Danger! High Alert!!

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The Frugal Expat names ten of the most dangerous cities in the world. I have been to four of them: Rio, Cape Town, Acapulco, and our own St. Louis, Missouri. The remaining six are in the Middle East, or Venezuela and Honduras. Though it has been over ten years since I have been to these cities, I will tell you that I (we) had very good experiences in these cities. Rio was one of our first trips to South America. We stayed on Copacabana Beach, and strayed only on a bus tour, along with famous Ipanema Beach, the Hippie Faire, and Christ the Redeemer. I do not recall feeling unsafe anywhere, though our drivers took us through some sketchy areas and favelas. I would love to go back, perhaps to the famous Carnaval celebration. The food is excellent, and the people are friendly. And yes, Webb, the girls on the beach wear "postage stamp" bikinis. Women beware: If you have plans to take a solo trip to Brazil, you should know that the country ranks second on this list. When an investigation was carried out about women feeling safe to walk alone at night, the country got a meager percentage of 28. Therefore, the advice would be not to go at all, but if you must, you are advised to be on your guard. Cape Town, despite its reputation, was quite a revelation. Of course, we had the barrister to the High Court, Barry the V as our host for several weeks. We stayed in the upscale area called Camps Bay, and rarely went anywhere dangerous. The few times Mike and I were on our own did create some anxiety, but never what I would call danger. Mike and I stopped at a shopping center near the townships on our return from a day trip. I was the only Asian, and Mike was the only Caucasian for miles and kilometers (you choose). And yes, I would go back. Barry the V has a standing invitation for my return. Truth be known, Barry the V and Mrs. V's home is about a block from the beautiful Atlantic and guarded by a wealthy neighbor's 24-hour armed guard. From Our Woven Journey: Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, is celebrated for its scenic beauty and rich history. Despite its tourist appeal, the city’s homicide rate makes it the tenth most dangerous city in the world. The high crime rates can be attributed to social and economic issues, including poverty, gang violence, and drug trafficking. Acapulco is a rather interesting story. I won a trip for "excellent performance" with the company I worked for. We stayed at the famous Acapulco Princess and were told not to leave the premises! Most of our meals and festivities were held at the hotel. We were sent by bus to private villas for special dinners, and city tours, including the famous cliff divers. But it was a bit unnerving to see armed militia guarding the beach area flea market near the hotel. We were told to access the beach only patrolled by the militia!!! But I never felt any danger. From FWO (Financially Well Off): Apparently, not all countries react the same way to fatal circumstances. After a great meal, one couple stepped out and witnessed a fatal scene like one you might see in a movie. Yet, no one seemed to care. St. Louis is a different story. I visited several times on business in the 80s. We even drove into dangerous East St. Louis once, by mistake. Even Chevy Chase had a bad experience there. One night, I decided we needed to have some real St. Louis barbecue. We found this place, purportedly the best barbecue in St. Louis. The food was very food, but it was quite unnerving when the staff at the restaurant locked themselves into the kitchen after serving us!! But other places, like "The Hill" (the Italian neighborhood), and Central West End were quite charming. I would love to go back for a nice Italian dinner at Cunetto's House of Pasta. From Our Woven Journey: St. Louis, located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, is the second-largest city in Missouri and ranks seventh among the most dangerous cities in the world. St. Louis suffers from the highest murder and drug usage rates in the United States, which has led to its high position on the list. Factors contributing to the city’s crime problem include systemic poverty, unemployment, racial disparities, and the easy availability of firearms. From FWO: It’s not often that the local police personally escort you to the nearest gas station. This was the experience of one couple in need of gas. They recalled seeing many gas stations crowded with what appeared to be gang members. Lucky for them, the police escorted them to the nearest gas station and watched them over until they were done pumping. I have been in far more dangerous places, East Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie, Oakland, Watts (south central Los Angeles), Harlem, south Chicago, Nairobi, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Russia, Tangiers (Morocco), the Paris Metro, Tijuana, Yangon (Myanmar), the Tenderloin (San Francisco), and Hollywood. I would dare you to name a city or place more dangerous than those I listed in the previous paragraph!

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Comments

[DeAnna]

Changing times
Gerry, I remember when Tijuana was not dangerous. I was a university student livng in San Diego, I was studying Spanish and Tijuana was a good destination to practice, I had friends who lived there and I would often spend the weekend. Dinner was a formal and strict affair No one spoke until the father did. Only Spanish was allowed. When I would drive back the next day the grandmother would wrap up home made torillas for me. They were delicious!

[golfkat]

Greetings
Long time, no hear. I hope you are well.