WE WERE ROBBED IN ECUADOR | Our worst travel day story…
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- On Todays Adventure, we tell the story of how we lost our Sony camera and gear worth $6,000+. What started out as an exciting backpacking trip to the Quilotoa Crater ended in the worst travel day in our 3+ years traveling full time. We explain in detail our full story and hope this video helps you avoid making the same mistakes we did. Thanks for being here and sharing your own stories. 🫶🏼
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On Todays Adventure we like to spend as much time as possible out in the world exploring. We believe that every single day can be an adventure! From hiking national parks to scuba diving to camping to vanlife on Hawaii and driving across Australia, we love sharing our lives through our videos.
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00:00 Welcome to Ecuador
#quilotoaecuador #robbed #ontodaysadventure
In buses in Ecuador ALWAYS keep your valuables on your lap. And don't trust anyone, especially not the employees of bus companies.
This is so true!
I was robbed in Paris and it's just absolutely gutting. I remember willing myself saying, "Don't get depressed." I was ok, but it's brutal and it's virtually meaningless to the theif in both emotion and benefit. Thanks for posting this. We are heading to Ecuador in February, so this helps us immensely in keeping vigilant. All the best!
Thank you for sharing your story. We have heard so many stories similar to our own. We learn through them!
Oh nooo! Im from Ecuador and i feel frustrated. Many hugs for you and I hope you are doing well. I hope you enjoyed the trip and don't have bad memories of Ecuador. Saludos. Deseandoles que se encuentren bien. ❤❤❤
Thank you for your kind words! Ecuador is a beautiful country and we need to return and see more of it! Galapagos and the Amazon Rainforest are on our bucket list!
totally sucks ! Being robbed isn't fun :( Keep your heads up!
Thank you for the kind words! Unfortunately it happens :(
Never travel without your bag between your knees on the bus. If they try and get you to put it somewhere else just refuse. It looks like that cop that got on the bus before y'all searched it got his little bribe from the driver and then they all were on the same page by the time you all got on the bus to search, in my opinion.
@@jerrisgibbs161 I think this could definitely be what happened but we will never know :(
Never go to the cops, never fall asleep on the bus, always mind all of your belongings. Didn't Lonely Planet indicate any of this?
we didn’t fall asleep, we were just shouldn’t have been as relaxed.
The cop ended up with your camera.
@@ulisesrocha721 we will never know!!
You're next trip must be The Philippines!!!!
we really hope to make it there soon!!
GIRL IS SO PRETTY HAHAH
thank you🫶🏼🫶🏼
Yeah I feel ya. Me and wife were in Argentina and motorcycle guy came right behind us and swooped up her new iPhone pro. Okay it was just a phone but yeah it’s really emotional to have some unknown MF just steal from your hands right in front of you.
And also to lose an iPhone is very scary because you never know if they are able to hack your phone. Fortunately they couldn’t and it’s very hard to get into. BUT to lose a camera. that’s it. You lost it all including all photos. And the robber can sell it for much much higher than an iPhone.
That is a crazy story! Totally agreed it’s just sad to know someone acted poorly at your expense. Some people are not very nice. Luckily for us, I had backed up all of our footage before it was stolen. I am so glad we did! In fact our video on Cotopaxi was the last thing we recorded before it being stolen.
Why do they only focus on Latin America, what about the United States? It is not safe either, it is even worse than Ecuador frr
You were spot on about the body language and the mimics of the guy. They were involved, however I am sure they have a secret hiding spot inside the bus to hide stolen items. God bless you both
I think you are right! We will never truly know. Thank you
I have to wonder how 'liquid' an item like that is in Ecuador. Meaning, how easy/hard is it to find a buyer who can pay what it's worth. In the heat of the moment, it's hard to know what to do. My Monday Morning QB take: Offer a reward of $50 bucks, no questions asked, and then walk back to cop car so the thief doesn't have to identify themselves. Maybe your camera crawled out of your pack and hopped the seat to accidentally fall into someone else's bag?
We did offer much more than the $50 to everyone involved. We tried all the things you’ve said but unfortunately it just didn’t work that day. :(
We also know from other conversations with locals that the camera probably exchanged hands 5 or 6 times before it made its way to Quito over the span of a few days. It’s very common and they know how to move these items quickly and cheaply - it was sold for probably just $200 at first.
It can be sold in Peru or Colombia.
It's very traumatic when this happens.....I travelled for 6 or 7 years in the 1980s visiting some 80 plus countries and had many bad experiences including several thefts, but overwhelmingly 98% of the experiences were great. You probably have travel insurance so you are covered anyrate.....bad luck about the camera but hey plenty of others on ebay and amazon.....you're alive and uninjured that's the main thing. I was arrested in Islamic Iran and held on trumped up charges....beaten up a couple of times and then released thankfully - i thought i was dead - it was very scarey.....so that's that. You're not poor....you privileged westerners.....so get on with it.
Corrupted cop got on the bus and id say either he scored the camera and the guy gets let off or they wemt in it together.
It’s hard to know exactly what happened and we’ll never know for sure but that’s a really good theory. However the camera is large and there’s no way the cop physically took it off the bus.
My thinking exactly, that's why that cop drove them to the bus in the first place. Otherwise, why act like they care?
Hi you two. Sorry for this incident. I can't believe how brave you are to get into the cop's car, following the bus...no one in Ecuador does that. As you know Ecuador is going through a rough time with theft and other crimes. Going hiking may not be a good idea. One other item, Amazon delivers to Ecuador much faster than their U.S. deliveries. You can give your hotel address for delivery
Best wishes on the rest of your trip.
thank you🫶🏼 we just had to do everything we could to try & get it back, but of course once it got too dangerous we stopped.
What a story and very sad that this happened to my favorite traveling couple. Be grateful it was just some merchandise and not your life/lives. It could have been much worse.
Can't wait for your next video!
We are incredibly grateful that it is just a physical item that can be replaced. We hope people can learn from our story and prevent it from happening to them as well. Next video we will be in Machu Picchu!
things don't change in any 3rd world country. I had a robber block me in on an Ecuadorian bus. Had to shove the guy to side cuz I had a feeling he was gonna try to do something. His partner was looking into another woman's bag. Long behold one of those guys stole a woman's chain. this was 30 yrs. ago
That is a crazy story! Thank you for sharing
I'm so sorry for y'all, but my country is the most dangerous country in Latin America, y'all must've understood that firstly...
thank you but theft and pick pocketing happens everywhere and as travelers we know that this is a possibility everywhere we go, unfortunately it happened in Ecuador but we did not feel unsafe at any moment. It happens and we learn and grow from it :/
@@OnTodaysAdventureSurely in another country there are no robberies 🤡What good propaganda you make to my country, we have almost zero tourism due to crime, many countries have banned their citizens from coming to Ecuador, thanks to the publicity. Come back What good propaganda you make to my country, we have almost zero tourism due to crime, many countries have banned their citizens from coming to Ecuador, thanks to the publicity. Come back soon 🧐😐
Yes. Unfortunately..this incident has happened in some incident..sorry what happened please stay safe w purse or money. ,🇪🇨
Its unfortunate that it happens
Dam, this sucks! So sorry this happened.
Not our best moment! 😅
I am sorry that this happens to you guys I am not from Ecuador, originally from Perú but I lived in ecuador ( cuenca Ecuador). We left Ecuador from different reasons but one of them was safety plus we have kids and we didn't feel safe to take trip inside Ecuador the way how it is now sadly. Ecuador is beutiful country. Other thing is really not a point to put a police report because the police don't do nothing to be honest plus on those rural areas they will make more money on selling the camera then their salary, sadly is the true, as southamerican we know this, you complain amd never get anything solve. Please when you go around southamerica be carefull traveling in rural or isolated cities or town because of safety reasons. Wish you guys best of luck.
Ecuador is a truly beautiful country and we totally understand everything you are saying. It is so sad that it is like this but the best we can do is share our experiences and hope with time and with more humility in the world things will change.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
Bus pickpockets have always been common throughout South America. I saw the exact same thing happen in Colombia 5 years ago. You'll notice that half of the locals wear their backpacks in front on their stomach where it is in view for just this reason
Bags on the front when you’re walking around is a must!
Hey guys, I'm from Ecuador. Sorry to hear this happened to you, the truth is you can't trust the police in my country and there's a pretty big chance that the police man that went into the bus before you made a deal with the thiefs. I'd even go as far as to say that it's very common to see entire families of criminals that have a police man in the family who helps them get away with this kind of stuff, specially in those really small towns where everyone knows each other. The best thing you can do to in this type of situation is to simply not let your stuff out of your sight even for a second and do not trust the police as they are quite literally, useless.
@@Zenless it’s so sad that this is the truth in Ecuador. I really appreciate your comment and sharing the truth, we hope others can learn from it!
I live in Ecuador, and, regrettably, your experience isn't unique. Thank you for taking the time to post this -- it may do some of us expats some good when it comes to safeguarding our valuables on public transportation.
@@jeffschinsky8936 exactly. Unfortunately this is common and our goal is to teach others through this mistake in hopes that they won’t have a similar outcome
@@OnTodaysAdventure I run a local facebook group for expats in Ecuador, and I'm always trying to educate them on stuff like this. I hope it's okay if I post a link to your video in the group.
If you are seen with an expensive camera, you are going to attract attention, everyone in the crime network is going to know about you.
I am from Ecuador and lived in the US for 46 years, now me and my wife retired in Salinas, Ecuador. I give foreigners in Ecuador advice, NEVER, EVER take a bus in Ecuador unless you are poor and you can only afford a bus. There are small vans you can take anywhere in Ecuador and you and your stuff will be a lot safer
Interesting story. Thanks for sharing.
The only thing I notice that could be improved, in future videos, is the way the man speaks, he sounds like a high schooler (like a teenager) in his choice of expresions. Actually the girl sounds and portraits herself more mature
Sorry you guys from all the community we are truly sorry, we all have to be careful everywhere, my expensive headphones got stolen in the US so it doesn’t matter where you are you can get robbed
yeah, when we traveled in no mans land in northern ecuador we only bought our cellphone and small bill cash on those buses. no issues. Only issue was a greedy unofficial taxi guy. wanted .50 cents more than agreed for a two minute trip. I gave him 15 cents more and walked away:). U guys already thought of an airtag so your good
Thank you for sharing your story! It’s really interesting to hear what has happened to others
La verda q hay seres humanos q asen quedar mal a un país hermoso Mil disculpas por ellos , Saludos desde Ecuador ❤️
Unfortunately, a textbook pick-pocket case.
It really is!
So sorry this happened to you, it’s so hard to keep your guard up all the time, and unfortunately these things just happen sometimes. On a different day, you could have taken that bus with your camera and nothing would have happened. I totally empathize with the violation of your safety though. That has been my experience too. I like the idea of an AirTag, that is something I haven’t thought of yet. I came across this video looking for people who may have had similar experiences to me in Ecuador. I unfortunately got violently robbed with a gun of my less expensive camera while sightseeing in Quito last year, and still am somewhat shaken by it to this day. After spending some days in the hospital, I quickly realized that cameras are wonderful, but they can always be replaced. Also, after enough time passes, you will eventually stop thinking that this even happened. Don’t let unfortunate experiences affect your positivity too, which you both seem to have done. I agree Ecuador is a beautiful country, but robberies are common there. The person who stole your camera is probably sad and desperate, and really just has nothing to lose, but it was their fault, not yours that this happened.
We completely agree. I really appreciate you sharing your story and we love the way you chose to view things. Always be positive! Thank you :)
I was born in New York City but my parents are from Ecuador. I have dual citizenship I lived in Ecuador from 2007 to 2018 and I own a house in Guayaquil Ecuador. I will tell you what happened guys the bus drivers helper stole your camera you screwed up when you told the cop how much the camera was worth. that is why he got on the bus ahead of you. he told the driver and assistant that they were going to split the money so basically the cops the driver and the assistant stole your camera. welcome to Ecuador weicome to the third world
the reason why we have it so good in the United States is because our government exploits the hell out of the third world . they destabilize the country make the take IMF loan shark LOANS that they can never pay back and make them pay with their natural resources the people in this country think that we owe them and in a way we do. so you just got a grIN AND BARE IT. you're lucky you did not get killed
I don't know how to ask this except to just ask it: How do you afford to travel around the world like you're doing? Do your YT posts cover your costs or do you have other jobs or what? I would love to do what you're doing but don't know how you afford it.
Great question! We have multiple streams of revenue including TH-cam, Instagram, and paid partnerships. We will probably do a video about it in the future!
@@OnTodaysAdventure I will look forward to watching it!
Sorry this happened to you guys. Next time take a taxi to places please. Those cops are known to help their own people for bribes. I’m Ecuadorian myself. I’ll try to make a vlog for you guys to see.
@@Jasonr1999 we appreciate your kind words and you’re right, one of the tips we give in the video is to use private transportation in areas that you don’t feel comfortable to make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Let us know when you post your video we would love to see it!
My camera stays in a cross body bag straped to my chest when travelling, I travel solo and am so scared someone will do to me what happened to you. So sorry this happened to you
Thank you for your kind words. We all need to be careful!
Thanks for your story.
I went to colombia on holiday.
Only thing that happened was this taxi driver overcharging me.
But l could feel the tension from the locals.
Wich made me feel tension and keep my guard up.
And it definitely effected my holiday in negative way.
I still had fun and met interesting people.
But would l go back . No negative vibe.
I love to travel , and have a lot experience.
And l learned to trust my instincts.
Thank you for sharing this, so many people need to understand these things and as experienced travelers it’s so great to hear stories like yours. Safe travels in the future! :)
Started following you guys back when you were exploring Kauai as Kauai is a favorite destination for my wife and I. So sorry to hear this happened to you guys! We're hoping you guys keep posting on TH-cam!
Thank you Ryan, we will keep posting and won’t let this stop us!
A little confused about the travel insurance part. Usually the start date corresponds with your travel date so it's really strange that this theft wasn't covered.
Agreed, it makes no sense. The insurance company we used did not have a good response. They are not a good company.
@@OnTodaysAdventure You should name them so that others are aware and don't use them
please tell us who the travel insurance company is so we don't use them!
Happens everywhere, just keep your stuff safe
Agreed!
I got robbed in Thailand and Costa Rica I love it 😂
That is crazy!
Im sorry guys thats this happened to you!
Thanks, we appreciate that🙏🏼
Very well explained - especially all the emotions that go with this experience. I just had a backpack with cash/valuables stolen from almost right in front of me and I didn’t even see it so I completely identify. What I also learned from you is Occam’s Razor likely applies…ie the simplest explanation…in your case the bus driver’s assistant …in my case I believe it was an individual very near where I was sitting who I normally would not suspect because of the way he looked. My loss by theft occurred here in Atlanta…but I just returned from a wonderful trip to Ecuador myself lol. What a coincidence. It is such a beautiful country and thankfully I didn’t have any security issues. Anyways keep up the good work. I’m subbing.
@@mikeboyle5375 thank you for sharing your story - the truth is this happens and it does feel emotional and so personal in those moments. We are thankful it was just our possessions but it’s hard to explain the way it makes you feel. It can really be the people you least expect and also be the truth that the most obvious answer is probably correct. We hope others can learn from this mistake!
I am from Ecuador , this is frustrating and disappointing , that is why I don’t go too often , people seems very friendly but sometimes they are working with the thieves , my kids don’t speak Spanish , and people are always looking at us !! This is too sad but this why I rather go somewhere else.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, its so sad that these things happen all the time. I hope you return to your beautiful country to visit soon!
In three social networks, Ecuador is destroyed by a camera that in the end was covered by insurance 😢
never once said anything bad about Ecuador, we love it there & it’s some of the most beautiful landscape we’ve ever seen. would still recommend people go but hoping to help future travelers be safer :)
Ecuador is destroyed by its own people. Viveza criolla, remember?
@@lvovodessa Dude, Ecuador is ranked 96th out of 116 countries in relation to tourism, in tourism level, do we need them to continue giving us more bad publicity?? The country is already destroyed by crime, tourism has dropped to low levels, I don't want to cover up the reality but let's stop a little, have mercy on Ecuador 😢
#6. Don't imagine that another person's smile means what it means when it's on a familiar face. Even someone you have helped many times may have been planning to steal from you. The smile may be a way of gauging how vulnerable and trusting you are. Happens.
This is such a good point and so true!!
Glad you guys are safe. First world problems traveling with so much equipment. Travel light and be ready to lose anything you travel with when world traveling.
@@JJremoteCPA our jobs involve traveling with equipment so it’s a risk we must take. We just wanted to share our story so others can learn from our mistakes
For the rest in your trip in South America here’s a tip. Don’t trust anyone. Not even the friendly people or kids. If you let your guard down just 1 second this will happen again. You can’t trust anyone and you have to always check everything. It is a sad way to look at people but it is necessary.
Trust is earned!
if losing an expensive camera to corrupt Ecuadorians is the worst travel day you have ever had, after being in 35 countries.........you are lucky. - its stuff, money,- not your freedom your health or a crippling bus accident that you experienced.
This is so true. We are incredibly thankful that it was only losing our physical possessions.
It's probably too late for you guys, but check your credit card benefits. A good credit card will offer a reimbursement for items purchased within a year that are either stolen or broken during that time period. You need your receipts and a police report.
Good idea but unfortunately it was over a year ago when we purchased the camera and other items :(
In an extended cut of the talking head we talk about this for a few minutes and how we tried the credit card angle but were not successful
Sry to hear 😢 just wondering how could it happen if you were watching your bags? Did u guys fall asleep and were the bags locked?
@@tha_177z2 we explained in the video a bit more but the bags were right next to us, they are just so good at what they do. The bags did not have locks and were not our typical bags for transporting our gear - but we explain this in the video since it was supposed to be the start of a 3 day backpacking trek
I recently moved to Ecuador. So sorry this happened to you, but theft here is a bit concerning. Glad that you did not let this experience steal your joy. Can't wait to see your Machu Picchu video!
Thank you for your kind words! You can watch our hike to Machu Picchu here: th-cam.com/video/5GntFEafiYA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lFkPBmrpFG3x48gv
This wasnt a robbery
"rob·ber·y
noun
the action of taking property unlawfully from a person or place by force or threat of force."
I recently watched your stairway to heaven video and loved it ! Earlier I watched the Hawaii (foot pump) and enjoyed that video so much that even as tired as I am ill check out one more and again...I thought it was really good even tho the circumstances were not. I despise theives and liars but I also live by karma and believe that when it comes around it will be either much better or much much worse depending on the action so the camera was a great steal for the thief but down the path a much bigger loss awaits. For the two of you , to be content I wish you both! Pillow bound Gn
Thank you so much for being here & watching some of our videos! It truly means the world to us that you enjoyed them that you wanted to watch more🥹 We agree with you on karma, and all we can do is be grateful it was purely material! Thanks again for your kind comments😊
I am more afraid to go to the USA with all the guns and racism.
The racism is extremely exaggerated by the media.
Sry, but don't leave your stuff alone, ever... Hard to feel sry for you when you did it to yourself.
@@CA-lg1do we didn’t leave our stuff alone and we aren’t asking for you to feel sorry for us. We want to share our story and offer advice for others and as many others have commented they have had a similar experience
I am so sad this happened to you. Then to find out your insurance was of no help either. Crime is real there.
Unfortunately these things happen and we just wanted to share our story. Insurance is always a hit or miss in the US. It’s pretty sad that they won’t cover what they promise!
Thank you for sharing. I'm going to Santiago, Chile, for 2 weeks & then to Cuenca, Ecuado for 2.5 months.Your suggestions for travel safety gave me quite a few changes I will make!
I'm so sorry this happened to you, but thank goodness you were not robbed of everything &/or at gunpoint & you're alive & ok!
Blessings for your future journey ❤😊❤
Didn't like Santiago,
But was in southern Brazil 🇧🇷 and had a good experience
Thank you for your kind words and I hope you have an amazing trip in South America! It’s a beautiful place to visit and there’s so much to do!
😢 I’m so sorry you had such a bad experience in my country 😢 Make sure to always get advice from locals of trust about where not to’s what not to’s and how not to’s. This breaks my heart 💔
Talking to locals is really the best way to understand what to do. Unfortunately it was the people we trusted that took the camera and we definitely learned our lesson. Ecuador is such a beautiful country and we know we will be back in the future!
@@OnTodaysAdventure that’s awful 😞. Hopefully that never happen again
My girlfriends friends daughter got stopped traveling Ecuador by car at night at gunpoint and stole all their belongings.
That is so scary! These things do happen.
Unwise to travel by car at night
It's just a camera guys, not so dramatic
Our gear cost over $6,000 to replace - it’s not just a camera. We are thankful it’s just a physical thing we can replace but being robbed is a terrible feeling, and it’s personal. I hope you never experience something like this.
Your reaction is a natural response when feeling violated. Experiencing theft of something you're connected to can be hard to comprehend. If you've experienced personal belongings or space being violated through theft, it's natural to have a strong emotional reaction when it occurs. I believe you both handled the confusion and frustration admirably.
@@OnTodaysAdventure you guys not have travel insurance?
@@jamesgoatcher5397 we talk about this in the video
@@OnTodaysAdventurethey never mentioned the one month period when you bought the insurance? Sounds like a scam, that’s an important thing to know
It's common knowledge that Eucador is the most dangerous country in South America.
That is not true at all. No need to spread misguided views.
@@OnTodaysAdventure It is 100% true. Ecuador has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world. These videos are so ridiculous it boggles my mind... you travel to a dangerous place and then act surprised that you were victim of a crime? I mean seriously? You should visit Haiti next ;)
Petty theft is not dangerous, I have lived and traveled in South America, lived in Venezulea for a few years, no problems at all. But stories like this are common, just a camera from a bag
I always lock my bags on the bus, and usually lock my bag to my seat
“The most dangerous” is not Ecuador. Every country has crime, we chose to not let that deter us from visiting beautiful places that also have beautiful local people. I feel sad for people like you