Ecuador Mailbag

Jim and Bonnie debuted today on the intro's thread.

They are prospective retirees living in Tampa, Florida, whose kids are grown and who have been considering a new adventure moving to Latin America or Southern Europe with their "two pups."

They put money down on a home in the Dominican Republic, but that didn't work out when the builder didn't qualify at the bank.

Due to work schedules they are coming to Ecuador only for a week (Manta) and plan to cram as much as they can into that period. 

Jim and Bonnie enjoy scuba and motorcycling, so Coastal Ecuador might be a great destination for them.

----

Having the Dominican deal fall through may have been a stroke of luck.  Usually, the foremost rule for new arrivals in this region is to live in the target area for at least a year before considering a purchase.

The Ecuadorian coast is long and there are many micro-climates along the Pacific Ocean.  Consider making some day-trips from Manta to sample other communities.  Cramming is probably not conducive to the Coastal lifestyle, so don't think you have to rush it.

cccmedia

Good morning! Thank you for your comments. The 1 week initial visit is more or less just to get a flavor. It by no means, means we are buying anything during that week. We had visited the D.R. many times and have friends who have lived there for years. So we felt that our due diligence was expedited there.
Our 1st step for looking at Ecuador has been mega research online for every topic imaginable during "lock-down". The 2nd step is for an initial visit for a week to see if the "boxes remain checked". We realize that there is no place in the world that will "check off all of the boxes" for everyone. But at this point, the checked boxes are more complete in Ecuador than in any of the other countries we have considered. This research has taken place over the last 5 years. Several of the countries have had the same level of online research as well as at least an initial visit. I have also had some additional opportunity to visit many parts of the world in my role as a ships' master in the Merchant Marines.
I would like to point out - we both still work. So the initial week is all of the time we can take off at any given time. We anticipate working for at least another year before any move anywhere. The term "cramming" is intended to mean that we will visit as many communities as we can, see a few attractions, meet and talk to ex-pats, and take as many notes as we can. This will at least give us more knowledge before we even consider a 3rd step.

Yes, we are planning on taking your advice and will spend several days looking at other communities (Cotacachi to name one).

We welcome any views, comments and or suggestions from anyone who would care to share them with us. We anticipate mid April as our targeted visit to Ecuador. Again, Thank you and have a great day!

Jim

Thanks for the mention!

I have a few questions for the older expats in Cuenca: Is it more difficult to control your blood pressure up there? Did it rise when you guys arrived? Has it stabilized since then? Don't you find all that rain depressing, or even a hazard when you're walking?

Also, do any of you guys have Ecuasanitas? How good are the Ecuasanitas-affiliated hospitals in Cuenca? Here in Guayaquil we have Hospital Alcívar, with very good surgeons. I don't know how it is in Cuenca.

I also would like to know what you guys think about Ambato.

I have only had short visits to both places. Ironically, my trips out of Ecuador have been much longer than those inside Ecuador.

Dear Gantorig,

The higher altitudes of Ecuador affect individual Expats differently.

To understand how they may affect you, monitor yourself on your next visit to higher elevations.

cccmedia

I have sleep apnea treated with CPAP. When I go up to elevations as high as Cuenca or Quito, my apnea gets much worse for 2 or 3 nights and then starts to normalize (based on numbers). I have a BP monitor but haven't used it at high altitude.

How Ecuador changes an Expat.

It's not only altitude that affects or changes an Expat.

Cleveland-to-Quito Expat Dom Buonamici has identified 14 changes he has personally experienced -- and not for the better -- since moving to Ecuador about eight years ago.

Now, when he travels to North America, he feels "entitled" -- it disturbs him that he has to pump his own gas or clear his refuse after finishing a meal at a counter-service restaurant.

His driving has worsened.  In North America, he finds himself more or less swerving between lanes, which bothers other drivers.

His eating habits have changed.  He can now be satisfied by eating a plate of rice and plantain.  He stopped eating pork after seeing how pigs are treated in Ecuador pig pens.

Search at YouTube.com....
          14 ways I've changed since ecuador

cccmedia wrote:

Dom Buonamici has identified 14 changes he has personally experienced -- and not for the better -- since moving to Ecuador about eight years ago....

His eating habits have changed.  He can now be satisfied by eating a plate of rice and plantain.

I don't recommend getting used to relying on the starchy foods that feature so prominently in dishes cooked at 'restaurantes típicos' in Ecuador.  After consulting with a USA nutrition expert on a trip there last year, I have been especially aware of my starch intake.

Now, in Quito restaurants, when I see the 'acompañantes' listed on a 'plato fuerte' menu item, I ask for substitutions.  Usually I asked for cooked veggies instead of rice, 'plátano', taters and other starches.

"Por favor, en lugar de plátano y papa, quisiera pedir una doble porción de vegetales cocidos."

Please, instead of plantain and potato, I'd like to order a double portion of cooked vegetables.

---

These substitution requests will not work at some of the two-dollars-a-plate eateries in South America.  The staff at some lowbrow places will listen to the request and pretend they didn't hear it, regardless of what language was employed or how clear was the 'pedido'.

cccmedia in Quito

New member Melcooke wrote in to the 'self-intros' thread earlier this month, trying to game the rental market for a one-month stay in Otavalo.

We've been looking at AirBnB but have heard that better deals are to be had locally, said Mel.

--

AirBnB and similar sites (rental by owner) are probably the best bet.

Owners approached locally are unlikely to lower their prices substantially on a furnished unit for such a short rental.  In fact, the opposite may be true in some places.

Naturally, there may be exceptions to any scenario.

AirBnB owners often offer substantial discounts on stays of 28 days or more.  (However, the refund policy is slanted against the renter in many cases if the unit has been reserved for 28 days or more .. and the renter doesn't want to stay the full term.)

An advantage of AirBnB is that the unit can be occupied immediately upon arrival in the destination city or town.  If looking for a rental in person, it may take a couple of days or more to find a discounted deal while the prospective renter is staying at a hotel or a shared-room hostel.

cccmedia in Quito

Female seeks her ideal location in Ecuador.

Golda, who has lived in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, wrote on the self-intro thread that she has landed in San Clemente, on the Ecuadorian coast.

She wants to know a good place in Ecuador for (a) not too much rain .. (b) safe for a solo female .. and (c) good for volunteering and connecting with the Ecuadorian community.

---

I reckon that Golda is a candidate for moving to Cuenca.

It's outstanding for criteria (b) and (c).  In fact, Cuenca is a world-class venue for Expat relocation.

Checking Wikipedia on the rain difference between Cuenca and Vancouver, we see that Cuenca gets 34.5 inches of rain annually on average, about ten inches fewer than in Vancouver.  However, a perfect comparison is not possible because Cuenca typically gets no snow, while Vancouver does have snowfall during the coldest months of the year.

cccmedia in Quito

Se nota que:  Three of the four most recent posters on the

new-members introductions thread -- Wendy, Mick and

Listening -- are particularly interested in moving to Cuenca.

María is the fourth new member.  When she posted in

early August, she said she is open to input

about which city or location to choose in Ecuador.

---

Cuenca is a relatively safe city and so is usually a

viable choice for single women moving to La República.

It gets a bit chilly there and gets more rain than some

Expats prefer.

Cuenca is at a disadvantage for international travelers

such as María, who said she was seeking a base for travel

to other parts of South America.  To get to Cuenca from

North America, it's necessary to fly into one of the two

international airports in Quito or Guayaquil.  The next

connecting flight to Cuenca may not be until the

day after arrival in the larger cities.

Guayaquil has a hot climate and has recently been

ranked among the 50 most dangerous cities in

the world.  So most Expat arrivals rule it out in favor

of Quito, Cuenca, Cotacachi, Vilcabamba, the

Quito suburbs, Manta, Bahía de Caráquez or

other coastal locations.

From Quito's new (2013) international airport

north of the city, one can fly non-stop to other

South American capitals.  Flights to Lima, Peru ..

Panama City .. and Bogotá, Colombia, are

easy peasy.

To fly to other popular cities in Colombia generally

requires a change of planes at the major hub of

Bogotá, the capital.  The airport there is so enormous

and complex that I recommend scheduling

at least a 90-minute window for connecting.

cccmedia

Shoe-string budget and will need a phone.

Matthew Levine writes on the self-intro pages

that he's Expating to Vilcababama in early

October with no nest egg and a small

SSA pension.

He wants to save money on a phone.

----

Fancy phones are not recommended for

new arrivals, Matthew.  In the 'dar papaya;

culture, South American Expats who use

such a phone in public are considered

targets for theft.

I'm in my tenth year living in these parts

and have never had more than an

inexpensive flip phone for phoning.

(I do have a couple of laptops.)

So buy a flipper for thirty-five bucks ..

and buy minutes as needed from

one of the many convenience stores

and other locations that sell minutes.

Choose a provider such as Claro or

Movistar.

If you post here again, please tell us

the type of visa you are getting.

I'm guessing it's the professional visa.

cccmedia in Quito

@cccmedia

My first question to ML would be, does he own a phone already? My assumption is yes. Then there is the question of whether it is unlocked.

As far as flipper phones, while not a bad idea for carrying around in public, he undoubtedly is accustomed to having a smart phone and the convenience and utility that it offers.  And if he can afford to lose a $35 flipper, he is most likely able to afford losing a $150 Android model.

Changin' chips.

It can be quite inexpensive to change chips in

order to have a working phone when traveling.

When I arrived in Medellín, Colombia, this year,

chip replacement was not available at

the big San Diego mall.

I was directed to center city where some shops

offered the chip-change service.

I paid $1.50 US at the shop where the chip

was replaced, and received a Colombia

phone number in the bargain.

You can usually keep the original chip and

thus have an Ecuador phone number as well

when the Ecuador chip is in place.

I like to affix the phone numbers to the

back of my 'celu' for easy reference.

Claro has been a reliable service provider

in South America.

cccmedia in Quito

While Mathew seems more "prepago"  rather than "pospago", pospago folks who are part of the CAN (Ecuador, Colombia, Perú, Bolivia)  can apparently take advantage of bordering hopping between these countries without being subject to roaming charges. I believe you have to go to your local cellphone service provider to activate this feature before your trip.  I assume this may mean there is no need to swap out chips.

proveedores aplicarán las mismas condiciones tarifarias locales a los servicios de roaming internacional de llamadas salientes, servicio de mensaje corto (SMS, por sus siglas en inglés) salientes y en el uso de datos móviles. Precisando que los mensajes de SMS y llamadas entrantes no estarán sujetos a tarifa, por tanto, son gratuitos.

Since I am "prepago" guy all the way, if I become an Ecuador-Colombia-Ecuador traveler some day, I would use my dual sim phone to store both the Colombia and Ecuador chips. I think in Ecuador, you can keep your phone number up to a year without any activity.

"Since I am a 'prepago' guy all the way...."

---

Obviously we're talking pre-paid phone time here,

so the meaning of the phrase in context quickly

becomes evident.

However, most Gringos probably should not

get in the habit of calling themselves 'prepago' guys

since 'prepago' in Latin America is a

synonym for hooker.

cccmedia

What follows a prepago? A recarga.

While "recarga" usually refers to adding money to your account for your cellphone that is of the type "prepago", I was told by a waitress many years ago that I can use it when asking for a refill of coffee.

My Oxford dictionary doesn't use use recarga, but  "otra copa".

@cccmedia  thanks for the Cuenca info. Cold and rainy is not my cup of tea, although I think it might be worthwhile to spend some time there to acclimate to the country and people and for the culture. I have been hearing/reading great things about Cotocachi, better climate and air quality but less to do. I live and enjoy living near the water and have also heard/read good things about Olon. If coastal, I would not want to live in a touristy area, I've gotten enough of that in the States.  I welcome comments about Cotocachi and Olon. Thank you, Wendy

5 recommendations and points

of information for Wendy...

-- Develop a plan to visit Ecuador via

      Quito or Guayaquil airports.

  -- Spend five days or more in each of

      several communities that interest you.

      Shorten any five-day visit if you decide

      you can rule the place out.

  -- Acclimatize yourself in any highlands

     locations -- plenty of liquids, not too

     much physical activity until adjusted.

  -- Don't fall in love with a property and

     sign a purchase agreement before living

     in the target area for at least one year.

And today's number one tip for success in

Ecuador...

  -- Remember there is only one letter 'o'

      in Cotacachi.

@cccmedia

Have you been to Cuenca and Cotacachi? 

I'm waiting on the re-opening of casinos in

Cuenca.  Then I'll get on my horse, provided

Leonidas Iza is not leading a roadblocking,

tire-burning crusade between Quito and

the Athens of Ecuador.

cccmedia in Quito

@wlabarge …Good advice from CCCMedia. I took a tour of Ecuador in May; Exploring a week to two weeks in each of the mountain paradises: Cotacachi in the north, to Quito (“Centre”/ North-ish) to Cuenca, Loja and Vilcabamba in the South… I avoided the beach side locations so I can't speak about Olon, but I can't see myself staring into the abyss of the ocean, and… 🥵 TOO HOT (for a Canadian accustomed to 5 months hibernation and fresh snow-cones 🍦😅). Check out Amelia & JP on YouTube for great information about a variety of towns and cities in Ecuador, but particularly about Olon and Montanita which they know and love.

Personally, I kept coming back to Cotacachi (with one ‘O') because.. Mi encanta Cotacachi 💜🌺💜🌺💜🌺💜

Quick impressions: laid-back, SAFE, CLEAN, friendly and welcoming, mild climate, walkabl, beautiful and liveable small scale city 🌴. No pollution compared to the diesel fogged larger (but still beautiful) cities like Cuenca or Quito. Great food, a coffee shop and or Panadería seemingly on every corner 😋🧁☕️. Great art, culture, shopping, produce markets, crafts and craftsmanship, community events, music. It's a town with a lot of community pride, available get-togethers and hiking adventures with both local community and expats / immigrants (I count myself as the latter, I'm here to integrate and learn the language and traditions, not stand apart), and it's a joy to take your time experiencing Imbabura Ecuadorean culture, getting to know the wonderful people amongst the local mestizo and Kichwa. There's a lot of hiking and adventure tours to take you out of Town to explore volcanic lakes, rivers and jungle… And the famous Otavolo indigenous market is a $5 taxi ride right away… A good place to spend a day exploring.

That said, I still love taking trips into Quito, to enjoy the Great Plaza restaurants, art museums, parks… But a bit too much traffic for me, and most of neighbourhoods are vertical! The centro historico Is mostly very walkable, only a few steep streets, and lots to see and do, but outside of that you definitely need a car or take taxis, or public transit. Hopefully by December Quito will have its train/subway system up and running!

Cuenca is wonderful if you love the big city vibrancy, it's a quick 50 minute flight from Quito, and it is beautiful! Crossed by four Rivers, It is a city for people who want to live a healthy life, enjoying the linear green parks running alongside them: walking, biking, visiting many of the physical fitness parks and children's playgrounds along the way. it has a large and walkable centro historico, with an amazing variety of food in restaurants, cafés, fresh markets, and little gems of plazas and parks tucked away with food carts, crafts shops, and open air markets, and Tiendas to explore.

@cccmedia

I'm waiting on the re-opening of casinos in Cuenca. Then I'll get on my horse, provided Leonidas Iza is not leading a roadblocking, tire-burning crusade between Quito and the Athens of Ecuador.

I have to admit after all these years, you and Mr. 2nd Passport were the smart ones in choosing Quito over Cuenca or Cotacachi. Although, I don't know Quito very well, sectors Cumbayá or Tumbaco sound better to me than the Centro Histórico, which doesn't appear to have a Supermax and easily changes into a war zone

I don't mind a weekly cross-town trip in my car

from El Centro to MegaMaxi 6.

It's well worth it to pick up premium costillas,

smoked salmon and a wide choice of

baja en azúcar  ice creams and beverages.

For at least 2022, you nailed it about the

war-zone transformation such as occurred

in June.

cccmedia in El Centro

For at least 2022, you nailed it about the war-zone transformation such as occurred

Whoa! Only right about 2022? Wasn't this your hood in 2019? By the way, in terms of their offerings, what makes a Supermaxi a MegaMaxi?

@cccmedia   Great advice,  thanks!

@cccmedia speaking of cars, is it true that you can't ship in a car from the US unless you're an Ecuadorian citizen and the car is less than 5 years old?

Shipping cars into Ecuador.

Unless the law has been changed, the only

cars allowed into the country are

brand-new ones, cars of diplomats,

vintage cars from decades ago within

certain guidelines and the cars of

Ecuadorians returning from another

country.

As for Expats' cars manufactured

five years ago -- negativo.

cccmedia in Quito

Difference between SuperMaxi and MegaMaxi.

Not being a Maxi spokesman, I discuss this from

my experience shopping at various SuperMaxis

and two MegaMaxis.

The MegaMaxis have more square footage and

more products.  Some products I have not found

at SuperMaxis include Danish sugar-free preserves

or 'mermeladas' .. slabs of Nova Scotia smoked

salmon .. and a wide variety of fresh veggies

marked as organic.

cccmedia

The Quito suburbs.

Mr. Barley mentioned Cumbayá and Tumbaco

in the context of places to live or

consider living.

These are generally-upscale suburbs of Quito

that are easily reached via a major highway

that goes toward the international airport.

They are at a lower elevation that Quito, so

the climate is typically warmer.

They are away from the national government

buildings, so the indígenas protesters are

fewer or absent on protest days or during

Paros.

There are many stand-alone houses with

hefty price-tags, some with swimming pools.

There are bus routes between Quito and these

established suburbs.  However, most Expats

would find they would want a car to get around

if living in Cumbayá or Tumbaco.

cccmedia in El Centro, Quito

@cccmedia

Sounds like I may not be able to afford those areas, and would have to move down to the sector of Armenia or Los Chillos, which have Mr. 2nd passport's stamp of approval. Of course, that would mean being farther from the airport and possibly civilized shopping.   Fortunately, "summer" is approaching, and I should be able to enjoy my terraza in Cuenca, assuming eggs,milk and bananas etc are getting through....

Bananas and milk are essential ingredients in the

Shalom cereal mix I use occasionally as comfort food --

for instance to fall back to sleep -- along with

golden raisins.  All these ingredients are available

at MegaMaxi 6 de diciembre.

The milk is not from cows -- it's powdered

almonds which I mix with water -- more convenient

with less potential spoilage compared to keeping

liquid 'almendras' in the fridge.

--

The suburbs of Quito have excellent malls.

Plenty of them too.

cccmedia

… on the subject of mail, is anyone else getting deluged with single word “hi” messages and contact requests? 🙄😑

Since my rebirth, I have received just one private message on this forum asking me for an invitation letter to Ecuador. I promptly blocked the individual. I have been receiving some suspicious calls on my cellphone from the 02 area code( Pichincha) asking me to confirm my name and cédula. I suspect it could be my cellphone provider, CNT, looking to track my whereabouts for the upcoming census since I am technically domiciled in Cota.  However, I just don't answer and block the numbers on my phone. Call me paranoid......

Internet quality.

New member Real introduced himself on

the New Members Introductions thread.

Real is planning to visit Ecuador in January

for several months, is considering a move

here, and is asking about the quality of

Internet.

I have had the opportunity to subscribe

to two different companies, CNT and

NetLife, in the past month .. as I have

switched my provider to NetLife.

Both companies supply excellent-quality

video in my experience.  While I don't

do much if any uploading, the quality

has been sufficient for fast-speed

cruising and streaming.

Cost in my experience is quite

affordable for the user in the cases

of both companies.

I left CNT as they have cut off my

service without my receiving notice

at least six times in recent years.

Usually the service interruptions

were for billing issues that IMO

usually could have been resolved

without shutting down my

Internet service.  The latest

interruption they blamed

on "lluvia" (rain).  I made three

service appointments for a tech to

restore service .. and all three times

the tech was a no-show with no

advance notice of cancellation.

cccmedia in Quito

If Real is concerned about upload speeds, I am sure Netlife has a plan more business oriented.

I am on Celerity. Since I signed up during the Situation, they would only take my U.S. credit card as a payment method.  Looking at the plans they offer now, it appears I should be getting a better speed and lower cost. However, I am too lazy to do anything about it. 

Speaking of sports:  Ecuador shocks the world!

Ecuador´s national team opened the World Cup

soccer tournament this weekend by defeating the

host team, Qatar, 2-0.  It was the stand-alone

first game of the tourney and the first time the

host team has lost the opening game in

World Cup history.

Ecuador's fans in the stands were thrilled as the

team scored the first two (and only) goals,

both put in by Enner Valencia, a captain and

team mainstay.

But in the later stages, with victory at hand,

attention turned to Qatar's last-minute decision

to ban beer at the World Cup stadiums.

A chant broke out in Spanish -- 

¨Queremos cerveza!¨ We want beer!

Meantime, hordes of white robed Muslims

were leaving the stadium, putting the spotlight

on massive numbers of empty seats

in a Qatari stadium that can hold 70,000 fans.

Alas, there was no beer -- only a product

called Bud Zero, from Annheuser-Busch,

a beverage made to resemble beer, but

completely devoid of alcoholic spirits.

---

Ecuador advances to play the Netherlands

next Friday.

cccmedia

I don't understand why an Arabian country was chosen to host WORLD games. And I'm not the only one, based upon the numbers of public demonstrations against such. No alcohol is the least of the problems there. Quatar treated the construction workers, who built the WORLD games' venues, like poo-poo and some, according to news sources, [potentially defamatory] Human Rights is the second big reason why many think the selection of Quatar was a no-no. Gay players and Gay fans are illegal in Arabian countries and they can be arrested, jailed, and murdered.