I am also suspicious of this post. This is the first post by the original poster. There is a link at the bottom that goes to website about safety and security for ex-pats by a guy who says he has 10 years of law enforcement experience and is an American living in Ecuador. He goes on to say that he has lived in dangerous places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan and Iraq. This sounds like the original poster. If he is so experienced, why is he asking us for input? If it isn't the same person, why doesn't the original poster ask all his questions of the expert from the linked website? I notice that the original poster has not responded to the replies in any way. I could be wrong, but this whole thread seems odd, to say the least.