RE: Quito, Ecuador Data Sheet
Many thanks to GC and Jariel for their advice on Quito. I just spent 2 weeks in Quito (broken by a short trip to Banos) after spending some time in the Galapagos (must-see) and here's my take on the place:
Accommodations & Lifestyle:
First three nights stayed in a private hostel room with shared bathrooms for $10 USD / night in the El Centro Historico to do my site siteseeing. It's one of the most well preserved in Latin America and worth checking out. I then migrated to a small 1BR Airbnb for about $35 USD in La Mariscal close to Plaza Foch over a set of Thurs-Mon to check out the party scene. It was fun to be so close to all the action on a weekend but it's Gringolandia as others have mentioned, so move up north if you want a more authentic day-to-day Ecuadorian experience.
After my trip to Banos, I stayed one week in a private 1 BR Airbnb in the Benalcazar neighbourhood close to Quicentro for about $35 USD / night to try to close out all my leads. I really dig this area as it's very modern and you can get a pimp pad along the apartment towers overlooking the park on Ave. Shyris for about $50-$60 USD / night. The big malls nearby are good for day game, it's close to big Parque Carolina and you can access La Mariscal in 30 minutes by taking a 25 cent trolley bus near the stadium. Just be sure to take an Uber or taxi home as it gets dangerous later on. There's a few modern gyms nearby too but the drop-in for a workout was pricey at $7 - $8 USD. You can buy a 20 time pass for $80 USD which is better value if you decide to stay longer.
Girls & Nightlife:
First of all, I didn't get laid but it was not for lack of trying, so take my view with a huge grain of salt. If you speak at least low-mid intermediate level Spanish here like me and have any Game at all, you will be able to meet quite a few girls, make out at the bar, get phone #'s, etc pretty easily.
You can try day gaming in Universidad Central del Ecuador in the Miraflores neighbourhood as well. It's a decently sized campus. I spent an afternoon checking it out here after going up the Teleferiqo in the morning, but didn't really see that many lone girls walking around and only ended up doing one approach (she had a bf).
All the usual places others have mentioned are pretty popping in La Mariscal. I probably went out 6 times in total. My favourite is definitely Bungalow 6, especially on Wed / Fri / Sat nights. Other nights are not worth the effort in my opinion and more suitable for dates. They have $5 cover that comes with one drink, but by the end the bouncers didn't even ask for cover as I became a semi-regular. I like that they pour the Cuba Libres here quite strong here and you should try the ginger beer on the 3rd floor beer garden for $3.50. The owners are American expat guys and the bartenders are friendly. This place is a lot of fun regardless if you pull, and I spent a Halloween Sat night costume party here as well which was a blast.
Now, a really fly joint that hasn't been mentioned yet is a place called La Juliana on Ave 12 de Oct. It is a two-story bar / lounge located in a pretty upscale neighbourhood in a large mansion / house. It is very upscale by Ecuadorian standards. I met a few local girls at a Japanese restaurant on a Fri night and they invited me to go with them. Never one to turn down an impromptu adventure, we shared an Uber there. It's maybe a 10 minute walk east of La Mariscal.
The cover was $12 USD per person and they have a swipe card to pay system where the tab is tallied and paid at the end of the night. The whole place was decorated in Halloween theme and all the staff had costumes or face painting on as well. The whole place has a very classy feel. There is large dance floor with two bars downstairs, live band and DJ. The second floor has more couches, another bar, tables and a railing overlooking the dance floor.
The drinks were a bit pricey at $5 USD for a beer and $7 for whiskey or other cocktails, although the bottles of rum and whiskey were reasonable for $40-50 USD which is good if you come here and roll in group of 4-5 to share. The best part about this place is that a lot of the girls here are middle-higher class, probably with more income in the late 20-30’s range. They dressed very well in cocktail dresses and maybe half in sexy Halloween costumes.
Best of all, I didn’t detect one other foreigner here besides me and it was all locals. There were lots of mixed sets and guys with girl type set-ups but some all-girl sets to be had as well. I ended up with a pretty hot girl I met on the dance floor for a while but she was pretty disinterested despite us dancing together and even me introducing her to the girls I came with for preselection. She left me for her friends a few times so I didn't chase. I struck out but it was a refreshing change to be outside of Gringolandia, partying with locals in a place I otherwise would not have found. This place could be a dope weekday date venue as well. Overall it was fun times, with classy local crowd outside of La Mariscal, with good Latin music. Despite the price tag, I would definitely go back and recommend to RVFers
Conclusion
Anyway, in night game there's a lot of your typical mixed sets like usual in Latin America, but there's enough 2-4 girl only sets that should be your main play. Note that they will expect you to buy drinks. I met a slim sister in cocktail dress combo at Bungalow and made out / grinded / danced with one of them. Went out on a date on Sun, brought her home after but couldn't close the deal as she really wanted to leave for work the next day and wouldn't proceed past make-out.
For me, the hardest part was getting them to come out on a date and closing the deal. Girls that seem to really be into you in person will ghost over text. Tinder also wasn't great either as the flake rate is high, even after one coffee meeting where they look at you with big anime eyes like you're the shiniest thing. It seems to me that most girls with jobs work a lot as 8AM-5PM Mon-Fri is not uncommon here. Fri / Sat are their girls nights out and Sun is their family day. Therefore their free slot to see you is limited but that's just my theory. Also not sure how being a catholic country with its conservatism plays into this.
Overall, I liked Quito as a travel destination as the cost of living is good, the girls are cute (not that many stunners around, although I've met a few), decent nightlife, with a good mix of touristy things to see and modern amenities. For a short trip < 2 weeks though, I think getting a bang of 6+ quality would be difficult. Would rate the city as a B-.
Datasheet: Vancouver, BC
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