Butterflies...

I'll be honest & admit that with just over a fortnight to go before I head to Quito, I'm starting to suffer from a few butterflies. 

Why, I hear you ask?

Well it's partly because I've not been able to go for a ride on either of my bikes for at least the last three weeks, having spent a bit of time interstate, but more importantly because I've been crook with the dreaded "Man-Flu". 

Of course, the other thing that's got me feeling a little apprehensive, is the "tourist" safety aspect. 

Whilst as many of you would know, I'm relatively well traveled, albeit primarily to first world destinations, I suppose I naively assumed that simply rocking up to a Quito a few days prior to the tour start would be straightforward and without any need for concern. That was all fine, till a few of you asked as to what safety precautions I was taking, which then prompted me to start doing a bit of research about the situation.

Now, I don't know whether the extent of pick-pocketing, purse-snatching, robbery, bag-slashing and hotel room theft is accurate or blown out of proportion, but either way it's got me feeling a little tetchy and oh so eager to catch up with some of my fellow riders, hopefully before the ride starts, so that I can not only get used to the altitude - It is at an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,800 metres) above sea level - but also so as to do a bit of sightseeing. 

Whilst I'll probably post a comment in a couple of weeks that my fears were daft or that so long as one takes sensible precautions that thing's are particularly dangerous. At the moment however, who knows.... I just wish the butterflies would settle down!