The unofficial web site of the Quito Expat community

This non-blog on Quito was sorely needed.  I look forward to countless comments and thousands of page views.. Of course the moderators may want to classify the location as Quito instead of Ecuador.

Well done, ccc. Nards has a bit of a head start, but I'm sure Quito will catch up.

BobH wrote:

Well done, ccc. Nards has a bit of a head start, but I'm sure Quito will catch up.

Taking bets on what year that will happen?

... moved to the Quito forum

Julien wrote:

... moved to the Quito forum

What a move!!

a quick move indeed ... before a 11,000 kms flight   

At 9,350 feet above sea level, Quito is the highest national capital in the world.  Visitors are advised to take it easy upon arrival to adjust, especially in walking up steps or the city's hillsides.

A game-show contestant on "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" once challenged Quito's supremacy.  He tried to sue ABC-TV to get back on the program after incorrectly identifying Kathmandu, Nepal, as the highest capital, and thus losing a $16,000 question.  That city is only half the height of Quito.

The contention was that La Paz, Bolivia, at 11,943 feet is higher than Quito and thus the quiz show question was bad.  La Paz had not been listed as one of the choices, which were Quito, Mexico City, Bogota (Colombia), and Kathmandu.

However, La Paz -- which is home to most of Bolivia's government departments -- is not the official capital of Bolivia.

Sucre is.  However, at 9,214 feet, it's 136 feet lower than Quito.

(altitudes courtesy of Wikipedia)

cccmedia in Quito

I say La Paz, but I'm a born contrarian.

A small group of us toured Ecuador's beautiful presidential palace, Carondelet, last weekend in Centro Historico.

Photography is allowed on palace tours.  You have to leave your ID with a guard during the 45-minute tour.

Two full-dress military guards stand on elevated mini-platforms on either side of the inner entrance.  It's reminiscent of Buckingham Palace, only the hats are smaller.  The courtyard at the front has large paintings from contemporary artists on view, and we were told they're for sale.  No price tags were evident.

Key rooms to view included the cabinet room and a room where portraits of all the previous presidentes now hang with small signage indicating the dates of their terms.  Interestingly, Presidente Ibarra served multiple, non-consecutive terms -- and was in office during parts of the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's.  His last year was 1970.

During the tour, it was confirmed that the appearance of the famous Ecuadorian clown "Tiko Tiko" during one of Presidente Correa's recent addresses to the nation was unusual.  The video of that appearance produced the international dust-up between El Presidente and a British comedy-show host via emails and television.

El Supremo was actually giving his weekly broadcast address during our tour, but the tour guide said she did not know from where the speech was originating.  It is widely known that he and his wife live in a private house miles from the palace grounds.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

During the tour, it was confirmed that the appearance of the famous Ecuadorian clown "Tiko Tiko" during one of Presidente Correa's recent addresses to the nation was unusual.

It was unusual because most clowns do not like to compete with other clowns.

Expat Meet & Greet 13:00 WED 04 MAR 2015 N. Quito- Mitad del Mundo-
We look forward to seeing you all at Middle of the World- San Antonio de Pichincha once again for our 2nd. annual Meet & Greet @ 13:00 WED 04 MAR 2015 at Vicente's Restaurant:

VICENTE´S: Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana en La Mitad del Mundo: http://www.restaurantevicentes.com/
All are welkome that can make it.  I will also post in the various expat social media sites.

Located: RESTAURANTE VICENTE´S: Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana en La Mitad del Mundo
Av. Equinoccial #954, San Antonio de Pichincha, Quito - Ecuador - Reservaciones: 02-398-8554

Just 4 blocks down the hill East of the Middle of the World Park Monument and the new UNASUR - The Union of South American Nations- $42million Cantilever building.

San Antonio has changed dramatically for the better over the past year, Come See us?

{If CCCMedia can make a special guest appearance, it would be much appreciated?}   

All the Best,
Journeyman Jack
Y
Andrea

[email protected]
see Ecuador: http://JourneymanJack.com/

toll free from U.S. & Canada:
770-828-7913,
Ecuador Off: 02-349-0348,
Claro: 098-806-6508,
Movistar: 098-743-3009,
"skype" user name: "Jack.Abercrombie"

journeymanjack wrote:

San Antonio has changed dramatically for the better over the past year,

As the Spurs prepare to depend their NBA title.

journeymanjack wrote:

Expat Meet & Greet 13:00 WED 04 MAR...Mitad del Mundo-
We look forward to seeing you all at Middle of the World.

Top Discoveries from today´s informal Expat gathering at Mitad del Mundo...

  It took over 70 minutes of actual bus riding time from centro Quito, with just one transfer at Ofelia bus terminal, to get to Mitad del Mundo, even though the Equator is supposedly only 15 miles from the capital.

  Despite lower elevation than Quito, on this day Mital del Mundo felt cooler than the capital, partly due to plentiful breezes.

  The commercial area of the town, which is San Antonio de Pichincha, is practically across the street from the Mitad del Mundo grounds.

  Lunchtime conversation...Expat Jon Byrd from the Carolinas told about his meeting in remote southern Ecuador near Peru with a local community leader who approached peacefully carrying a spear.  This community is living without modern comforts, said John, in a lifestyle dating back thousands of years, and apparently could be reached now by outsiders only by canoe.

  On the apparent  ¨main drag,¨ Avenida Equinoccial, I saw no indication in my half kilometer walk up the hill toward the monument grounds that we were just a stone´s throw from straddling two hemispheres.

  Lunchtime conversation...A retired federal agent (U.S. Department of Justice) said he was so fearful of his special agent in charge, ¨Roy,¨ that he decided not to tell Roy he needed a tow during a weather emergency in Alaska.  Instead, this current Expat asked some folks informally if they could assist an ex military man in getting his car unstuck from high snow.  Finally, after four hours in the cold, five teenage girls in military uniforms marched up to his car, the last one stating her team motto...¨Girl Power.¨

  And the number one discovery at today´s Expat luncheon at Mitad del Mundo...

  Lemonade and mora juice make an outstanding combination. Thank you, Journeyman Jack.

cccmedia, back in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

Lemonade and mora juice make an outstanding combination. Thank you, Journeyman Jack.

While Jack and I were polishing off his last pitcher of lemonade at the Mitad del Mundo Expat conclave, back in Quito a teenage geek was working on my Toshiba computer and its "not genuine" Windows system.

I had hesitated to bring the laptop PC in for repairs based on my two repairs experiences of last year.  By the time the repair shop had done and re-done their first repair, they had erased my files twice, installed the non-genuine operating system, and somehow eliminated my ability to type the letter Z, the question mark (?) and the forward-slash key.

So I decided this time to try Compunex, a sales and repair shop that I had passed many times on the Avenida América bus line in Quito.

It turns out that the shop is operated in the afternoons by a 16-year-old geek.  He may or may not be a student at the enormous campus of the nearby schools Colegio Mejia and Instituto Nacional Mejia.

While I was sipping limonada con mora along the Equator line, this "joven" was in Quito re-doing my computer.  He put in a new keyboard (with Spanish-language options and the letter Z, etc.), replaced the OS with genuine Windows software and fixed up a broken part of the outer casing.

The laptop is now running quicker, I can move the screen better and -- starting with this post -- can add tildes and accent marks here and at the "español for Gringos" thread, using the "Spanish (Ecuador)" option of the new keyboard.

With the return of the question mark and the slash (/), I can now make my questions look like questions, and possibly even provide "links," which typically contain multiple slashes.

That young geek is my hero.

cccmedia in Quito

Compunex, Avenida América y Rio de Janeiro, Quito.
Total cost of repairs and new keyboard was $65.

AH yes, the previous lack of links question is solved.

Thank You Sooo Much for coming out Cccmedia, it was very nice to finally meet You Sirrr..

looking to see more of Ecuador this summer, going to shoot over from Colombia. Always willing to work long hours in return for a cheap place. Just a fellow traveler. Cheers. From Durham N.C.
Also looking for a JON BYRD, we met at work years ago and I was hoping to reconnect and check out his farm if anyone has any leads.

enginedown89 wrote:

looking to see more of Ecuador this summer....Always willing to work long hours in return for a cheap place. Just a fellow traveler. Cheers. From Durham N.C....
looking for a JON BYRD, we met at work years ago and I was hoping to reconnect and check out his farm if anyone has any leads.

Best lead may be Journeyman Jack via PM (Expat.com personal message), who organized the Expats meeting held at Mitad del Mundo last month, attended by Jon.  (See reports #12 and 14 of this thread.)

Carolinian Jon Byrd was back in the Quito area after his adventure encountering a spear-carrying tribal leader and his entourage in remotest southern Ecuador.

By the way, enginedown, students of American history are aware that even in some of the latest dictionaries, the first definition* of
fellow traveler is:  one who sympathizes with the Communist party.

You may wish to discontinue using that phrase to describe yourself...unless, of course, you are one who sympathizes with the Communist party.

cccmedia in Quito

*This was a pet phrase of Senator Joseph McCarthy
(R-Wisconsin) during his Commie-hunting heyday in the
1950's "Cold War" era.

Quito's taxi drivers are getting their first fare increase in a dozen years.

The minimum fare during daylight hours jumps from $1.00 to $1.45 as approved by the metropolitan council.  Thousands of taximetros are being recalibrated this month to reflect the increase.

The taxistas' union chief says meters will now be used round-the-clock as part of the agreement, with the nighttime minimum fare newly re-set at $1.75. 

Will the taxistas comply with the 24-hour metered plan -- who knows?  For many years, virtually all the Quito drivers have been turning off their meters at night in favor of higher and/or negotiated fares.

According to dayinquito.com, a website run by an Expat real-estate business owner, the new fares amount to an overall 40 percent increase.

Riders will notice that the taximetros will show a starting fare of 50 centavos, 15 centavos higher than previously.  Regardless, $1.45 will be the minimum fare for short daytime trips.

The new rates are 50 centavos/kilómetro (about 2/3 of a mile) and 10 centavos per minute of waiting time.

cccmedia in Quito

sources:  La Hora, dayinquito.com

My taxi driver yesterday said there are long lines of drivers where they calibrate the taximetros.  He was negotiating the daytime fare with me  rather than using his still-to-be-calibrated device.

Apparently, his strategy is to keep his taximetro turned off and negotiate daytime fares, until he hears that the lines at the calibration venue have shortened.  This gives him more income in the meantime and reduced waiting-time down the line.

For most Expats using Quito taxis, this probably means higher daytime fares in the interim.

cccmedia in Quito

Ccmedia,
Do you know if there is a taco bell in quito?

Haven't been to either of these two (and I don't anticipate going even if in the neighborhood...), but here they are:

https://foursquare.com/v/taco-bell/4ded … 79de41851c

and

https://foursquare.com/v/taco-bell/4e44 … bcf6701ebf

Tip for this last link, which is very close to where I used to live in Quito:  "No pedir el extra guacamole... Es muy poco para $0,75".  You have been warned.

Brother Archer's first listing is for a Taco Bell in the Mall El Jardín, a major shopping mall near Amazonas and Avenida la República, just north of the Avenida.  www.malleljardin.com.ec

If you're in the Mariscal sector, you might prefer the El Mariachi Taco Factory restaurante, at Foch y Juan Leon Mera.  It's one of the few restaurants in Quito that features a night-time outdoor greeter -- The Mariachi himself, a friendly guy who stands in front of the place in a big sombrero and Mariachi costume.

Soy un hombre muy honrado que me gusta lo mejor...
A mujeres no me faltan, ni al dinero ni amor.
      -- Canción del Mariachi

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

Brother Archer's first listing is for a Taco Bell in the Mall El Jardín, a major shopping mall near Amazonas and Avenida la República, just north of the Avenida.  www.malleljardin.com.ec

If you're in the Mariscal sector, you might prefer the Mariachi Factory Restaurante, at Foch y Juan Leon Mera.  It's one of the few restaurants in Quito that features a night-time outdoor greeter -- The Mariachi himself, a friendly guy who stands in front of the place in a big sombrero and Mariachi costume.

Soy un hombre muy honrado que me gusta lo mejor...
A mujeres no me faltan, ni al dinero ni amor.
      -- Canción del Mariachi

cccmedia in Quito

I was hoping you were a fast food junkie ccmedia and you had actually been to one in quito. I have some doubt about whether there is  actually one in that mall, if for no other reason I was led astray by a different website which led me to a pizza hut, which is a sister company of taco bell. I tried going to that mall tonight, but they had already closed. Next time,......

I went to Mall Jardin last year hoping to find the alleged Taco Bell, but, alas, it was not there. Nor did I find one anywhere else that I was told about.

As you surmised, Nards, I have not patronized a Taco Bell at Mall El Jardín, namely the listing that Bro. Archer supplied.

That's why I encourage you to eat at the El Mariachi Taco Factory.  I know that place is for real.

Although I haven't eaten there for a while, my recollection is that the food was fine.  The location is convenient -- in the heart of Quito's Gringolandia.

Buen provecho.

cccmedia in Quito

I failed to find a Taco bell in Quito and doubt if one exists there.   While looking for it I did snap the following photo to document my presence in Quito.

Nards Barley wrote:

I failed to find a Taco bell in Quito and doubt if one exists there.   While looking for it I did snap the following photo to document my presence in Quito.

Thanks for posting the photo, Nards.

However, there appears to be some question as to whether it is 'proof positive' of your presence in the capital.

We do consider the earlier photo you posted, Nards Barley and Police Patrol Surveying the Ecuadorian Beaches, to be proof positive that you were at the beach. 

cccmedia in Quito

...

fair point. I thought of having my mule take a photo of me in front of the "Foch Yeah" sign at Foch Square, but didn´t bother.

cccmedia wrote:

We do consider the earlier photo you posted, Nards Barley and Police Patrol Surveying the Ecuadorian Beaches, to be proof positive that you were at the beach.

Nards and other visitors to Quito can pack their swimsuits when coming to the capital.

I just found out today that my regular swim place, Academía Natación Valencia, has expanded its hours to accomodate the public until 4 p.m.  For a while there, public swimming for adults was allowed only from 9 until Noon (Mon-Thurs) at this large indoor pool.

Kids swamp the place after school, but on a day such as today, it was quiet during the school hours -- with just a handful of mostly young adults during my swim time in the 11 a.m. hour.  The place features lane swimming with about seven lanes in all.

Curious fact:  At Valencia -- and possibly other swimming venues -- males and females share the same dressing-and-locker-room sala. You change in changing-booths off to the side of the main sala.

cccmedia in Quito

This pool is located at Ríofrío and Venezuela at the north end of Centro Histórico.  Daily admission for adults is $3.00.  Bring towel, swim cap and flipflops.  Locks/lockers are provided at no additional charge.

cccmedia wrote:

Quito's taxi drivers are getting their first fare increase in a dozen years....

According to dayinquito.com, a website run by an Expat real-estate business owner, the new fares amount to an overall 40 percent increase.

Riders will notice that the taximetros will show a starting fare of 50 centavos, 15 centavos higher than previously.

The drivers have had time to get their meters re-calibrated and I took my first two rides with the taximetros in operation this weekend.

Based on those trips, it's clear to me that the Expat's prediction of 40 percent fare increases is incorrect.

I rode from my neighborhood in Centro Histórico to the heart of Gringolandia for $2.40, about 30 centavos more than I'd have expected in the past.

I rode from the Nacionas Unidas shopping district back to El Centro -- BobH's old route -- for $3.97.  That was also only a few percent higher than I would have expected in the past.  This was on a Sunday with minimal traffic.  I took the same basic trip today, Monday, with plenty of waiting time at intersections, and the fare was $4.60.

Yes, the minimum fare rose 45 percent this month to $1.45.  But that's for the shortest of trips.  For trips over $2, it appears the increase in fares is modest.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

The taxistas' union chief says meters will now be used round-the-clock as part of the agreement, with the nighttime minimum fare newly re-set at $1.75.... 

Will the taxistas comply with the 24-hour metered plan -- who knows?  For many years, virtually all the Quito drivers have been turning off their meters at night in favor of higher and/or negotiated fares.

As I expected, Quito's nighttime drivers want no part of the supposed 24-hour-meter-use plan which their union approved.

After dark, most drivers I've been encountering say the fare is dependent on the traffic...or their meter is not in operation...or some excuse for not accepting less than they were used to being paid.

The reasons they won't abide by the new "rules" are easy to figure:

  -- This was supposed to be their first fare increase in a dozen years.  So how does that fit with accepting $1.75 for short trips at night, which is lower than anything they've negotiated with customers during those years?

-- Ten centavos a minute for sitting in traffic on Garcia Moreno at 8 p.m.  Are you kidding me?

  -- Nobody with enforcement power is monitoring these stupid rules, so why should I settle for lower fares than before if there's no risk in ignoring the rules?

cccmedia in Quito

Quickie Quito Question:

Anyone have any info on a restaurant called Honey Honey?
It was listed as a meeting place in the book The Law of the Jungle

The Taco Bell search became more difficult here in Allentown, the one on Union Blvd on the way to Coca Cola Park shut down, while across the street a Dominican restaurant opened.  Any Dominican restaurants in Quito?

Honey Honey, aka Honey & Honey, is a popular café/pastry shop in north Quito at Portugal and Eloy Alfaro, near the Olympic Stadium, Escuela Benalcazar and MegaMaxi 6 de Diciembre.

Some reviews are available at the TripAdvisor website.

There are plenty of Dominicans at the large Las Dominicanas hair salon, Amazonas and Wilson in the heart of Gringolandia.  If there is a Dominican restaurant in the sector, one could inquire at the salon as the helpful staff would know about it.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

There are plenty of Dominicans at the large Las Dominicanas hair salon, Amazonas and Wilson in the heart of Gringolandia.  If there is a Dominican restaurant in the sector, one could inquire at the salon as the helpful staff would know about it.

cccmedia in Quito

When I lived in Quito I was surprised at the ethic diversity from other countries, including from West Africa.  Honey Honey was a great place to buy coffee and sweets. (Not that it still isn't, just haven't lived in Quito for almost five years.)

cccmedia wrote:

I rode from the Nacionas Unidas shopping district back to El Centro -- BobH's old route -- for $3.97.  That was also only a few percent higher than I would have expected in the past.  This was on a Sunday with minimal traffic.  I took the same basic trip today, Monday, with plenty of waiting time at intersections, and the fare was $4.60.

Yes, the minimum fare rose 45 percent this month to $1.45.  But that's for the shortest of trips.  For trips over $2, it appears the increase in fares is modest.

I missed this when you posted it several weeks ago. I agree that that not up a lot -- I recall that the metered fare was generally about $3.00-$3.50. Occasionally, I had drivers demand four or even five bucks (and, if desperate enough, I paid it).

cccmedia wrote:

Honey Honey, aka Honey & Honey, is a popular café/pastry shop in north Quito at Portugal and Eloy Alfaro, near the Olympic Stadium, Escuela Benalcazar and MegaMaxi 6 de Diciembre.

Some reviews are available at the TripAdvisor website.

There are plenty of Dominicans at the large Las Dominicanas hair salon, Amazonas and Wilson in the heart of Gringolandia.  If there is a Dominican restaurant in the sector, one could inquire at the salon as the helpful staff would know about it.

cccmedia in Quito

Thank you
Thank you very much

Moving to Quito?  Here's a tip based on my personal experience.  It probably applies in many other cities, too.

Don't take an apartment on a bus route.

It may not be apparent at the outset, but hundreds of less-than-state-of-the-art buses go by such places, including my second-floor condo outside of which buses chug up Calle Oriente seven days a week.

I have gotten
used to bus noise, especially with my noise-proofing windows set-up.

But the pollution is another matter.  And don't let our visiting professor from Salinas tell you different:  many Quito buses are not properly outfitted and maintained to produce minimal pollution.

In my case, my rule is not to open my kitchen or bedroom windows except at night after a rainy day that might have cleared out the remains of the day's bus fumes.

cccmedia in Quito