Do and don't in Ecuador

90 Visas with no extentions unless you are enrolled in an approved Educational institution which supplies you with the appropriate paperwork for your student visa submission which then guarantees you with an extention of 6 up to a year visa to stay in Ecuadr. Like anything else shop around for the most affordable recognized schools and donŽt overlook the small schools because they are the cheapest and most flexible. Best advise I can give you. FUZZWUSS

As an Ecuadorian living in the USA since I was a baby I can say this. Still a shock to me but men in the USA rarely shake a women's hand. In Ecuador and all of SA it's an insult to not shake a womens hand. So if you shake a mans hand and there is a women in the group shake her hand also. 

I was visiting my country a few years ago and this old man was walking down the street asked us if we were from the USA.  He was furious because everyone was staring at him. I asked him why he walked around with a baseball bat and he said all Ecuadorians where thieves and murderers and it was for protection. I would say use common sense which this man clearly did not. We are not animals we are very cultured and have a very long history. Yes we do have manners and there are good and bad people just as there are in any country in this world. I read we don't have manners but I find the comment ludicrous at best. 

  In Ecuador as in most South American' countries if you call someone a SOB your in deep cow pie. Here in the USA it's nothing there, you better RUN and don't look back.

Generalizations are always bad. Yes, we do shake women's hand in US - see you generalized too... Of course not everybody is a thief in Ecuador. But I walk around Quito "packed", and in US - not... just different realities I'd say.

I've been living here for a bit over 3 years now. I think everyone knows about the pseudo cheek peck as a greeting whereas hugs are a no no. One of the most striking elements of the culture to me is how people only say nice things and abhor aggressive people or people who yell.  If you ever lived in the southern US, the culture is quite similar.  What they think and what they say are usually two different things.  If you lived in NYC, what is efficient and curt is viewed here as a serious negative.  You smile, chit chat and never raise your voice.  To do so is a sign of bad breeding as is saying anything negative about anyone else before you know the person you're speaking with really well.

Walking on any sidewalk is an experience.  For such a polite culture, they don't hesitate to run into you as a pedestrian.  And if you are in line at a store, well, there is no such thing as a line outside of banks or government offices.  It's whoever goes to the front and gets the cashier's attention that is assisted next. 

Family comes first and all others are welcome.  In that sense, it is a culture that will go out of their way to welcome you warmly.  People go out of their way to help you out when you need it.  eg...I called a person I know who works at a restaurant to have some soup delivered when I was sick. (Love that you can get almost anything delivered!).  He ended up bringing it himself, however, one soup was the wrong order.  So he reappears about 3 hours later with no notice.  He had gone home, had his wife cook me chicken soup and then brought that to me.  He even went on a medicine run for me.  I find this to be more the norm than not. 

So loud or aggressive behavior is a bit tabu.  I would say it might be difficult for homosexuals to be openly affectionate in the street.  Homosexuality seems to be quite acceptable in most  circles, even the more conservative ones, as long as it's not obvious. Dress tends to be a conservative in the highlands and seems to be considered quite telling about you. 

I'm in Cuenca, btw.

I love the cultural differences here!  I teach school-10 year olds, and hugs are welcomed.  Can't do that in the US without making the news.  Most folks here will bend over backwards to help you.  Be careful of pronouncing words correctly- many really bad words here sound like perfectly innocent ones with a tiny different sound.  It is easy to totally shock storekeepers if you do not enuciate properly.  I have had some embarassing experiences with this.  Truche (trout) can easily become a slang word for a vagina if you aren't careful!  Also, it is common for people to give nicknames that shock Americans- gordito (little fatty) and Chino (for someone who might have Asian blood) are not offensive.  Negrito (little black one) is also often heard.  No one here is offended by this- it is really refreshing at times!