OurColony.net

I second the questionable accuracy!

Customer Rating:
The airport at Quito is not that wild...does it need some order, yes? Are people getting hit by police? NO! That is absurd.

I find the story intriguing, but craziness like the airport story, locals not telling the police about guerrillas, and the mere fact that the spanish used in the book is atrocious. Vamos means "Let's (we) go." Not "Vamoose" like Yosimite Sam. Also, Joto is called Hoto many times...where was the editor? There are other ridiculous translations and misuse of Spanish. It did not seem to be intentional because when the oil workers used their spanish it fit the situation...the other misuses did not fit.

If you want to read a kidnap tail...read this. If you want to read about the real Ecuador...go to another source.

Questionable accuracy

Customer Rating:
I do not doubt that the individuals characterized in this book had a harrowing and dangerous experience, but the accuracy of their adventure is brought into question by the obvious inacuracies of their discription of life in Ecuador. I found their description of the airport almost laughable. Airport Security Guards beating poor destitute locals with a stick!! I have lived in Quito for the last 5 years and have traveled through the airport many many times and have NEVER seen anything like what was described. I have also worked in the area they were captured. I agree that a certain danger exists in this area and one needs to be very careful. However, I have a hard time believing everything else when I found so many obvoiusly incorrect details. I think that the naritive would have been just as good and even more interesting had there not been inserted all the incorrect details to supposedly make the story more interesting. There a enough interesting stories here in Ecuador without all the literary license.

Reader: Please take with a grain of salt all the violence and "agressively" poor people. I sincerely hope that the rest of the books narritive of the 100 days in the jungle is much more accurate that thier description of Quito. Despite all of this I found the book interesting and recommend it.