That time we almost died…
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So traveling is always risky, and I can recall a number of times when I thought to myself “I could die right now and literally no one would know what happened to me”. Some of those times are more calculated, like taking a flight, or signing up for a walk on a live volcano. Some are a little more random like encouraging a venomous snake on walk or getting to your Airbnb and only then realizing that it has no cell service and no wifi!
On this trip we’ve definitely had our share of deathly scenarios.
In Peru the most dangerous activity that stands out to me was Hyuana Picchu and the stairs of death. Granted we were with a guide, there were others climbing, and we needed to register our entry and exit, so it certainly wouldn’t have gone unnoticed… but the opportunity to fall off of a steep mountain to my death was present.
In Galápagos, the animals seemed mostly pretty harmless. The sea lions only cared about you if you got too close, or got between then and their babies, which did happen a few times, but not to the point where it seemed like an attack was impending.
We swam with actual sharks, white and black tipped, and there was a baby hammerhead shark within reach when we were kayaking. But they never seemed interested in us in the least.
Another not so deadly concern was getting stung by a jellyfish (which happened to Miranda), but luckily, she survived! Miranda did try to amputate herself by crawling on dried lava that is sharp like glass, but that proved ineffective and non-fatal. Any time we were off the cruise we were accompanied by a guide or zodiac drivers, so getting attacked and becoming unaccounted for would have been an accomplishment.
I would say that the biggest danger was on the cruise itself. Often right after dinner it would be pitch black outside and most people would be off to bed after a long day of excursions. Crew would be around doing navigation watch or resetting the chairs for the next day, but they didn’t monitor our every move. A few times I was on the top deck watching for nocturnal animals and stargazing and all it would have taken was a rogue wave to knock the boat just right and boom… man overboard! And with no one around to spot me going over, I easily could have visited Davey Jones’ locker! But there were no rogue waves and I survived, luckily! But the thought did cross my mind 😀
On this trip I’ve also put myself in danger just by opening my mouth. Street food. It’s absolutely delicious, but who knows what’s in it? “Do you think this was made with filtered water?” is a question I often jokingly ask Miranda as I consume random street foods.
Quito was a different story. Danger seemed to lurk at every corner. We were strictly told by our hoteliers, restaurant servers, and Uber drivers not to venture far once the sun goes down. Apparently motorcycles with two riders are the deadliest thing around. They come out of nowhere, one driving, one holding you at gunpoint, and voila, robbed (or worse). It was apparently laughably dangerous to walk near our hotel at night but we dared to do it, we walked 180M, 3 minutes. We took our life in our hands to have dinner! The adrenaline of each step, the thrill, it sure helped build an appetite for dinner. Being greeted by armed security seemed to validate our concerns.
Earlier we were being driven through the city by Diagonal David and he would raise and lower the windows as we entered known robbery areas! There were also, apparently, less deadly concerns in the old town where vandals would snag your phone or camera if it was not diligently watched and held. Now we never witnessed any crime, or violence of any sort! But perhaps Quito really is that dangerous? The most unsafe I felt was The Great Storm of December 22. We’d been told that there are only two seasons in Quito, the season when it rains, and the season when it rains more. For the most part, our time in Quito was lovely, warm, sunny with some overcast, not too humid, perfect weather. But on this day, the 22nd day of December 2023, The Great Storm started with a few flashes of lightning. Within minutes a drizzle had started. We, unknowingly, hired a cab to drive us the 15 minutes to our hotel. As soon as we got in and started moving, so too did the torrential downpour. Three of us behind the glass in the back, not a working seatbelt amongst us. Miranda and the driver along to steer the ship and navigate us home. Of course the defroster was broken. We could open windows and get soaked in seconds, or the driver could drive, text, and use his rag to wipe the window slightly less fogged up. Caution lights all around us, no visible road or road markings, a downed power line and then it started to hail! The driver hopelessly threw the rag at Miranda, enlisting her help while he crossed himself in hopes that god could save us… I could do nothing but stare at fully fogged up glass on all sides while we twisted and turned our way to the hotel. It was, in a word, terrifying!
I sincerely hope that you don’t consider this post a cautionary tail about travel, I would call it an invitation for adventure! You are just as likely to get into a deadly accident driving in Toronto as you are traveling the world, so get moving and remember, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey that matters!
Bon voyage!
