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HI Laura, tennis is a very popular sport in Ecuador and you’ll find tennis courts just about everywhere.

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Thanks, Tim! There is also a new course being built at Manta, called Montecristi. Pathfinder recently wrote about early-in property prices there. You can ask them more at info@pathfinderinternational.net

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There are some nice gated communities in both towns. You might start by staying at one of the hostels in either town… try Hostel Dona Esther in Otavalo and Mindala or La Cuadra in Cotacachi… or find a short-term rental. Check out VRBO.com or, in Cotacachi, email Larry Smith (lsmith9287@gmail.com) or Micky Enright (mickyenright@gmail.com) for suggestions.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Coastal Ecuador is often overcast, thanks to the Humboldt current coming up from Peru. But that also keeps temps more comfortable — doesn’t get as hot as many tropical coastal locations. Ecuador’s southern coast is the driest and the northern coast is the wettest and greenest. Rainy/humid season is October – April. (That doesn’t mean constant rain but you can have periods of intense rain and high humidity.)

When you visit, I’d avoid holidays, especially Christmas, New Year, Carnaval, Semana Santa (week before Easter) and the odd Ecuadorian holiday.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

You can rent a car at the airport in Guayaquil or Manta. You can use Kayak.com or Expedia.com to see companies and rates. You should be fine if you only drive during the day. As an alternative, many people take the buses. Very affordable and convenient.

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Just to make sure we understand your question: you want to move your money into a bank outside the US without physically moving there yourself? Or will you travel to that locale to open an account?

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Yes, sorry about that: http://www.cruzblanca.com.ec

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I think the issue is that you can’t buy over the internet or by phone with a foreign card. But at a local office, no problem. At least this was the situation when I last did so — may change at any time.

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Hi Andrea, according to a chart I was given by a good source, Anos Dorados has not age limit. You can learn more at http://www.coopseguros.com. The only other company I know of with no age limit restriction is Cruz Blanca. Learn more at.

And one that allows enrollment up to age 75 is Corporative plan Salud. To learn more about that, ontact Bjorn Opperman, tel 0999331462 or ecuadorinvest@gmail.com

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Yes, Vilcabamba is one place where you may have issues. Email our correspondent there and ask him about it. John Curran: la.hamaca@me.com.

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I live in a small town and I go to the utility provider every month to pay my bills. You can also pay them at many banks or credit unions, and in Quito they have a service called Servientrega where you can pay them in one fell swoop.

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I’ll see what I can find out, but I think that article is out-dated…

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If SS goes belly up and you are living in the States, what then? You’ll be living on wife’s income? I don’t think you’ve given enough detail here. i.e. do you have a mortgage, car payments and other debt in the States? And honestly, even knowing your financial situation won’t be enough for me or anyone else on this board to give you advice. This has to be a decision the two of you make together. You don’t say how your wife feels about leaving her career (and children) at such a young age. That’s an important part of the equation. But here is another idea: if you are worried about losing your SS income, don’t buy a property in Ecuador. Instead, put your 200k into come kind of investment account. Rent a house or apartment and keep your 200k nest egg as your emergency fund.

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As for a US bank, any with online banking capabilities will work — but it’s best to choose one that doesn’t charge foreign ATM transaction fees. For that reason, we personally use Capital One. We’ve also opted not to have a bank account in Ecuador… mostly because we’ve had bank accounts in every country we’ve lived in but rarely used them. Ecuador’s is a cash economy and you will never write a check. We just don’t see the need for a local bank account in Ecuador.

But if you decide that you want one, that’s your choice, of course. My advice is that you not open an Ecuador bank account until you decide where in the country you will live. Not every bank has a branch in every location. And even if they have the same name, not every branch will work together. It would be a mistake to open an account in Quito or Cuenca and then decide you are going to live in Salinas and find out there is no branch bank there… or that you have to go back to the original bank to change your address, close the account, etc.

Also note that only two banks in Ecuador are able to accept direct deposits of US social security checks: Produbanco and Banco de Guayaquil.

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Danny, you can pay for it when you arrive at the airport in Quito, or at any TAM office anywhere in Ecuador, or yes, you can have a local travel agent book it for you. Julieta may be able to help you: julieta@nuevomundoexpeditions.com

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