[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Keep e-mailing! Part of the relaxed lifestyle in Ecuador carries over to business professionalism as well. Correspondence is not usually treated as urgent and it may take several tries to get a response. I live by the “squeaky wheel” method here and eventually I get the attention I need. 🙂

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Yes there are such facilities here in Ecuador, but not many. Ecuadorian society places great focus on families and most people take care of their elderly relatives themselves, so there is not a high demand for such facilities. The few that do exist vary wildly in cost and quality so it’s difficult to give you an estimate of pricing.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

That sounds about right price-wise, depending of course on where in the city you’ll be going. Be aware though that more and more taxis are installing meters which in my experience end up costing more than if you were able to negotiate a price.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

I think a cab is going to be your best option. You can take a bus, but right now the main road to the airport is still under construction so you’ll have to take the buses that run around the backside of the airport. It’s a lot longer ride and you’ll need to be sure you get on the correct bus. Plus if you have a lot of luggage that can be a bit of pain to haul around on public transportation.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

The coast is where you’ll find most of the paragliding in Ecuador, but it can be done elsewhere. I have friends that recently went paragliding in Ibarra near Lake Yaguarcocha and had a fantastic experience. Paragliding is also done in Quito, Banos, and Cuenca, as well as a few other mountain locales. This website has information on a few of the places where paragliding is done in Ecuador.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Peter,

I’ve never heard of anyone needing an invitation to come to Ecuador to apply for the 12-IX visa. I just reviewed the requirements on the Ecuadorian Embassy’s website and there is no mention of needing invitations. You can find the requirements here.

As for the bus – I don’t think you’ll be able to purchase bus tickets in advance. I would speak with someone at your nearest Ecuadorian embassy and ask what they suggest. I do know people who were able to book airline tickets through certain websites that allow a refund if you cancel within a day or two. Once they booked, they printed their flight confirmation, then cancelled the flight and received a refund. It’s not the best method, but one that might work if you can’t find any other options.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

After reading the response I went and played around with the search feature for a bit.

The search box appeared on every page of the forum that I looked at and I couldn’t find a place where it didn’t show up. Also every search I conducted gave me only results for the EI forum and I used some pretty broad search terms in an attempt to get a result from the IL site. I’m not sure why there is a difference in my results and the previous poster’s, but if someone else were to experience the glitches that were mentioned could you provide more detail? Perhaps what search terms gave results from the IL site and what page you were on when the search box didn’t show up?

If our tech people know where to look for any problems it makes it much easier to solve them. Thanks!

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Puerto Lopez might fit your needs. The town is near Isla de la Plata which is part of a national park, but has great snorkeling and diving surrounding it. The beach at Puerto Lopez is also good for swimming and easier surfing.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

The eastern side of the Andes is where you’ll find the best rafting. As Suzan mentioned, Tena and Banos are hotspots for whitewater rafting. And just so you know, even though Tena is on the edge of the Amazon, there are no crocs or piranhas anywhere nearby. People swim in the rivers all the time with no worries. 🙂

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

If your money is held in a U.S. bank then the easiest way to get your hands on that cash while in Ecuador is through the use of an ATM. Most banks allow you to withdraw $500/day, though you should check with your bank to verify the limit. Sometimes the bank will allow $500/day per person not account, so you and your husband could potentially jointly withdraw $1000 each day.

Most appliance stores will take major credit cards. Just be sure to ask them for the “cash” price because that can be much lower than what is advertised. The advertised price often assumes you’ll be making monthly payments to the store and is therefore inflated.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

I don’t blame you for wanting to escape those Canadian winters! I love not dealing with snow these days.

I would be wary of trying to break up your Ecuadorian stay in the manner which you suggested. While immigration might let you through, it’s chancy and could cost you time and money, not to mention a huge hassle. The easiest thing would be for you to secure an 6-month visa (known as a 12-9 visa) before you come to Ecuador. You should be able to do this through your nearest Ecuadorian Embassy. It will cost a little but will allow you to stay 180 consecutive days without residency.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

I’ve never flown into the Guayaquil airport, but from what I’ve found online it appears there are luggage storage options. According to http://www.sleepinginairports.net there are luggage storage and lockers located in the arrivals hall and available 24 hours a day. A traveler on the lonely planet forum states that there is a company which provides luggage storage located just outside of the International arrivals area on the ground floor.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Larry Smith is an expat here in Cotacachi that provides property management services. I don’t know offhand what he charges, but you can e-mail him at lsmith9287@gmail.com and I’m sure he’d be happy to provide you with details.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Wendy,

I see you’ve posted a new question in the forum – were you able to resolve the issue or are you still having problems?

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

I’ve been using my trusty Lonely Planet guidebook for Ecuador for three years now and it is pretty comprehensive. Moon and National Geographic guidebooks are typically well researched as well, but I personally like LP’s style the best.

If you want to speak with other expats you could ask around on the Facebook expat groups or some of the other online forums. Or you can just show up at a cafe or watering hole frequented by expats and you’ll be sure to find friendly folks who are happy to chat about their experiences. I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble finding people who are willing to share their stories. Happy travels!

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