gardener1
Vatican citizen
Forum posts
675
Contacts
2
About me
Vatican
Registration: 08 May 2013
Coronavirus in Ecuador by cccmedia
"Ecuador Declares National Health Emergency, Private Insurance Does Not Cover Coronavirus..." So reads a headline dated today -- March 12, 2020 -- on the Cuenca Highlife website. The article states that 17 cases of Coronavirus have ...
Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner announces partial closure of borders and restriction of entry to Ecuador due to the ... Read More
Data breach reveals personal data of almost all of Ecuador
Information including personal details such as names, addresses, national identity numbers and phone numbers has been compromised. The government has described the issue as a "major concern." Almost the entire population of Ecuador had ... Read More
LAS OLAS close to Bahia by berenicehutton
Looking on reviews for this new development close to Bahia LAS OLAS?
There have been a number of Las Olas threads posted here over the years, some were removed. But if I recall the first one dated back to at least 2011? Since at least 2011 Las Olas has been talking the same story, and I have yet to see any evidence ... Read More
The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community by Nards Barley
I designate this thread as the unofficial web page for the Cuenca Expat community. I also designate myself as the unoffical spokesperson. It is actually a continuation of my [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224582]non-blog[/url], ...
Mentioned several times in this thread were the rather well known old hands in Ecuador, Frank & Angie, The Frugals. They've been in Ecuador for about 8 years and were creating an extended family there too. They have long had a blog and a ... Read More
thinking of buying a house with a piece of land around it by Khaledamr
Hello I am Khaled Amr from Jerusalem currently living and working in Amman Jordan. I have been thinking about retiring in Loja Ecuador. I don't really want to completely retire though. I want to do something like raise sheep. I am thinking of ...
I have no advice for you about Loja, but I do have advice about raising sheep. We raised sheep [in Texas] for over a decade which started as one sheep to serve as a 4 legged lawnmower. The one sheep wasn't enough to keep the brush down, plus ... Read More
where can i get good cheese? what brands? by lebowski888
So far, I haven't found any good quality cheese in Ecuador. I'm not really thinking about rare, fancy artisanal cheeses. More like above average quality, but mass-market, cheese brands lik Tilamook or Cabot. I'm into aged cheddar, ...
This thread ran here for a couple of years, but yeah Ecuador has cheese problems. For Cheese Lovers Only: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=420648 Read More
Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act, H.R. 7358: Great news
Spread the word! Write your congress person, send an email/twitter, support this bill! Today, Congressman George Holding (NC-R) introduced the Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act -H.R. 7358: legislation that would end citizenship-based taxation ... Read More
Need recommendations on visa process by jagsatori
My family will be moving to Cuenca for 5 months starting in January for a cultural sabbatical. We've been trying to apply for an extended tourist visa of 180 days but have received conflicting information from the virtual consulate website and ...
OsageArcher, Checking the US Ecuador embassy website in the US, it's worse than ever. The English language version isn't working at all, and the last time I looked at their visa info pages about 6 months ago, it linked to a not there 404 ... Read More
Ecuador to build “world’s longest cable car”
"The private operator’s concession will cover the development and maintenance of the cable car for an estimated 35 years." Shame they failed to mention who this "private operator" is. Some rich Chinese investor ... Read More
Living in dorado by Rebeccapri
My family just moved here to Dorado in the RC Reserve, from North Carolina. We have 2 kids- 3yr & 16mo. We are looking for people that live here to be part of the community. Also, is there any activities for my children. Does anyone live ...
Hi Rey - This is not the first time I have seen you refer a poster here to the Facebook group for the information they came seeking for here. I feel like this is circumventing the purpose of this expat forum and preventing other members here from ... Read More
Ballenita and Punta Blanca by Denham2
Hello everyone, Me and my wife are looking to buy around Punta Blanca or Ballenita for the dryness and the heat in the period between December and may. I would love to get your experiences about these two areas. Looking for a secure area with ...
I'm more interested in why you abandoned Costa Rica. Read More
Ecuador immigration at airport (Quito) by saurabhbatra
I am traveling to Ecuador in January and was wondering what are the immigration procedures at the Quito Airport. I have read from multiple sources online that most country passport holders (including Indian passport holder) do not need a Visa to ...
Visa policy of Ecuador https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Ecuador Read More
Ecuador's Cryptocurrency Has Come And Gone: Ecuador, 2014-2018
The World's First Central Bank Electronic Money Has Come – And Gone: Ecuador, 2014-2018 In 2014 the government of Ecuador, under then-President Rafael Correa, announced with great fanfare that the Ecuadorian Central Bank (BCE) would soon ... Read More
Just returned from Puerto Rico, need rental help. Also observations - by gardener1
We just spent 2 weeks in PR on a retirement scouting expedition to see if we would and could want to live there. The answer is yes, we would. But housing looks like a serious difficulty. Help? There seems to be a shortage of affordable reliable ...
Completely agree. But even a 6 month rental is a problem - there certainly seems to be an exacerbated housing shortage after the hurricane and most of the short term rentals I've seen have been aimed at vacationers and run $100 a night and up. ... Read More
Just returned from Puerto Rico, need rental help. Also observations - by gardener1
We just spent 2 weeks in PR on a retirement scouting expedition to see if we would and could want to live there. The answer is yes, we would. But housing looks like a serious difficulty. Help? There seems to be a shortage of affordable reliable ...
It looks furnished in the photo, does the apartment come furnished? What are the terms of renting; deposits, lease terms? There are no photos of the exterior or of the other rooms or the sq. footage. The ad talks a lot about nearby attractions and ... Read More
Just returned from Puerto Rico, need rental help. Also observations -
We just spent 2 weeks in PR on a retirement scouting expedition to see if we would and could want to live there. The answer is yes, we would. But housing looks like a serious difficulty. Help? There seems to be a shortage of affordable reliable ... Read More
Reasons Not to Buy a Home in Ecuador by cccmedia
Not all new arrivals realize how different property ownership in Ecuador usually is .. compared to North America. Some may not even know the number-one rule for Expat newcomers: Don't buy or build on any property in South America until you ...
I couldn't agree more, but I might question your math as there are only #6 listed from a title of 13 .... But wait, maybe this recent post from the south American brotherland of Brazil may provide some additional numbers and warnings for your ... Read More
200,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in Florida since Hurricane Maria
/ Nov.30.2017 / MIAMI – The exodus of Puerto Ricans to Florida following Hurricane Maria has reached a whopping 200,000 in just over two months, obliterating initial conservative estimates that had put the number at 100,000. The scale of ... Read More
Our experience here during Maria and the aftermath by Siobhan_Nolan
Hi all, I hope everyone who lives here on the island is ok post maria and recovering. I've written about our experiences here on my blog - it may provide an in sight for anyone wondering about facilities, services available or those thinking ...
Your link requires a wordpress login. Read More
So who is ready for Maria ! by dugtx1
Prediction CAT 3 South West direct and across the island . Could be theoretically worse than Irma....
Although I'm just another random person on the internet, and I am not in Puerto Rico so I have no boots on the ground eyewitness experience - I have spent the last 10 days to two weeks on facebook live watching live video streams of the ... Read More
New storms brewing in the Atlantic by Gary
[img]https://www.foryourpics.com/images/2017/09/14/two_9-14.png[/img] 5 day tropical weather outlook. Too early to say where they will go and how strong they will be. Yup, the most active weeks of the season aren't over yet.
I've been watching Maria for the last 12 hours, the worst weather currently seems to be marching south-to-north central Puerto Rico. Not what I expected. For posterity's sake, I copy/pasted URL's for a bunch of PR Facebook livestreams ... Read More
So who is ready for Maria ! by dugtx1
Prediction CAT 3 South West direct and across the island . Could be theoretically worse than Irma....
I've been up all night watching this storm (soon to crash on the couch) - Dominica trashed. I've already seem some early morning (45mins) video footage of Guadalupe from a facebook livestream, most of the damage seems to be confined to low ... Read More
New storms brewing in the Atlantic by Gary
[img]https://www.foryourpics.com/images/2017/09/14/two_9-14.png[/img] 5 day tropical weather outlook. Too early to say where they will go and how strong they will be. Yup, the most active weeks of the season aren't over yet.
Tropical tidbits has a good video up today about tropical cyclone Maria, headed Puerto Rico way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRINzNR8SFo Read More
Tracking Irma by Sitka
This new storm track is making me concerned. PR may be in the path - currently a cat 2, but predicted to grow. Best keep a close eye on this one for the next week or so. :o http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/145426.shtml?cone
This is a beach livecam from the PR south coast at Carib Playa Beach Hotel, Patillas PR. Water is choppy, but not bad. http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/puerto-rico/patillas/guardarraya/puerto-rico-patillas.html Read More
Tracking Irma by Sitka
This new storm track is making me concerned. PR may be in the path - currently a cat 2, but predicted to grow. Best keep a close eye on this one for the next week or so. :o http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/145426.shtml?cone
@ravenmickey They seem to be having trouble finding livefeeds running at the moment, cell towers are taking a beating. They will run MSM news while they look for other feeds. Patience. #Irma on twitter is running a mile a minute. Reddit is also ... Read More
Tracking Irma by Sitka
This new storm track is making me concerned. PR may be in the path - currently a cat 2, but predicted to grow. Best keep a close eye on this one for the next week or so. :o http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/145426.shtml?cone
Here's a livestream of Irma, the feed from facebooklive, twitter, wherever they can find someone filming. No news MSM talking heads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz0jCtrlvuE LIVE 🔴 HURRICANE IRMA Tracking HEADING TOWARD FLORIDA, 185 ... Read More
Tracking Irma by Sitka
This new storm track is making me concerned. PR may be in the path - currently a cat 2, but predicted to grow. Best keep a close eye on this one for the next week or so. :o http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/145426.shtml?cone
This is a website you all might want to keep an eye on - Tropical Tidbits https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/ Right now it isn't looking good for Puerto Rico. Hunker down. Read More
Head count by ReyP
Lets see a show of hands of all people that are considering or have definite plans to move permanently to Puerto Rico.
We're coming in January for an exploratory mission, after 2 trips and finally deciding against Ecuador. It was just a tad too 3rd world for us. Came here just now because I just saw a weather tracker for Irma. Gonna be a close one. Hi Puerto ... Read More
Re-Legalizing the Casinos of Ecuador by cccmedia
Five years ago, [i]El Supremo[/i] convinced the voters of Ecuador to close all 32 casinos nationwide. Only 46 percent of those voting on the referendum issue supported the casino ban, yet that was a narrow plurality and enough to shutter the ...
@cccmedia :proud Toldjaso. It just took them a few years longer to get there than I thought it would. Condo prices in Salinas probably going up as we speak. Read More
How to bring your car to Ecuador by Bhavna
Hello everybody, If you exported your car to Ecuador, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they? What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the age of ...
Archer - If you have a dip passport you can use dip plates on a car. It's not dependent on your job position but on your passport type. Dip plates exempt the car from most/many regulations and restrictions. Diplomatic [passport] privilege ... Read More
IESS (Ecuadorian Social Security) Costs Increasing by vsimple
Nards Barley, posted a link to a CuencaHighLife article which stated that IESS (essentially public health insurance) will cost as much of 17.6% of an expat's income. This is developing news, but it looks like Ecuador for many people will be a ...
From the article, this looks like a new requirement too - "Other permanent residents, such as those with investor’s visas, will need to provide proof of monthly income." So now you need the investment and proof of monthly income? ... Read More
Ask the expert whether he prefers Ecuador or Colombia by Nards Barley
Ok, CCmedia, I have been reading some of your stuff on the Colombian forum today while sick with the flu and thought the peeps needed a thread to ask questions and to compare and contrast these two countries.
Yeah, I understand all of those issues, comparisons could be made to other places. I've read that Japan has a 268% debt to income ratio, that sounds pretty insolvent to me but the Japanese are still plugging along. The US has more than 20 ... Read More
Ask the expert whether he prefers Ecuador or Colombia by Nards Barley
Ok, CCmedia, I have been reading some of your stuff on the Colombian forum today while sick with the flu and thought the peeps needed a thread to ask questions and to compare and contrast these two countries.
Nope, cat not sticking her toes in the Colombian waterways. Might stop by for a visit at some time though.... Because I am busily hatching little cat plans B, C, D and E. Plan B - Puerto Rico, baby! Belongs to the US, no visa required, Medicare ... Read More
Help - Our Reconnaissance Visit by dominickkelly
Hi, My name is Dominick, and my wife Teri and I are travelling to Quito at the end of May to spend two weeks in Ecuador, trying to assess the country (and different areas) as a possible retirement destination. The aim is to establish whether (for ...
We did exactly that. Twice. And decided to take Ecuador off our list. You need to be more specific with your plans, needs, and questions. Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
Anybody here have thoughts, experiences, input on expatting to Argentina? Having nixed Ecuador as a retirement destination, and generally liking south America as a whole, does anyone who posts here have any thoughts about Argentina? Read More
Flight issues
I played around with Gambia-to-Ecuador flight availability. As far as I can tell there is no way you can get to Ecuador without connecting through either Europe or the US. I did find some flights from Lagos Nigeria to south America which did not ... Read More
IESS Health Scandal: Admin. Sacked, El Supremo Addresses the Nation by cccmedia
Here are the latest developments in a matter affecting 2,000 Expats who participate in the EC healthcare program under IESS, plus Serial Expats who have been anticipating enrollment.... The administrator of Ecuador's largest IESS hospital was ...
I read the Cuenca Highlife article and wanted to comment on the new visa situation requiring proof of health insurance for all new visa applicants; years of influx of retirees, and the declining state of Ecuador's healthcare financing. Because ... Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
Bob H ended up back in Phoenix with health problems that he felt were better treated in the US. Good guy. I wish he'd check in from time to time. Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
So Ecuador has 6 hockey players? ;) Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
You illustrate my point. Water supplies in Ecuador range from good in a couple of places, to sketchy, unreliable, variable, unavailable, and floods any time it rains. I'm giving that situation a whole lot of nope. Read More
Colombia or Ecuador? by smithcgc
Hi all, I've been researching a move to either Colombia or Ecuador. Medellin, Cali, Cuenca, Guayaquil. Thus far Ecuador seems to offer a lower COL which makes for a great incentive and other opportunities. It also seems to have more outdoor ...
Singapore Agrees in Substance to FATCA IGA https://www.globaltaxenforcement.com/fatca/singapore-agrees-in-substance-to-fatca-iga/ Singapore Signs IGA on FATCA with the United ... Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
I've done a little digging into northern Arizona too. Really expensive No public transportation at all, give it up. That's car country. The only decent airport in the whole state is in Phoenix, a second tier international airport close to ... Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
I've actually heard a lot of good things about Colombia in the last few years. One of the things I found really attractive about Ecuador was its history and the people that history created. Really nice people. As far as I know Ecuador has ... Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
Well I've been kind of thinking exactly along that line. A big problem for us and south Florida is - we don't have a car, don't want a car, the car thing is just not for us. We haven't owned a car since 2003 and have saved a ... Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
I don't know. I just spent the last 4 years expecting to move to Ecuador and exploring how to make that work. Unfortunately I don't actually have a Plan B so now I'm stranded without any great ideas. Since we've been back I've ... Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there by gardener1
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ...
But what if i feel like identifying as a Dude? ;) Read More
Why we decided not to move to Ecuador after two trips there
Thinking to immigrate, We spent a month in Ecuador in Nov. 2012 - Quito/Cuenca/Manta and other points in between. We spent a month in Ecuador in Jan. 2017 Guayaquil/Cuenca/Montanita and other points in between. We are not moving to Ecuador. The ... Read More
IBARRA by kathy Fitz
I am looking for info on IBARRA it seems like a great balance between Cuenca and Quito I have a 5 year old are there parks etc? Playgrounds? It is beautiful and has a lot to offer I see thanks
Much if not most of Ecuador has been google streetviewed, Including Ibarra. You can drive the google car around and take a look. Doesn't look like any great shakes, but a nice enough tidy well-kept town. I picked a random centralish street ... Read More
Electronic money & will it eventually devalue your dollar? by britmick
I saw the below link/ad on the BBC & wondered if anyone had looked into this new idea & how it will effect the dollar in your pocket &/or bank account? Also it seems that Ecuador is BILLIONS in debt to the Chinese & it's getting ...
@j600rr I may not be in use yet but the table has been set has it not? You're probably heard about the War on Cash. It's here. You may not have been following this story but it's quite an eye opener. On November 8 this year ... Read More
What's the deal with the robberies in Guayaquil? by gardener1
Flying into Guayaquil before moving on to Cuenca, I thought we'd like to look around GYE for a couple of days. Warm, sea level, tropical, sounded appealing to me. I know it's a big city and not a tourist town. But when I started looking ...
Interesting you would say that as the last time we were in Ecuador we spent about 10 days in Manta. Our usual low profile rooms, rode the city bus repeatedly, got lost on the bus as we usually do, a couple of distance buses, took taxis, drank ... Read More
What's the deal with the robberies in Guayaquil? by gardener1
Flying into Guayaquil before moving on to Cuenca, I thought we'd like to look around GYE for a couple of days. Warm, sea level, tropical, sounded appealing to me. I know it's a big city and not a tourist town. But when I started looking ...
Heat and humidity is ok for a couple of days, in fact I would welcome it. It looked fairly tropical and I've been so cold for so many years - sunshine, palm trees, it looked pretty good to me for real. I'm going to be at the airport anyway, ... Read More
What's the deal with the robberies in Guayaquil?
Flying into Guayaquil before moving on to Cuenca, I thought we'd like to look around GYE for a couple of days. Warm, sea level, tropical, sounded appealing to me. I know it's a big city and not a tourist town. But when I started looking ... Read More
Visas in Ecuador by James Caj
I do not know how the other Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices are working, but at least in Azogues all the processes are terribly slow and complicated!!! Big lines to get a ticket to submit your paperwork, I do not know why Cuenca office is not ...
This is not good news. As it happens we are going to be in Cuenca in a couple of weeks and I was going to make an appointment with one well known expat lawyer/facilitator. So I'm interested in not hiring this representative of whom you ... Read More
The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community by Nards Barley
I designate this thread as the unofficial web page for the Cuenca Expat community. I also designate myself as the unoffical spokesperson. It is actually a continuation of my [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224582]non-blog[/url], ...
I talked to James a number of times, he was actually a really upstanding guy with a good grasp of south American legal systems, regulations, bureaucratic ramblings, idiosyncrasies, street dangers, and culture. His dual language abilities were first ... Read More
Immigrants from Venezuela by mugtech
Just read that the national oil company, PDVSA, did not make an interest payment of over $400,000,000 on 11/22/16,. They do have a 30 day window, and supposedly some debt restructuring will free up more cash for interest payments. Since 95% of ...
Venezuela’s Currency Just Had the Biggest Monthly Collapse Ever The ‘strong bolivar’ has lost 45% of its value this ... Read More
Top Checking Accounts for U.S. Expats Living Abroad by Nards Barley
The other day, after noting that Chase bank had charged me $12 service charge for not having maintained the minimum balance I decided to google the phrase used in the subject line in this thread. Of course, If I had a monthly pension deposited in ...
Also I believe that Citibank has two locations in Ecuador, Quito and Guayaquil. Citibank also has a fairly expansive bricks & mortar global presence, including these latin American countries - Argentina Bahamas Barbados Brazil Cayman ... Read More
Hola Cuencanites, we need a room fit for smokers by gardener1
We're going to be in Cuenca approximately December/January and are looking for rooms fit for smokers. Such rooms needs to have a balcony/patio/outdoor access. We're happy to smoke outside, we just need direct access from the actual room to ...
No Airbnb. As I understood when I looked into it a couple of years ago, Airbnb requires an active Facebook account for sign up, or the applicant member can submit a short video of themselves. So, no. Nope, nope, nope. I value what's left of my ... Read More
Hola Cuencanites, we need a room fit for smokers by gardener1
We're going to be in Cuenca approximately December/January and are looking for rooms fit for smokers. Such rooms needs to have a balcony/patio/outdoor access. We're happy to smoke outside, we just need direct access from the actual room to ...
I think some Worcestershire sauce could be arranged...... I remember when we lived in far eastern Europe and we made a trip to Prague. I messaged everyone did they need anything from Czech Rep. and that there was a bagel bakery down the street - I ... Read More
Hola Cuencanites, we need a room fit for smokers by gardener1
We're going to be in Cuenca approximately December/January and are looking for rooms fit for smokers. Such rooms needs to have a balcony/patio/outdoor access. We're happy to smoke outside, we just need direct access from the actual room to ...
Holy luxury Nards, that's a balcony. Pretty sure the Hotel Crespo is wildly out of our budget boundary. We'd probably be more qualified for a mattress out on their back loading dock. :top: @ Dorothy - Thanks! Will send you an email. And ... Read More
Hola Cuencanites, we need a room fit for smokers
We're going to be in Cuenca approximately December/January and are looking for rooms fit for smokers. Such rooms needs to have a balcony/patio/outdoor access. We're happy to smoke outside, we just need direct access from the actual room to ... Read More
Flights from Egypt to Ecuador by mohamedbatisha
Hello there I planned to come to Ecuador for 3 months and I'm having troubles find flights that goes from Egypt to Ecuador that I don't need transit visa on the way there as there is no direct flights from Egypt so some countries like USA ...
I have no idea if you need a transit visa to change planes in Spain. I was guessing not. Do you expect us to do all of your homework for you? And you did not mention the need for round trip either. You gave us little information to work with. ... Read More
Flights from Egypt to Ecuador by mohamedbatisha
Hello there I planned to come to Ecuador for 3 months and I'm having troubles find flights that goes from Egypt to Ecuador that I don't need transit visa on the way there as there is no direct flights from Egypt so some countries like USA ...
I found a bunch of flights from Cairo to Quito, most of them running in the $1,200+ range connecting to south America without transiting through the US. Transiting through Miami seems to be about $300 cheaper, but if it requires for you a transit ... Read More
Wow! Quito in expensive. And know Spanish. by amerexpatteacher
We all hear and read about how inexpensive Ecuador is to live as a retiree. "It's much, much cheaper than in the United States." That's really great marketing. I live in Quito. I carefully look at the prices. Wow! Look at the ...
@amerexpatteacher You must have been gone from the US for a long time. The current Cobra payments for our health insurance in the US is $1,150 per month. That doesn't include any kind of medial treatment or co-pays or prescriptions or ... Read More
Purchasing a Home by joelrobin
We are purchasing a home we found though friends in Ecuador. We are buying the home while in the USA and the Ecuadorian owner also lives in the USA. We have an Ecuadorian price on a well built home in the Vilcabamba area. The owner has requested ...
Here's a google streetview of Vilcabamba. You can drive the google car around town, all 8 streets of it, to see if you like it. This view is about 2 blocks from Parque Central. It's pretty country, not a whole lot there. Drive around and ... Read More
US Banks and expats in Ecuador by mugtech
Read recently that evidently banks in the USA are closing down accounts for US citizens living in Mexico but using a USA address for their mail. The Patriot Act says U S citizens not living in the USA cannot have US bank accounts, but had never ...
Media, since you're having such good customer service in Ecuador from your US banks and brokerage, would you like to share which ones they are? I'm in the market for expat friendly financial services. Read More
Did you know that most of Ecuador is available on Google street view? by gardener1
For people who would like to get a feel for places in Ecuador, you can drive the google car around using google street view. It's pretty neat. As far as I can tell all of the currently available google street view was done before the ...
When I said I drove around Machala - I meant in the google car. :) But yes, the plan is we're coming back to Ecuador in December. Escaping the plastic Chinese manufactured Christmas that has overtaken America like polystyrene jingled ... Read More
Did you know that most of Ecuador is available on Google street view? by gardener1
For people who would like to get a feel for places in Ecuador, you can drive the google car around using google street view. It's pretty neat. As far as I can tell all of the currently available google street view was done before the ...
Nards I remember when you were asking about Machala some time ago. So I drove around Machala. It actually looked nicer than most of the coastal towns. It has a waterfont with some kind of pedestrian cafe promenade, but strangely, there's no one ... Read More
Did you know that most of Ecuador is available on Google street view?
For people who would like to get a feel for places in Ecuador, you can drive the google car around using google street view. It's pretty neat. As far as I can tell all of the currently available google street view was done before the ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
Congratulations johnplov! Well done. :one Manta wasn't much of a tourist destination before the earthquake, and since then the only interesting area of town, the Tarqui, has been largely demolished. Just go to the beach, eat, drink, and be ... Read More
Will The Olympics Survive by Alascana
I found this article today on the Olympics, it has some key points, if you have time to read. it addresses some concerns for the past,present and future. 100 days until Rio 2016: 'It will be a great party, with a garbage legacy' | Sport | ...
Rio resident spots a SEVERED LEG floating in the water just a few miles from Olympics sailing events 15 August 2016 Sailors competing in the Rio Olympics could have bumped in to a severed leg - if a local hadn’t have spotted the body part ... Read More
Will The Olympics Survive by Alascana
I found this article today on the Olympics, it has some key points, if you have time to read. it addresses some concerns for the past,present and future. 100 days until Rio 2016: 'It will be a great party, with a garbage legacy' | Sport | ...
U.S. Swimmer Ryan Lochte Robbed at Gunpoint in Brazil AUG 14 2016, 2:50 PM ET U.S. Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were robbed at gunpoint while in Rio de Janeiro overnight Saturday, NBC News has ... Read More
Ecuador’s Central Bank Pays US$112 Million To Chevron
Jul 25, 2016, 12:21 PM CDT The central bank of Ecuador reports that it has paid Chevron US$112 million as a settlement on a contract dispute dating back forty years. Diego Martinez, head of the bank, confirmed the news on Friday. The sum includes ... Read More
Will The Olympics Survive by Alascana
I found this article today on the Olympics, it has some key points, if you have time to read. it addresses some concerns for the past,present and future. 100 days until Rio 2016: 'It will be a great party, with a garbage legacy' | Sport | ...
Brazil’s Olympic Catastrophe - Can Rio pull off the Games with only weeks to go? JULY 1, 2016 On June 17, fewer than 50 days before the start of the Games, the state of Rio de Janeiro declared a “state of public calamity.” A ... Read More
Will The Olympics Survive by Alascana
I found this article today on the Olympics, it has some key points, if you have time to read. it addresses some concerns for the past,present and future. 100 days until Rio 2016: 'It will be a great party, with a garbage legacy' | Sport | ...
Call for More Rio Security After Paralympic Athletes Robbed Jun 21, 2016 .....A statement from Australian Sailing said Paralympic sailor Liesl Tesch and team official Sarah Ross were confronted by two men while riding their bicycles in Rio park on ... Read More
Las Olas Ecuador development by rastadan
Looking for information regarding the Las Olas Ecuador development near Bahia de Caraquez. Has anyone been on site? How does the project look so far? Please share your impressions of the development plan and any observations you may have.
In response to the recent posts about Las Olas - There is NO golf course. There are NO homes. Reminds me of the medieval philosophical debate about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Read More
Powerful 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Ecuador’s Coast -- Hundreds Are Dead by cccmedia
Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting: An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC’s central coastal region tonight, ...
I PM'd Fall off the Map to see if he would forward me the removed video links. I watched all three of the links and they are exactly as advertised, on-the-ground video of earthquake damage and relief. Less than 2 minutes each. There is no ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
Hurray!! Congratulations! Fabulous. And otherwise, how is life going for you in Cuenca? Read More
Comparison between Belize and Uruaguay by june0627
You are all so knowledgeable. What are your thoughts on Belize and Uraugua. Problem is I cannot visit first. Thank you.
Puerto Cayo is not 1 mile south of Manta. Made that trip on the bus and it took hours. Pretty enough cove but not a paved street in the whole town that I remember. I think most of us would agree, you absolutely should NOT move to a place you have ... Read More
Las Olas Ecuador development by rastadan
Looking for information regarding the Las Olas Ecuador development near Bahia de Caraquez. Has anyone been on site? How does the project look so far? Please share your impressions of the development plan and any observations you may have.
Since there is nothing at Las Olas, apparently no damage was done. But our very thoughtful and well spoken member here may be gone for good. No words can convey my deep sorrow for their losses. ... Read More
Powerful 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Ecuador’s Coast -- Hundreds Are Dead by cccmedia
Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting: An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC’s central coastal region tonight, ...
Published on Gringo Tree April 26, two gringos drive to to the earthquake zone with supplies and to observe conditions in the area. With photos. Their report: DISASTER RELIEF : FIRST HAND OBSERVATIONS AND ... Read More
2016: Does It Make Any Sense For Joel & Robin to Buy a Beach Condo? by cccmedia
Joel and Robin from Kansas City just posted on the New Members thread. They want to rent and eventually buy a condo at the Ecuador oceanfront. Frankly, given the events of the last two months, I would counsel anybody [b]to rent only, not buy[/b] ...
cccmedia, I wonder if you have any handy references for "historically-dangerous earthquake zones" on the coast? A casual look around gives Bahia numerous big quakes. Manta several. It looks to me like the area between the Colombia border ... Read More
2016: Does It Make Any Sense For Joel & Robin to Buy a Beach Condo? by cccmedia
Joel and Robin from Kansas City just posted on the New Members thread. They want to rent and eventually buy a condo at the Ecuador oceanfront. Frankly, given the events of the last two months, I would counsel anybody [b]to rent only, not buy[/b] ...
I saw a photo on twitter today of a wrecked beach house that had a real gringo look to it. A stand alone 2-story, lots of sliding glass doors onto balconies, new construction. Shaken, broken, and leaning. My first thought was that it's a total ... Read More
Powerful 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Ecuador’s Coast -- Hundreds Are Dead by cccmedia
Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting: An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC’s central coastal region tonight, ...
In Ecuador there are local collection points for needed supplies. Perhaps for you in Portland this information might be more useful. Copy & pasted with Chrome translate: Ecuador's foreign ministry has opened bank accounts, one in the ... Read More
Powerful 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Ecuador’s Coast -- Hundreds Are Dead by cccmedia
Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting: An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC’s central coastal region tonight, ...
I've been on the internet/Twitter for many hours, the sun is starting to come up in Ecuador. Manta looks wrecked. Really bad. Staggering damage in an area which does not have the resources to deal with this. I've been reading tweets ... Read More
Powerful 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Ecuador’s Coast -- Hundreds Are Dead by cccmedia
Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting: An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC’s central coastal region tonight, ...
At the moment the most updates are on Twitter. "All mobile operators have opened using free text messages in the provinces of Manabi and ... Read More
Powerful 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Ecuador’s Coast -- Hundreds Are Dead by cccmedia
Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting: An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC’s central coastal region tonight, ...
According to a couple of things I've seen, the airport in Manta is closed. Air control tower collapsed. Read More
Traveling to EU with a dog by flowtec9000
Dear all, now, this is a really serious issue for me. I have adopted a dog while living here in Brazil. Back then, I asked my veterinarian whether there will be any difficulties when returning with her to the EU. This veterinarian is, ...
I don't know if the chip has an implant date, but I doubt it. Talk to your vet, get the chipping done, explain the issue with the lab tests, and find a work around for the documentation. I can't imagine why he wouldn't be able to ... Read More
Traveling to EU with a dog by flowtec9000
Dear all, now, this is a really serious issue for me. I have adopted a dog while living here in Brazil. Back then, I asked my veterinarian whether there will be any difficulties when returning with her to the EU. This veterinarian is, ...
So I read your post thoroughly at least 4 times, and it seems to me right now that your biggest problem is the lack of a chip, and the lab testing business is actually a lesser problem. It sounds like your dog has been to the vet in Brazil and ... Read More
Las Olas Ecuador development by rastadan
Looking for information regarding the Las Olas Ecuador development near Bahia de Caraquez. Has anyone been on site? How does the project look so far? Please share your impressions of the development plan and any observations you may have.
I believe it is worth pointing out that member grammajan has five posts on this forum, all of them in this thread. And all of them praising the developers of Las Olas. Until yesterday, grammajan's last post was two and a half years ago, 06 ... Read More
Las Olas Ecuador development by rastadan
Looking for information regarding the Las Olas Ecuador development near Bahia de Caraquez. Has anyone been on site? How does the project look so far? Please share your impressions of the development plan and any observations you may have.
You might better ask what are the probabilities of a long term dependable water supply. Read More
Answer a few questions for a thesis?
I often see students on the internet using Survey Monkey, it is much easier for the user than typing out responses to posts like yours. Free package includes 10 questions. https://www.surveymonkey.com/ Read More
Brazil Rousseff: Impeachment process opens against president by spanishpete
Will they get her Brazil Rousseff: Impeachment process opens against president from the BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34990455
You're in Rio, James how was that? I can't even imagine a protest by more than a million people in the streets. Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
Brew + Life is good; it's the best possible reply. :) I'm thrilled for your successful venture. (So you got the visa?) Thanks for all the good info you have posted over the past year, keep it up - and congratulations on making it all a ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
Good on you! Well done. Keep us posted. How are you liking Cuenca so far? You found a residence? Read More
Bugs in Cuenca by MikeGB
Sometime ago and before I came to live in Cuenca, I had read various logs stating that Cuenca seemed to have very few bugs. I guess these comments are relative to where you are from. But I can assure you there are bugs in Cuenca. I have lived in ...
No worries, all bugs are fair game! Bug hate is a global phenomena. We all hate bugs everywhere! Bugs need to be gone- I hate bugs! Walking down the sidewalk in downtown Cuenca when we were exploring, I looked down at the pavement and saw the ... Read More
House Hunters International, Ecuador - on HGTV by gardener1
I like this show (guilty pleasure) There was just a new episode aired tonight about a couple moving to the Esmereldas. Their budget was $300. Interesting episode and some unusually down-to-earth ...
@Sawman - I saw an HHI episode filmed in Crucita a few months back. Our expat retirees didn't seem especially savvy, but you never know, and I've read the shows are heavily scripted (no surprise there). They were shown one new condo, I ... Read More
USA CITIZENS AND INCOME TAXES by mugtech
There are some new income tax laws for 2014 which are confusing and have some rude surprises. I checked out two e-filing programs, neither of which is Turbo Tax, and found that the default is that you are not covered by ACA health insurance and ...
But reading through our redditor's post, it sounds like that person is NOT married to a native citizen and so has no opportunity to route the foreign banking through any spouse's name. Therefore exposing the US expat redditor to revealing ... Read More
USA CITIZENS AND INCOME TAXES by mugtech
There are some new income tax laws for 2014 which are confusing and have some rude surprises. I checked out two e-filing programs, neither of which is Turbo Tax, and found that the default is that you are not covered by ACA health insurance and ...
Agreed. But in order to open a foreign bank account in a foreign country where an expat may live - that US expat must identify to that foreign bank their US Social Security Number si? Then the expat must deal with all the plethora of IRS forms, ... Read More