[SUZAN HASKINS]

It is not allowed. Not sure why…

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Temperatures don’t vary much in Ecuador, Frank. We have wet season and dry season – -and both are lovely in their own way, in my opinion. The hottest, most humid time along the coast in Nov. to April if that helps… Of all the “expat destinations,” Vilcabamba may have the absolute best weather, but as Greg mentioned, it may be too small for some…

[SUZAN HASKINS]

HI Frank. I pay $10 to have my small 900-sq. ft. apartment cleaned. It takes her only a couple of hours. Minimum wage is something like $3.30 an hour. I’d pay maybe twice that much if I wanted her to be here all day long. As for tipping, often a tip of 10% (“servicio” or “propina”) is added on to your bill in more upscale restaurants (the kind that give official receipts). You decide if you want to leave more… If I have received good service, I’ll often leave 10 or 15% on the pre-tax/pre-servicio amount. Never tip taxi drivers unless they do something extraordinary for you. And it’s nice but not mandatory to leave $2 or $3 on the pillow for your chambermaid in a hotel or hostel and to give $1 to the hotel doorman if he grabs you a taxi and gives instructions to the driver. Bellmen get about $1 per bag.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Yes, the month is subtracted from your 90 days. You will apply for a visa if you decide to pursue residency in Ecuador.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Frank, I am not sure but I think it is a bit wider. Go to this website and check out the measurements: http://www.chaideychaide.com/ — you can find sheets to fit these mattresses here in Ecuador.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I know some expats are investigating Hughes Net But I don’t know any who are actually using it.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

There are a couple of websites you can check out if you want to get an idea of real estate prices in Cuenca. One is http://www.ecuadorablehomes.com run by Maribel Crespo. She grew up and lives in Cuenca. Another is http://www.cuencarealestate.com. You can also look at Craigslist for Quito. And another good website if you can navigate in Spanish is http://ecuador.vive1.com/

I would use these as a guide. Once you decide where you want to live (and I don’t mean city but the exact neighborhood) you should do much more research. You can’t tell anything by looking at something on the internet. There are still good bargains, but it is my understanding that prices are rising by about 10% per year and that’s been going on for a good number of years now. And it’s not just due to the gringo influx but because a good number of Ecuadorians are now returning to Ecuador from other countries where they have worked. (Spain, the U.S., Canada, where opportunities aren’t as large as they once were.)

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I’m not certain I understand your question, but my advice is to always have either private insurance or some type of hospital-based plan. The public hospitals are not where I would want to end up if I had a serious medical issue. You can always go the pay-out-of-pocket route, but… if you have a catastrophic health issue and you are in a good private hospital (again this is where I would want to be treated) you will be looking at bills of several thousand dollars if you are there for any length of time. My thoughts only…

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Laura, I have never had a safety issue in my entire 12 years living overseas. (My car was broken into once in Mexico, but that had nothing to do with personal safety.) I used to be able to say that I never knew a single expat who had experienced a safety issue, but of course after 12 years that’s not true any more. (and not just Ecuador… I think crime is rising around the world, even in the US)

I don’t, though, feel at all unsafe in Ecuador and I will take a bus or a taxi by myself just about anywhere. I find the locals to be helpful and concerned. I have always had great experiences with taxi drivers. In larger cities you may find some instances of purse and phone/camera grabbing. You need to exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings.

What we don’t have in Ecuador is much violent crime and/or gun crime. (Guns are hard to get.) No random school or mall shootings. I know that the occasional home invasion happens, but but it is rare to hear of them (I can only think of two against expats that I’ve heard of in the last five years)… and again, in Ecuador you should take responsibility for your personal safety. You can’t count on calling police and having them respond in a matter of minutes. That doesn’t happen here. (One reason our property taxes are so low, I suspect.) That’s why all the locals have bars and windows on their homes and security entrances to condo buildings. The more you do to protect yourself, the better off you will be.

That said, I have never had a safety issue in 12 years in Ecuador. Do note, though, that I live in a very small, safe town.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

TOTALLY depends what “best” means to you. Define that and I can better help. My favorites at this point are Olon, Puerto Lopez, Santa Marianita, Crucita, and Canoa… each have their pluses and minuses.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Kimberly, Mabe appliances are popular as are Innova… And LG for electronics. Richard, there are some suggested itineraries in the travel section here on Ecuador Insider. It really depends on you and what you want to see and experience and how long you want to spend in one place.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I’m not worried yet. And I don’t have a bank account in Ecuador — just use my ATM card whenever I need funds.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Thanks, Jon! And please, the rest of you out there… join in!

[SUZAN HASKINS]

🙂 Love the analogy…

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Here is Forbe’s take on it — apparently this is just a move to get business customers to pay more for services: http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahtouryalai/2013/10/17/no-jpm-isnt-banning-international-wire-transfers-no-limits-on-withdrawals-either/

[Author]

Posts