Ecuadorian border twice at Tumbes (1,2) at it was not a very pleasurable experience. Macará is said to be very different, so when having […]

]]> By: » Tumbes …en Perú - Travel Culture History News http://enperublog.com/2007/02/08/ecuador-race-to-the-border/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:10:18 +0000 http://enperublog.com/?p=452#comment-41 […] had crossed the border from Ecuador and had arrived in the Cifa bus station on the panamericana in […]

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