A brief reflection on what I saw after my trip through Ecuador.

For a long time, I've been watching news 🗞️ related to crime in Ecuador, police operations, and other similar things.

What I was able to observe while passing through this country was surprising.

Police checkpoints every few kilometers, and the most surprising thing was seeing how people disappeared as soon as the sun set. Immediately after 7 or 8 p.m., you didn't see anyone on the streets, 90% of the businesses were closed. You only saw a few small shops and food stalls, and in many cases, everything was empty and deserted. And many police officers and police checkpoints.

And on the roads, darkness and gloom reign. Street lighting was completely nonexistent. And there was also a lack of reflective light labels on the road, or fluorescent paint that glows when hit by vehicle headlights.

You literally only saw light when you approached a small town along the way.

Honestly, the image was horrifying.

Completely different when dawn broke and the sun came out again.

It was a normal place; you saw people walking to work. Children on their way to school, businesses opening to wait for customers, and the police checkpoints disappeared as well. I'd even say the police disappeared altogether. During the day, there were very few police units or officers I saw on the road, and on the rest of the journey until I crossed the border and left Ecuador behind.

As well as crossing what seemed like ghost towns, I also crossed some spectacular mountains and wonderful landscapes. There's no doubt that there are still places where nature and a peaceful lifestyle reign supreme.

Totally far removed from the shantytowns, ghost towns, and chaotic cities of Ecuador.