[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi David – When I first visited Ecuador, I rented a car and brought an IDP with me. They never asked to see it. As long as you have a valid US drivers license, insurance, and you are here on a tourist visa (your passport), you should have no trouble. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to contact your rental agent in advance to double-check – remember, some agencies will offer a discount for IDP.

One other thing you should know, is that when you rent in Ecuador it is common for the agency to put a hold of $5,000 on your credit card until you return the vehicle. I have rented from the Avis counter at the Manta airport, and they did this as well.

Rita and I have explored the coast using regional buses, taxis, private drivers, and rental cars. We preferred using a rental car, just because of our style of travel – we like to stop anywhere something looks interesting, and may change our plans once we are underway.

Enjoy, and let us know if you have any other coastal questions. We’ve lived in Salinas almost three years, and have explored from Playas to Canoa rather extensively.

-jim

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Richard, here is a clarification of the strong medication question from one of the surgeons who worked on my shoulder:

“Regarding your question, all medications are available but some like morphine, antidepressant and psychotropic drugs require a special prescription form from CONSEP that most psychiatrists and anesthesiologist have. I don’t have have it myself since it involves a lot of paperwork and if you lose one prescription is a headache to report it and maybe a fine. For sleeping disorders you can take ezopiclona with regular prescription from any doctor. For pain the strongest one with regular prescription is tramadol.”

So it appears my first source of information, who was an owner of a farmacia, not a doctor, had oversimplified the situation for me. Although to be fair, the details might also have been “lost in translation”.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Richard, this is Jim. Give me a day or two – I’m going to double-check with a doctor friend of mine, and see if I can get a more specific list of what is available/not available. Is there a particular drug you would like me to check?

Saludos,

jim

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

I love to cook, so this question is near and dear to me. Ecuadorian food is “spiced” in the sense that it has many flavors. However, they do not generally use hot spices. Meals to be an interesting blend of flavors, rather than having one stand out. There are of course local exceptions, and “salsa de aji” that can be added. Overall, the Ecuadorian cuisine is varied and wonderful. I love making new discoveries, this place is heaven for a foodie!

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Alan – the bus station you want is called “Terminal Terreste”, and is very close to the airport. Although you can take a bus to it, I would recommend an airport taxi. They would charge $3 ( http://taxiecuadorairport.com/tarifas-guayaquil ) to get you and your luggage to the Terminal Terreste, and it saves you a lot of lugging around and confusion.

Once you are at the TT, you are in for a treat. The Guayaquil bus station is an extremely busy place, and a little daunting to first-time visitors. In Ecuador, there is no central bus ticket counter. Instead, you find the ticket booth(s) that sell for your destination. For Salinas, they say either “Santa Elena” or “Salinas” or Ballenita”. All end up at the same place, the Santa Elena Terminal Terreste in Ballenita. Tickets are generally $4.20, and buses leave every 10-15 minutes.

You want to look for ticket booths around #84-86 on the ground level floor of the station. Depending on how many bags you have, some people like to just buy an extra ticket and keep their luggage on the seat next to them, but there is plenty of storage under the buses, and overhead racks for carry-on size.

Once you have your ticket, you will go to the platform or “Anden” where the bus is waiting. Be sure and check the departure time, because sometimes you only have 5 minutes or so to get to the bus (we always make sure we’ve used the bathroom, got a snack, etc. before buying the ticket). Usually the Salinas bus is around Anden 94, which is on “Nivel 2”, or Level 2 – but be advised level two is actually on the third floor! There are signs to direct you.

Here’s a link to the Guayaquil TT, you can put in destination and choose bus line to get an idea of fares and schedules. http://ttg.ec/

The buses are really pretty comfortable, and you will probably get to watch a movie as well. The ride takes a little under 2 hours.

Once you arrive at the terminal in Santa Elena, there are taxis and buses for local destinations. A taxi into Salinas will be between $4-5, depending on where you are going, and time of night (tend to be a little more late at night).

Enjoy your visit, and let me know if you have any other questions. My wife and I have lived in Salinas for almost three years. I’m at salinas@internationalliving.com

-jim

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Leonard, I’m from the States, but I would recommend your best source of current information is the closest Ecuador Consulate in Canada. You didn’t mention where you live in Canada, but here for example is the web site of the one in Toronto:

http://www.embassypages.com/missions/embassy10360/

That page also has links to the Consulates in Ottawa, Montreal, and Vancouver.

-jim

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi André – In Salinas, the more popular “expat only” places are Fiddlers Green and Common Grounds. You also find a mix of expat/Ecuadorian at Aloha2 and Luv’ N Oven. My wife Rita and I would also be happy to talk to you, or answer any of your questions via email. You can reach me via salinas@internationalliving.com . as for Guayaquil, I’m not sure I’ve heard of many expat places there – or indeed, many expats living there, although I’m sure there are a few. Your best bet there to find other visitors from North America may be in hotel bars and restaurants.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Gretchen, second the suggestion of Manta as the best option for now. Sounds like you are just north of Bahia? I’m planning a trip up the coast later this month, and will be going through Bahia. I’ll check on the progress while I’m there.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Robert – Just wanted to emphasize that “digital currency” was never envisioned as something to replace cash, just as a second form of currency. Like Edd mentioned, it’s acceptance has been tepid at best.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Gordon, in addition to the ones Edd named, there are many Salinas options on flipkey.com as well.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi William – I live in Salinas myself, and would be happy to answer any questions when you are ready.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Robin – I live in Salinas, on the southern coast. Basically, everything south of Manta is fine after April’s earthquake. Damage in this area was minimal, and quickly repaired. Manta itself has made great progress, but still has areas to be cleared and rebuilt. Its infrastructure is in place, stores and hotels are open, airport functioning, etc. The little village of Crucita, just north of Manta, did not get much damage either, and is fully up and running – I’ve talked to people who just moved there, in fact.

As you move north, there are areas more strongly affected that will be a while recovering, such as Bahia. However, smaller villages that had mostly bamboo and wood construction bounced back quickly. Major roads and bridges are open, and we have neighbors who are in Canoa right now on a little break.

The biggest problems the northern areas still face is clearing rubble and rebuilding, especially in more remote areas. Most services are back online in the affected areas, but losing the hospital in Bahia affects a large area, for example.

There are of course many properties for sale now, and some at very low prices. You should be aware though that it is very hard to predict how long it will take for everything north of Manta to be back at pre-April conditions, so investment in many areas carries a lot of risks. There has been little affect on the market in the southern beaches. We have a lot of property for sale or rent, with new buildings and communities in development. Tourism is down, but that has been partly offset by people moving from the northern beaches to the southern.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Pam – this is one of hose vitally important pieces of information that is for some reason missing from travel guides. It is true that in some areas, you will be expected to dispose of used tp in small plastic-lined trash cans in the stall. Usually there will be a sign asking you not to throw paper into the toilet if that is the case. In most of the larger cities, hotels, airports, malls, etc., the septic systems can handle it, and it is not a problem. In fact, the Quito airport has signs specifically requesting that you DO throw paper in the toilet.

Here’s another important tip – in many public bathrooms, there is no tp dispenser in the stalls. Instead, there are large dispensers just as you come in the door. You are expected to grab some on your way in. This can be an awkward discovery at the wrong time! Also, some public restrooms will have an attendant who is responsible for keeping everything clean. They may charge 10-25 cents as you enter, and hand you some paper.

My wife of course insists on always traveling with a baggie of tissues in her purse, just in case.

Thanks for raising an important and often overlooked detail, and I hope you come and enjoy Ecuador soon.

-jim

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Sue – It looks like Suzan covered most of your questions for you, I just wanted to hit a couple of the points as well.

1) MagicJack will also allow you to send text messages to US phones, which is handy. Many people also use Messenger via Facebook, which has a voicecall option to other Messenger users. If you bring a cellphone from the US, make sure you have it “unlocked” by your US carrier first, so that it will accept the local SIM cards.

2) The better vets are in the larger towns, like Cuenca, Quito, Guayaquil. But you can find vets just about everywhere. We brought a Corgi with us to Salinas, and we have used vets who charge about $10-15 for office visits, $20 for house calls. Note: if your pet is on any medication, be sure to check and see if it is available in Ecuador. Sometimes vets will send you to the “people pharmacies” to get meds.

3) Mule, baby, mule!

4) I have experimented with the mail service. Letters tend to take about 14-21 days in either direction, and cost $2-3. Packages may be subject to import/export fees. Like Suzan said, not the fastest or most secure way of communication.

5) The constant day/night cycle and near-constant weather is a big change, as Suzan mentioned. But I think what surprised me most was that once you get past the initial excitement, it is really not that hard to live in another country.

6) Learning Spanish. On the other hand, it has also been one of the most rewarding adjustments. We are far from fluent, but my wife and I have come a long way. We took our driver’s license test in Spanish, for example. But it really does give you a great sense of accomplishment and makes you feel much more connected to your life abroad to learn to communicate – however badly – in the local language.

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Ted, thanks for your concern.

My wife and I live in Salinas on the southwest coast. We had some pretty exciting moments, but no major damage. We never lost power or internet, for instance. That is the story for the Santa Elena peninsula, and the Ruta del Sol between here and at least Olon.

I have friends in Playas, who report the same – a lot of shaking, no damages. Perhaps others will chip in details, but I have also been told be residents that Cuenca and Loja are fine.

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