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Jerry, another thought: you may want the mid-level service from CNT (although we’ve not noticed much difference). And the streaming may depend on the source. Sometimes sites like USTVNow get bogged down and run really slowly, especially during sporting events when there seem to be a lot of people watching. We had some trouble watching World Cup games, for example… we could watch but when the action was fast the picture was very pixellated. And last year during the Super Bowl, USTVNow had horrible, unwatchable service. I ended up going to NFL.com and paid $9.99 for their stream which was beautiful.

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We use CNT and have no problems streaming TV at the lowest bandwidth. We pay $28 a month. And sorry but I don’t remember what the installation fee was – -so it must not have been too much. We also had Multi-soluciones and found that unsatisfactory.

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Does it work in the US as an ATM card? If so, it will probably work here.

Caveat: Sometimes, on some occasions, not all ATM cards work in every machine. Then you just look for another ATM machine.

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Hi Suzie, Jon is (or was) a subscriber to this forum. It was a long time ago that kindly compiled all the info. I’m not sure what his status is these days and, in any case, there is no doubt there have been lots of changes in Ecuador since that time. There has been a major change to this forum, in fact. There is now a search function that allows you to search by topic. That’s probably the best way for you to get the latest, up-to-date information.

If you can’t find the information you are looking for, be sure to post your specific questions and we’ll do our best to get you the answers you need.

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There is also a chiropractor from the US living and working in Quito, Dr. Patrick Bullock.

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Those of us who live in Cotacachi sometimes drive 2 hours north to the border with Colombia for shopping. I’ve only done this once… and we went not for shopping but for sightseeing of a beautiful church on the border. As for buying, while we did go to the shopping area, we didn’t need anything, so we didn’t buy anything except maybe some garlic powder. We were not stopped going or coming across the border and didn’t even have to show ID, although I’m sure we would have if we’d gone farther into Colombia. So you may be able to get electronics in from Colombia or you may have to pay a duty… Most people just buy in Ecuador. TVs and computers seem to be the really pricey items. Expats bring computers from the States (computers purchased here will have Spanish-language keyboards) and buy TVs here and just pay the higher price. We only have one TV… and we don’t watch TV nearly as much as we did in the States. It’s not all that interesting these days… 🙂

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Washing machines may or may not be more expensive than you are used to, depending on the brand you choose. Some brands are manufactured in Colombia and are fairly priced. But anything imported from a long distance will, of course, cost more.

Yes, there is a move afoot to eliminate the gas and propane subsidies. This will happen but not on the schedule that was originally proposed. For one thing, not all of the hydroelectric facilities that will provide the electricity have come online yet, and every home that relies on propane now has to be retro-fitted for electricity. This is a huge and unpopular undertaking. I’d guess it is still a couple of years down the road.

As for gasoline, this is also a very unpopular move. It’s said that prices will increase by a few cents a gallon over a long, long period of time…years. The people here would revolt if it happened any other way. Because Ecuador is an oil-producing country, I don’t think you will ever see prices here that are as high as they are in other countries.

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I’ve bought some queens that fit (in the US) and some that haven’t. And you can, of course, buy sheets in Ecuador. The last time I bought sheets in the US for my Ecuador queen bed I bought the California King sheets and they’re a bit big but work great.

Spices are getting easier and easier to get here in Cotacachi so it’s hard to say what might be difficult to find… but you’ll have problems with the more exotic stuff like garam masala and cardamom. Yes you can bring them in your checked luggage, no problem.

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Or ask on the Ruta del Sol Mates Facebook page — lots of expats there who live in Salinas and Olon, etc.

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4 degrees? I don’t think so. Even if that’s 4 C that can’t be right. The temperature in Cotacachi averages 45 to 75 F. We sleep with our windows open and love it. We don’t have heat or AC nor do we feel the need for that. I have heard some people say that Cotacachi, Quito and Cuenca are too cold for them but for someone coming for BC you ought to be very comfortable. (Cotacachi is the warmest of those three places I just mentioned.)

We have two seasons—rainy/winter and dry/summer. I actually prefer the rainy season which is November to April. It rains mostly in the late afternoons or evenings and I love the fog and mist.

Yes, Cotacachi is a very safe village. You might want to look at the community called San Miguel. It’s about a 6-block walk to the heart of town. You’ll find rentals all over the village, though, and I don’t think there are any in any area to be avoided.

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Hi Dona, let’s see if someone chimes in here. Wendy and I are both happy to answer questions about living in Cotacachi, although I am much closer to your age group than she is.

If you are on Facebook, there are a couple of groups you might reach out to: Cotacachi Expats, Ecuador Expats, and Ruta del Sol Mates being three where you’ll find local expats willing to share their opinions (sometimes far more than you’d like). 🙂

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I brought a 22 inch TV packed in my luggage (still in the box) — no problem. I understand customs will legally allow you to bring one that is 21 inch in size. I have a friend who is now bringing in one that is 28 inch. He has decided to bring all the receipts with him and be prepared to pay the duty if need be. Sometimes they look and sometimes they don’t…

P.S. I’ve found California King size sheets work great on my queen bed here — I buy them from IKEA when I am back in the States. And you can certainly get fly swatters here. 🙂

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HI Gretchen, I didn’t say we don’t have a bank account — we keep our account in the US and use that to pay bills such as our US credit cards, etc.

Some people need a bank account in Ecuador if they are qualifying for certain visas. There is an investor visa where you need to invest 25k in a CD held by an Ecuador bank, for example. And for a retirement visa you need to prove you have a certain amount of money to live on.

We also have an investor visa but it is based on owning our apartment, not on any bank balance.

Hope this explains things. And my lifestyle is not all that simple, believe me… there are always hoops to jump through. We’ve had bank accounts in Mexico, Panama, etc (now closed) and just chosen not to go that route any more.

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I could be wrong but it’s my understanding that if you have filed the FBAR and FATCA forms you will not be subject to the 30% withholding. I realize that some people may need an account in Ecuador to qualify for their visa, but we personally have opted not to have a bank account in Ecuador (or anywhere else for that matter) just because we’re tired of all the paperwork. We run on with withdrawals from our ATM cards, no problem.

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Be careful with Gringo Tree, It is a great resource but it is written by volunteers and there are no sources quoted so you can’t really tell about the legitimacy of the information. I’ve not heard of any issues but will do a quick check and see if this info is popping up anywhere else.

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