[SUZAN HASKINS]

You won’t pay the $42 fee on documents… only on goods sent via courier and over a certain amount.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Stan, if you want to get more info about El Encanto, you can email one of their sales reps, Caroline at cdepoli@gmail.com.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Donna, Tungurahua spouts now and then but it has been several years (maybe 10) that I know of since there has been a full-scale evacuation called for. Villages on the side of the mountain are affected first — these are very small farming communities. The largest towns/cities of any size that might be affected are Banos and Ambato. I’ve not heard that anything is going on there now that is cause for concern, have you?

[SUZAN HASKINS]

You will find some of the newer condo buildings in Quito have swimming pools. You can also get a membership to use the pools in Quito at Hotel Quito, Marriott, and Swissotel. There is an indoor community pool in Cotacachi but I understand the water is VERY cold.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I believe I would choose Ecuador over Bolivia… oh wait, I already have! 🙂

[SUZAN HASKINS]

HIs death was sudden. If you were in the process of working with him, one of his staff is prepared to step in. You can contact Eugenio at eugenio@morenodidonato.com for assistance.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Shaun, Go to this website to check out mattresses: http://www.chaideychaide.com/ — we bought a queen that is VERY comfortable and I think we spent about $250 for it.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hardly anyone accepts travelers checks or money orders these days. That should be your very last option.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

A couple of hotels to check with in Quito include Hotel Andino (http://www.andinohotel.com) — write to the owner, Miguel and ask about your dog. I believe Vieja Cuba accepts pets: http://www.hotelviejacuba.com — I’ve stayed there and it is nice.

You might also check out an apartment stay. I’ve stayed at this one: http://www.flipkey.com/quito-condo-rentals/p436354/

And near the airport, Dom allows pets here: http://airporthotelquito.com/ — it’s pretty rustic and about 40 minutes from the city.

For real estate in Quito, check in with Lucia Vegas (e-mail lucia5029@gmail.com) and Tannya Mejia (e-mail tanius04@yahoo.com.ar).

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Tough one. Not knowing what your particular passions are in life, it is hard to give you any guidance. I love Quito, for example, and could live there quite happily. But I live in Cotacachi for a variety of reasons, mostly because it’s small and quiet. I’m not a beach person, but if I were, I’d be living on a beach in Mexico… Ecuador’s beaches are too rustic for my liking. I love the cool mountain air.

Cuenca is fab, too. The reason we don’t live there is because of that extra flight required to get there and because yes, it seems to have more overcast/rainy days than we get in our part of the country. But it IS a beautiful city.

Only you know what you are looking for. If, though, you can be flexible, then it doesn’t really matter… if you like a place, stay longer than planned.

Word to the wise: do NOT go to the beach during Carnival in February without confirmed and re-confirmed reservations… and even then, unless you like boisterous crowds, you won’t get a true flavor of what it’s like if you go during Carnival. Most who live at the beach get out during this time of year.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Ummm, what coffee shops, cafes and restaurants along the coast? You’ll be lucky if they have electricity!

I am only partially kidding, of course. But please remember that most of the towns along the coast are no more than tiny fishing villages. Only in the larger cities (Salinas, Manta, Bahia de Caraquez, Puerto Lopez) and those places focused on tourism (Montanita, Canoa) will you find any real restaurant infrastructure beyond fish shacks. And in those places, you will probably find internet — certainly it will be in hotels and hostels.

WIFI is available everywhere along the coast, but you won’t necessarily find it in the restaurants in small towns. Hostels in small towns will offer it, though.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Shaun, yes IESS and the public system are available to all ages. If you are living outside the US and can prove that (with a foreign resident visa, for example) my understanding is that you are exempt from the Affordable Care Act. To my knowledge, the ACA does not endorse or disqualify any health systems outside the US. The last time I checked there were still some questions about how the ACA would affect those living overseas in regards to taxes and penalties. I’d suggest you check with a tax advisor who specializes in expat situations. Mine is Matt Apodaca and I think he’d be happy to answer a simple question or two: matt@nchwealth.com

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Shaun, the best way to find an apartment is to go there and pound the pavement and start looking. It’s tough to tell the state of the apartment (and most of all, the building) from photos. So if you do find one online, I’d suggest you don’t enter into a long-term contract until you get there. The biggest problem in Bahia is water — it’s trucked in, so you want to be sure that the building condo owners pay their dues and provide for water in a timely fashion. Since many condo owners in Bahia are absentee owners and only come on holiday (typically from Quito) they often don’t bother to pay with regularity.

Here are a couple of places where you can start your search: Viviun.com, vrbo.com, airbnb.com and Ecuadorpropertyconsultants.com, and with Sean Carter at http://www.ecuaassist.com. Sean owns the Coco Bongo Hostel (http://www.cocobongohostel.com) in Bahia and that’s a great place for networking once you are in Bahia, as is Puerto Amistad restaurant: http://www.puertoamistad.com/en/ Tripp from Puerto Amistad is also in the real estate biz (http://www.puertoamistad.com/en/real-estate) and he may be able to help you out as well.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Hi Dona, yes, unfortunately Roberto passed away last weekend. If you were in the process of working with him, his firm is prepared to assist you. Please contact Eugenio at eugenio@morenodidonato.com for assistance.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Since I don’t believe any of us have been to Tarija, unfortunately we can’t do this.

[Author]

Posts