[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Yes, you need to have your original cedula with you when traveling out of country. Usually you’ll be asked for it at the immigration desk when you re-enter Ecuador, though not always. Your cedula is basically your ID card and you’ll be asked for it quite often here in Ecuador. I keep a laminated color copy with me all the time and most of the time that is sufficient, but when traveling (even in Ecuador) I take my original.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

My understanding is that the new Montecristi course is the only one in the greater Manta area, so I assume that these companies are all referring to the new Montecristi development. You can find information on the course and housing development in this link.

I spoke briefly with one of the representatives of the Montecristi Golf Club at the IL event in Quito several months ago. I can tell you that he was a very nice fellow, but other than that I’m afraid I have no background information on him or others who are developing the course.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Darrell. I’ve never stayed overnight at the airport, but I have stayed at the nearby Quito Airport Suites. The rooms are fairly basic, but comfortable and it’s only ten minutes from the airport. It might be a good option for getting a few Z’s before heading out again in the morning. The hotel can also arrange for a taxi to meet you at the airport.

Personally, I would get little if any sleep if I were to stay overnight in the airport. It’s really up to you to decide if you can do without sleep for the night or if you’d prefer to save a little money and skip the hotel room.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Gretchen, we expats use all of the things you mentioned. Currently my husband and I use my sister-in-law’s address as our own and the tiny bit of mail we get goes to her. If it’s something important like a new debit card or tax statements she’ll send them on down to our P.O. Box here in Ecuador otherwise she has our permission to throw all junk mail away.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

I’m not a golfer, but here’s what I found on the internet about golf courses in Ecuador. It looks like there are some decent courses, but you’ll probably need to contact them to find what they charge.

“The Quito Tennis and Golf Club is near the city of Quito which makes it quite accessible, while the Los Arrayanes Country Club provides a somewhat exclusive club. Other clubs worth considering are the Guayaquil Country Club, La Costa Country Club, the Cuenca Tennis and Golf Club, the Los Chillos Club and the Casablanca Club.”

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Rik,

I don’t know anyone who has used an MSA here in Ecuador, but it appears that HSAs (which are more or less an updated version of the MSA) can be used to fund medical treatment abroad. I’m guessing that MSAs would also be usable here, but it would be best to speak with your financial advisor to get all the details on using your MSA in Ecuador.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Gretchen,

I suffered greatly my first few months here until I bought a Kindle. I can’t afford to buy as many books as I read so I use library accounts in the U.S. I have two friends from different areas who have been kind enough to let me use their library accounts and I can get all the books I want for free. Most libraries allow a 2 to 3 week checkout of e-books and they are automatically returned on their due date so you don’t have to worry about late fees.

There are some expat lending libraries or book swaps in the more populated areas but I don’t know what’s available in Canoa. I definitely recommend getting a Kindle and a U.S. library card. Also, there are several websites that send out daily e-mails listing which e-books are free on Amazon each day.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Robert,

Bahia, as the town is commonly referred to, has a growing expat population. It’s a small coastal town and the portion on the peninsula (between the Chone River and the Pacific)is fairly clean and modern. In this section the only public transportation you’ll find are bicycle taxis, but there is a bus station in the inland section of the city.

The bus system in Ecuador is excellent with buses running nearly anywhere you would want to go at frequent intervals. The fares are more than reasonable as well.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Shorts and jeans will be just fine. Shorts are par for the course on the coast and jeans or slacks are typically what I wear up in the mountains. Typically this is what the local Ecuadorians wear as well unless they’re business professionals at work.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

I live in the mountains, so I don’t have any experience buying furniture in the area you’re talking about. I do know though that most stores will bargain, so you might be able to talk them down in price. If you’re very particular about what you want then go ahead and have the furniture made.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Brian,

I was told that a same-sex couple recently obtained their residency visas with one partner as a dependant by presenting their U.S. marriage certificate here in Ecuador, so I think it is doable. However, this information is second-hand and I don’t know the couple personally so I can’t verify the story.

But, I would suggest contacting a lawyer here to get the most up to date visa regulations and requirements. On the home page of the Ecuador Insider you’ll find the Rolodex section on the bottom right of the page. In there is a nice list of lawyers in Ecuador and all of their contact info. One of them should be able to give you a definite answer on this.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Very rarely do expats apply for a firearms permit. I believe that you need to go to your local policia (police department) and apply there and the level of difficulty will really depend upon how helpful they want to be.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Melanie,

That really depends on the person and how they feel about vaccines. There are no mandatory vaccines when moving to Ecuador and there are really only a few diseases that you might be concerned about. The few that expats generally get vaccinated for are typhoid and Hepatitis A & B.

Having contracted Hep A, I’m of the opinion that it would be a good idea to at least get vaccinated for Hepatitis as the disease is no walk in the park!

Yellow fever vaccines are required by certain countries (like Costa Rica and Panama) if you are traveling there directly from Ecuador, so that might be a consideration for you as well. You are unlikely to contract yellow fever though unless you visit the deep Amazon region of Ecuador.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

That’s great that you’ll be able to check out Ecuador next month! Hopefully you’ll love it as much as we all do. I’m going to answer the questions that I can and hopefully our other experts will chime in with answers to the others.

Tipping – For the most part it is not a general practice to tip in Ecuador. However, every expat you ask will give you a different answer if you ask about tipping. The concern is that if expats tip or over tip, then the practice will become expected and local Ecuadorians will not be able to afford services. Here’s my personal philosophy – For the set lunches (almuerzos) and most small restaurants I don’t usually tip. Maybe $.50 if I received excellent service. For upscale restaurants or those owned by expats I typically tip 15% if the gratuity is not included in the bill. Taxi drivers only get tipped if they go out of their way to carry my bags up to my hotel room or some other such service.

Crime – Ecuador is not generally a dangerous country but there is some crime. Wandering cities late at night is a good time for a criminal to target you and there will be fewer people around to help you out. Being extra cautious at night is a rule I live by no matter where I am in the world.

Gas – There are plenty of gas stations and most that I’ve seen will take a credit card, though I’d have cash on hand in case the cc machine is not working. Fuel is subsidized by the government so it is relatively cheap. I think unleaded runs around $1.50/gallon and diesel is close to $1/gallon.

Flights – Hopefully Edd will weigh in on this one as he has more experience in this department.

Hats – Panama hats come in a wide range of grades. You do not need to buy the best $300 hat, just don’t buy the cheapest $20 hat. Find something with a nice tight weave and good overall impression. Or just bring a hat from home.

ATMs – We use ATMs all the time and have never had a problem. Just make sure your bank knows you’ll be traveling in Ecuador so they don’t block your debit card because it is being used in a foreign country (this looks suspicious if your bank doesn’t know you’re abroad). If you do bring cash, don’t bring anything larger than a $20 bill as you’ll have trouble getting anyone to take larger denominations.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Sean,

As Suzan mentioned my husband gives Spanish lessons here in Cotacachi. He was a Spanish linguist in the Navy and focuses on conversational Spanish as opposed to the technicalities of the language. The idea is to get you speaking with the locals quickly. Most people take one or two classes per week and ideally the students practice what they’ve learned during the days in between. His rates are $10/per lesson (1 hour) for up to two people and $5 for each additional person with a limit of four people per class.

You can find more info here: http://www.why-ecuador.com/p/blog-page.html or e-mail him at ddechambeau@yahoo.com.

[Author]

Posts