[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Mark, I am uncertain about the cost of insulin, although I know it is available here. We have a doctor in Quito that we like a lot. He is Dr. Davalos and he is a member of the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers. He speaks perfect English and his tel # is +593 (2) 2260 575 and 2265 783 and 2260 228.

Also, Sarah Dettman is a former Peace Corp nurse and has been living in Ecuador for 25 years. She’s the person we turn to whenever we have a medical question. She may know about the costs of insulin. Email Sarah at s.dettman@yahoo.com.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

You have to clear customs at the point of entry — at the international airport in either Quito or Guayaquil. Not all, but most flights arriving in Quito — at least from the US — do so late at night, requiring an overnight stay in Quito before traveling on. Domestic flights operate only during daylight hours.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Thomas, as attorneys and officials in Ecuador like to say, it is not a “tax” but a “fee.” Almost every country in the world these days, attaches this ‘fee’ on money leaving the country. It does not affect money coming into Ecuador and is only assessed on money leaving Ecuador. This is relatively new and they’re still working the kinks out of it. For instance, at first it was only on sums of $10,000 or (something like that) and some exporters were getting around it by sending lots of small transactions — $1,000 at a time, for example. So they changed the rule yet again.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Certain seasons (rainy) are worse — just as at home. Summer (or rainy season) is when the pests come out and that’s is roughly October – May. I believe they do spray some for mosquitoes but you’ll want to take repellant with you. I buy the OFF Deep Woods towelettes and always have a couple in my purse or suitcase. In the highlands, mosquitos are not a problem.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I do not think there is any advantage. In my opinion, it’s best to qualify on the lower income amount. And I can’t give you a concrete reason for that except that, for privacy reasons, I’d rather only show one set of financial documents… Perhaps someone else would have a different opinion but I don’t see any advantage for get separate visas. If you purchase property you may want to use that for the investor visa and I think you’d want those tied together. If this is important to you, you probably want to consult an immigration attorney. There are two in our Experts section on this website.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

The new Quito airport in scheduled to open February 20, 2013 — so all the kinks should be worked out and everything should be running smoothly by April. By kinks, I don’t mean anything to do with safety but with logistics of moving people through customs and ground transportation into Quito and beyond. They’re still working on the access roads so check back with me as you get closer to your travel time and I can give you a better idea about whether you’ll want to spend the night in Quito or come directly to Cotacachi, for instance.

As for Loja, yes that airport is closed and I am not sure when it is scheduled to re-open. You’ll notice if you try to book tickets online through Tame Airlines (www.tame.com.ec)l it will tell you the airport is closed and give you the option of flying to Cumbaratza airport instead. I’m not eactly sure but think that airport may be 90 minutes or so by ground transfer from Loja. There’s no reason to make this reservation very far in advance, so I’d hold off on this, too. An option is to fly to Cuenca and then get ground transfer from there to Loja (about 4 hours). You could even spend a few nights in Cuenca just to see if that city appeals to you.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Yes, I’d agree. I didn’t mention Loja as it might be a bit intimidating if you don’t speak Spanish. And right now, the airport is close for remodeling so it will take some doing to get there. If I were you, I’d go on to Loja from Cuenca by land — hire a driver or get a van shuttle or take a bus. it’s about 4 hours from Cuenca. There are very few expats (maybe a handful) in Loja. But I found it to be a beautiful city, and I’d like to spend more time there. And yes, because of the lower elevation, it is warmer than Cuenca. The climate is ideal, really…

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Thanks, David!

[SUZAN HASKINS]

You will find all of those except the “maybe tennis”… and then you’ll “maybe” find it. 🙂

You’ll like Cotacachi and Vilcabamba.

Small coastal cities I particulary like: Ayangue/Ayampe, Puerto Lopez, Canoa. But I’d suggest you check out Salinas…it’s not all that big. Same with Bahia de Caraquez. (You’ll find tennis in those spots. And one place I’ve not been is Playas. It’s on my list to check out in coming months…

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Ecuador has only two seasons: Wet (winter) and dry (summer). I know Cuenca had a lot of rain during this most recent rainy season, but they’re in the midst of a glorious summer now. Let me tell you, I’ll take an Ecuador winter over a Nebraska winter any time — I happen to love the rain and fog. You really need to experience it for yourself to find out if you like it or not.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

You might check out the Simon Bolivar School — they have schools in Quito, Cuenca and the Amazon — and they’ll also do classes via Skype if you want to get started before you arrive.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I download them from iTunes, because I am too lazy to remember what day and time some programs are on. And I like to watch several episodes at once. You can get an HBO package at ustvnow.com — and another way to watch all the programs you are used to is via Slingbox (www.slingbox.com). My brother lives in China and he loves his Slingbox even if, thanks to the time difference, he has to get up in the middle of the night to watch his college football teams.

We have friends here in Ecaudor, though, who have the full DirecTV package and they TiVo programs.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Richard, your only choices along the north coast (from my perspective and opinion only) would be Jama Campay, Coco Beach, the town of Canoa or the town of Bahia de Caraquez. In the itineraries in the Travel Section, you’ll find some contacts. And do check vrbo.com and viviun.com and http://quito.en.craigslist.org. You may just want to rent a house at Jama Campay for a couple of nights, then stay in Canoa and couple of nights and then Bahia. I’m sure Francisco at Jama Campay can help you — he might even have a chill weekend that would be a great introduction to this area. Email him (Francisco del Castillo) at franciscodelcastillo@constructoradelcastillo.com. Tell him you’re an IL reader — he’s a fantastic young man and very helpful. HIs family is behind Jama Campay but he gives a good overview of the entire area and is not a hard-sale guy.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Richard, mine is not a smart phone. I’ve been out of the US for 12 years and have never been in one place long enough to justify signing up for a smart phone service plan, which are available here. If you bring one, it will need to be ‘unlocked.’ I’ll see if I can get a better answer for you on this.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

We pay $60 a month for our satellite internet and I think that’s pretty common — $50 to $60 a month in larger population centers and you may pay more in less populated areas. Friends of ours who live in the small beach town on Crucita pay $80 or $85 a month — the wife is a gamer and wants high-speed access. And yes, there are lots of places where Internet is free. That’s common in hotels — small ones, anyhow. Just like the States, which I don’t understand….the small B&Bs and chains like Holiday Inn give you access for free while the big ones (Marriott, etc) make you pay for it, along with a higher room rate. Does that make sense???

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