languagetraveler
American looking for information about Ecuador
Forum posts
32
About me
American
Lives in Asheville, NC
Registration: 11 February 2013
Good laptop for sale?
Hi everyone. We're living in Guatemala now, but the son of our friend and Spanish instructor (based in Quito) is in need of a good laptop. By 'good' I mean higher end RAM and video processing. He's in college now and his current ... Read More
GUIDE / TRANSLATOR
My Spanish instructor's husband is a university professor of electrical engineering in Quito. For obvious reasons, your husband may want to consider contacting her. She also used to be a tour guide (years ago). She speaks a moderate amount of ... Read More
how much to live decently in ecuador by kathryn47
Hello everyone , like many babyboumers living in the cold we whant to find a nice place in the sun . I have been reading alot on Costa Rica and it does not seem to be such inexpensive anymore. Apparently food , gaz and electricity have tripled if ...
I had an interesting observation recently. Over the past few years, we've befriended our online Spanish instructor, based out of Quito, and we visited Ecuador in the late winter. Like most, one of our first impressions was that so many items ... Read More
Can Wesley Thompson Bring His Medical Skills to Ecuador? by cccmedia
On the New Members thread, Wesley Thompson of North Carolina expressed his interest in moving to Cuenca and finding a position there to employ his medical skills. Wesley has been a physicians assistant for 28 years, according to his post, and ...
I work in medicine and have an online business. I've recently visited Ecuador. Having seen the country from that perspective, I'd personally suggest a different approach. First, even experienced, well-paid physicians earn a fraction of what ... Read More
Kansas collegians deprived of their Wheaties on trip to Guayallamba EC by cccmedia
A group of twelve students from Kansas' Bethel College* used last month's winter term to visit South America, including a stay with a host family in the pueblo of Guayallamba, Ecuador, 20 miles outside Quito. Unbeknownst to the students, ...
I don't find the shipment getting stuck in customs nearly as strange as the fact that he "pre-arranged" to have their cereal shipped to Ecuador. Really? Would eating Ecuadorian cereal be that traumatic during their stay? Read More
Spain on Sale: "Luxurious Lives" For 1K Monthly If U Know the Tricks by cccmedia
It's possible to live as inexpensively now in Granada, Spain, as in the bargain cities of South America, according to a new report on the Gringos Abroad website. "I know Expats who have been living in Granada for 20 years, and they live ...
For a variety of reasons, that phrase seems to be a favorite of blog posts and headlines (and really gets under my skin). I honestly think hyperbole like that is one of the reasons so many "wannabe expats" get obsessed with retiring to a ... Read More
Plastic Surgery/Cosmetic Dentistry in Ecuador
Does anyone here have any knowledge or recommendations for plastic surgeons or cosmetic dentists in Ecuador? When we visited, we saw what appeared to be 2 tourists at the Otavalo market who clearly just had a nose job (bandages still in place). ... Read More
Bring Desktop from US or Buy new One in EC? by wlae84
I want to buy a desktop in the US and ask my mom to bring it on the plane, but the more I think about it, the more complicated it seems. I guess I can buy a desktop here, what do you guys think? Some issues/concerns: -How to get the desktop OS to ...
From what I saw when we were there a few weeks ago, I'd bring one from the US. First point I'd make, regardless of the import issues, is whether you really need a desktop? Unless you're doing particularly intensive computing (video ... Read More
Michigan Family Faces 42K in Ecuador Bills After Grandpa Has a Stroke by cccmedia
"The neurosurgeon billed me for almost $25,000," said widow Karen Malone, whose 60-year-old husband (and grandfather of 26) Perry collapsed in Guayaquil in November and died last week in a Florida hospital. The Malone family also incurred ...
As sad and frustrating as I'm sure this is for the family, I can assure you that the amount they owe is nothing compared to what they'd be charged in the US. I work in healthcare, and I can tell you that $13K for six weeks in a hospital is a ... Read More
Travelers bringing stuff into the country by Nards Barley
For some time I have heard one new cellphone and one used phone is permitted to brought into the country by a traveler, although I don´t know if that meant they would confiscate an additional item or what. ...
We just returned from our trip this week. Not sure if it was on this forum, but I'd read somewhere that the law allows you to bring in 2 each of cell phones and computers (whether laptop or tablet), however - at least as written in the customs ... Read More
Costa Rica reality vs fantasy? by marianne817
Hello all, I have been considering Central America for part-time relocation (maybe 4-6 months per year.) I am currently in Heredia, house-sitting for two weeks and will then work my way up the Pacific coast for two weeks until leaving for ...
Funny story regarding this issue which my Spanish instructor just relayed to me. They're in Ecuador, but same point... In the interest of keeping it brief, let's just say that her husband experienced a medical emergency. My instructor told ... Read More
Import Tax on Computer? by languagetraveler
I've searched the forum and online and I'm having a hard time finding out the [i]actual rate[/i] of the import duty on computers. Our online Spanish instructor is in Quito. With the holiday season here, there are a lot of really good deals ...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the package is declared as a "gift" (which it would be), would that not avoid the $42 tariff? If not, does the $42 only apply to "couriers", and not international mail (USPS transferred to ... Read More
Import Tax on Computer?
I've searched the forum and online and I'm having a hard time finding out the actual rate of the import duty on computers. Our online Spanish instructor is in Quito. With the holiday season here, there are a lot of really good deals on ... Read More
PC Tips by Keltic Tom
Hello All, I would think nearly every Expat in Ecuador has a PC or lap tops and would like to have it preform well. I have had a PC (a DEC Rainbow) since 1982. Since then I have learned a lot and want to continue learning. As PCs advance so must ...
Then yes, that sounds like what they did. As you've probably gathered by the name, the clean installation is simply where they take an installation disk and re-install WIndows to your hard drive,overwriting/deleting what was already there. In ... Read More
PC Tips by Keltic Tom
Hello All, I would think nearly every Expat in Ecuador has a PC or lap tops and would like to have it preform well. I have had a PC (a DEC Rainbow) since 1982. Since then I have learned a lot and want to continue learning. As PCs advance so must ...
I know you said to consider "case closed", but for what it's worth, it sounds like they did a clean installation of your operating system. When that's done, it will provide you with a "clean slate" of sorts (and remove ... Read More
Seafood in Quito (Especially Shrimp)
It's not a problem at all. I just spoke to her. She said freshest seafood and shrimp you're going to find is in Mercado San Roque. She said it's a large market in the historic district where a lot of the stores actually go to buy their ... Read More
Seafood in Quito (Especially Shrimp)
My Spanish instructor is in Quito and we talk over Skype. I'll ask her tomorrow when we meet. Anything else you want me to ask? We talk about everything and I'm always looking for new topics. Read More
Questions for Quito Native?
Hi everyone- I have an online Spanish instructor based out of Quito. We generally focus our first hour of weekly class on "conversation", and I can say that at this point we've pretty much learned everything we can about each others ... Read More
Parasites! by nglover
Is there an over the counter medicine to buy at the farmacias that will kill all the parasites like amoeba, etc. I read somewhere that Fel-6 is good. Does it need a prescription? Anybody know about it? Also, anyone out there with natural ...
...except a developing fetus. Just be careful in that regard as it's a pregnancy Category D medication. Read More
Anyone here have an IBC?
I wear a few hats, but one of them is that of operating an online business. Right now it's modest, but growing. I'm now moving (within the US) and will soon need to consider relocating/restructuring the corporate entity which handles the online ... Read More
How to make friends in Florida by expat.com
We have been talking about [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=891]loneliness when you are abroad[/url], let's now talk about how to make friends (locals or expatriates) when you're living in Florida :top: [b]Which are your best tips ...
I can offer my personal advice for finding and making friends in a new place since I've been in that position quite a bit. I did move to FL from elsewhere in the US, but I really think my advice is valid no matter where you live. Basically, here's ... Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Your US income tax obligations are the same no matter where you live in the world. There are some exclusions if you reside in another country and earn that income from a foreign employer. But generally speaking, the tax obligations are unchanged. ... Read More
Little things you miss the most....
I had a good laugh reading on the 'Mexico' forum about Australians who longed for Vegemite, as they couldn't find it anywhere. So it made me wonder...are there any 'little things' that those of you who have made the move to Guatemala (or elsewhere ... Read More
Working "remotely" advice? by languagetraveler
Hi everyone- Im new to the forum and I have a few questions if anyone can help. I live in the states and have no immediate plans to permanently move to Guatemala, but would like to plan some extended stays of 1-2 months here and there. Ive ...
Thanks Guategringo. I've probably been overly concerned, but (as you know) when you work on online, a good internet connection is literally the umbilical cord connecting you to your livelihood. It looks like I'll be alright. Thanks again. Read More
Working "remotely" advice? by languagetraveler
Hi everyone- Im new to the forum and I have a few questions if anyone can help. I live in the states and have no immediate plans to permanently move to Guatemala, but would like to plan some extended stays of 1-2 months here and there. Ive ...
I'll tell you that I ended up receiving a PM from a user on this forum, and a helpful response on another forum. The forum member here that PM'd me lived in Atitlan and did experience difficulty with getting a good, reliable connection in that ... Read More
Working "remotely" advice?
Hi everyone- Im new to the forum and I have a few questions if anyone can help. I live in the states and have no immediate plans to permanently move to Guatemala, but would like to plan some extended stays of 1-2 months here and there. Ive ... Read More