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Indeed he is.

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There are many varieties of space heaters here so don’t worry about that. It’s true that high quality sheets are hard to come by though. We shipped everything here in a 40′ container so we haven’t had to rebuild our world like folks who come with suitcases. But top quality items of all kinds are much more expensive because of import taxes, so clothing, walking shoes, and electronics are often brought in. On our trips back to the States we always get personal care products and food items to bring back  like Dijon mustard, horseradish, and special herbs and spices that aren’t on the shelves in Ecuador.

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Good news! Our two service providers, Movistar & Claro, have many retail stores. Long term service plans aren’t required, so you can buy a basic phone for $40-50 plus as many minutes as you think you’ll need. If you run out there are outlets (even convenience stores and pharmacies) where you can purchase additional minutes on the spot.

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We’ve got 1200+ miles of coastline and no realtor covers the entire area. Could you be more specific about what area you might be interested in? In Cuenca contact Maribel Crespo. Her email is crespomaribel@hotmail.com. But be aware that colonials with central courtyards are usually HUGE, not 2000 sq. ft.

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In restaurants a 10% service charge is often added to your bill in addition to the 12% IVA tax. If you wish to leave a bit more give it directly to your server. If nothing is on the bill then 10% is fine (but again make sure your server gets it). Taxi drivers are never tipped, although they may charge more if they’ve had to handle your heavy bags. In hotels give the guy who brings your bags to the room around $1 per bag. I always give the baggers in the grocery store 50 cents to take our bags out to the taxi.

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I have no idea what just happened with my previous post–just read the top & bottom and ignore all that gobbledygook in the middle!

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Our recommendation for realtors in Salinas is

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Amy & Gerardo Pinoargote of Spondylus Real Estate. Here’s their contact info: http://www.pathfinderinternational.net/ContactUs/ecuadortourtravel/

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Your question would be best directed to Sandra Perez, our speaker at the conference on shipping your household goods. Her email is SanestarInternational@gmail.com.

Good luck!

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It’s rare to hear of things like rape, murder, or kidnappings.

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Cuenca would be a logical spot from which to explore southern Ecuador. There are accommodations in all price ranges, and from the bus terminal you can go on safe and comfortable buses literally to anyplace in the entire country quite inexpensively (rule of thumb–$1 per hour of travel).

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In the Ecuadorian highlands bugs are not a problem at all. As you move to lower elevations you will encounter more insects of every description.  Stray dogs are part of the landscape here, but you see very few stray cats.

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Wow, that’s an eclectic list! You don’t state where you’re thinking about pursuing these possibilities, but of course the larger cities offer more opportunities. I would guess that it would be difficult as a foreigner to do RN work, but that’s strictly a guess. For both real estate and tourism, yes, some gringo-oriented businesses might need some help. You’d need to have “boots on the ground” for awhile to establish credibility, and to do real estate properly would require a vehicle.

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Russell, keep scrolling. Right below all the topics is a section for starting one of your own. Perhaps Loja will speak to you and you’ll get the ball rolling there.

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Sorry, Don. The sarcasms wasn’t directed at you or Fox News per se, but at quasi “official” sources of information (like the state departments referenced above). The “truth” about statistics such as this in countries like Ecuador is hard to pin down because so much of the population is dispersed in rural areas with poor reporting capabilities. The country’s open door policy unfortunately allowed entry to some “undesirables” before steps like requiring police reports for all new residents were required. I have no doubt that crime in the larger cities, especially Guayaquil and even Cuenca, has increased, but overall Ecuador is a safe place to live.

[EI EXPERT – EDD STATON]

Then it MUST be true.

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