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By the way, Edward, one of the great things about Ecuador is that it costs very little to change a flight — $15.

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Hi Edward, I’ll forward this on the Oswaldo, the owner. I’m sure he’ll help you out — they’re very good people and I’ll be this is a misunderstanding of some sort.

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We used Earthclass mail and it did everything it said it was and we were pleased with the service. The alert you when mail is delivered, you can choose to discard, recycle, scan, or keep whatever you wish. They will forward on whatever you wish. This is where it gets expensive. I was having several pounds (financial statements, magazine, etc.) forwarded on to me and it cost roughly $75 every time.

So I now read my magazines and most financial statements online. Everything else is sent to a family member who alerts us when something “official looking” arrives. And then we just have her open it and tell us what it’s all about.

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Gerald, Latin America is not at all at the stage of handicap accessibility that the US or Canada are. Unfortunately, you will find it very difficult to get around, and no, I would not suspect you will be able to rent a car with this capability. I wish I had better news for you.

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No immunizations needed. Yes you will get your tourist visa on the flight into Ecuador. If you are renting a car, I’d suggest you take the insurance recommended by the rental agency.

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Hi Dave, the biggest holiday of the year on the coast is Semana Santa… the week (maybe even two weeks) before Easter. Don’t know when that falls this year, but you will find hotels booked and beach towns CRAZY full of people — I would avoid that time at all costs.

Montanita would be my pick for a place to go to a surf camp — you might want to check this one out: http://balsasurfcamp.com/en/

Also, I’d suggest you email my friend Pete Stromberg in Canoa — his email is pete@canoathrills.com and his website is http://www.canoathrills.com/ — Canoa is another of the best surfing towns on the coast.

Have fun!

P.S. Once you decide where you are going, check on local holidays in the area. Every town in Ecuador seems to have some kind of holiday or festival every month or so…

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Hi Gretchen, I’ve heard the same. But although I’ve lived in Latin America for more than 12 years, I’ve only done this parasite preventative thing one time. That was in Mexico. I have no idea why I did it… wasn’t sick, etc. I think it was because it was something others said should be done. I’m of the mind that it is unnecessary, especially if you are careful about what you eat. I had an executive check-up in Quito a few months ago and they tested for parasites and my husband and I were both clean.

If you are ever concerned, you can go to a lab with a stool sample and they can check it for you for a few bucks. Id go that route rather than doing the preventative stuff twice a year…

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Hi Marsha, I don’t know anyone who has used a service. It’s pretty easy to do it on your own, although I believe you do need to have one person per pet flying… let’s see if anyone chimes in who has used a service…

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We are all residents, yes, and it is no problem for a resident to travel in and out of the country frequently, although there are some restrictions in the first two years, which — as everything in Ecuador — are open to interpretation. Our attorney’s interpretation was that you could not be out of the coutnry for more than 90 days at a time during those first two years. Others say you can’t be gone more than 90 days cumulative in each of the first two years. Yet others say you can’t be gone more than 90 days cumulative within those 24 months. The first line of thinking worked just fine for us.

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Check out http://www.ecuadorexpatjourneys.com/ — they do good work.

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Hi Richard, I know Gary and Merri. And yes, they are trying to sell property in Cotacachi and San Clemente on the coast. They aren’t traveling as much as they once used to.

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You’ll get a debit card with your Ecuador back account, yes, and you can use it as a debit card, but should you overdraw your account be aware that the fee penalties are far greater here. I’ve never opened a local account — chose to use Capital One in the US which does not charge any foreign ATM transaction fees. It works just great. I have no use for a local account, but of course, you may, if you need one for your visa prof of income.

Electricity and electronics in Ecuador are the same as in the U.S. And most places are WIFI enabled.

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Frank, I think Fernando meant to ask about getting his phone “unlocked”…

Fernando, I’m told there is someone in Cuenca who can do this and the CNT office in Centro can point you in the right direction. Meanwhile, maybe this article will help: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/international-travelers-here-is-how-to-sim-unlock-your-verizon-apple-iphone-4s/6712

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Bill, here is what I can suggest: You can fly to either Loja or Cuenca and explore those areas. In Vilcabamba and Cuenca you’ll find plenty of expats to keep you company.

In Vilcabamba, I’d suggest you stay at Izhcayluma: http://www.izhcayluma.com or Madre Tierra: http://www.madretierra.com.ec — with a reservation they may be willing to arrange transfer from the airport for you. It’s not hard to get a taxi from the airport to Loja or Vilcabamba but I can understand you may not be comfortable with this without a lot of Spanish. ALWAYS write down the name, address and tel # of your destination — I’ve always found the taxi drivers to be helpful and they’ll call for directions if they don’t know where you’re going or can’t understand you. (Taxis at taxi stands at airports and other sanctioned sites should be fine — until you are more comfortable, don’t hail one on the streets in Quito or Guayaquil.)

The Catamayo airport is about an hour from Loja and 90 minutes or more from Vilcabamba. Negotiate with the taxi driver and you should pay about $35 for your fare from the airport to Vilcabamba – -there are also shared vans or little trucks where you will pay less.

At the IL conference, introduce yourself to Edd and Cynthia and they’ll give you some tips about Cuenca. Or, in advance, email Edd at Ecuador@internationalliving.com and ask him for suggestions.

This is a good site that covers Vilcabamba and Loja, et al:
http://www.seekvilcabamba.com/Welcome.aspx

If you’d like to take a shuttle between Loja or Vilcabamba and Cuenca, there are several.

I’ve heard most expats talk about http://www.operazuaytur.com — the website may offer details about their services.

I understand they’re not great with email, but if you need to reach them, try emailing Operazuaytur at reservas@operazuaytur.com and tell them what you want — write in both Spanish and English….

Another option is Eddie Remache at c.p.s2012@live.com. He offers a private service out of Cuenca, along with his brother, Freddie. Supposedly answers emails promptly. (They’re Ecuadorians but, until a couple of years ago, lived their whole lives in the US and speak perfect English.)

And one more is Victor Ojeda, victorh0613@yahoo.com

To get from Quito to Otavalo or Cotacachi, contact Mauricio Bonilla: gbsmaury@hotmail.com. He speaks English, but his father Jose, who does the driving, does not. Jose is my personal driver and he’s the best. Copy him on your correspondence so he also has dates/times, etc.: josebm1058@hotmail.com. From Quito to Cotacachi he normally charges $55 to $60.

In Cotacachi, I’d suggest Hotel Land of the Sun or Los Arbolitos or Las Cuadras.

Please let me know if you need anything else?

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Try jack Abercrombie — lives in Quito and does ll kinds of tours: jackabercrombie1492@yahoo.com

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