[ANGELA SWOPE]

i go to weather underground or wunderground.com. Individuals post personal weather station information on this site. It is probably closer to being more accurate than most. Unfortunately, no one in Cotacachi has a weather station report, but you can put in other towns in the country and see what the weather is like.

[ANGELA SWOPE]

John and Charles,

You can use your smart phone in other countries but as stated check with your service provider. Even though you get an international plan I have found it to be expensive. There are always hidden charges. Data roaming is very expensive, even though you have an international plan. However, if you can jump on a WIFI network then that would be ideal.

Charles,

Typically Smart Phones have to be broken to work on another countries cellular network. I live in the Dominican Republic, I have an IPhone and before we could use it here, I had to break it. I am not sure if it will work in the states. We are going to the states in December and we are going to test it then.

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Mark, I agree with Suzan. I’m using Warren Hardy and really enjoy, it’s entertaining and educating all in the same. I’ve used Rosetta Stone and believe it more geared towards the younger crowd and is difficult at best.

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Oh, that is oh so not fair. In the states I was buying Dominican chocolate but here the cacao is sent out of the country. Several of us have been trying to find good chocolate and have failed. I have read Ecuador has fabulous chocolate!

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Excellent! That is very comforting to know and even hear Nestles having operations. Ed, we have the same here in the DR, but I am sure it is even a little better in Ecuador, looking forward to it. Yeah!!!!!

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Suzan, can you compare milk and cream with the US? Butter also. I too miss good milk, cream and butter. 🙂

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Thanks again, Suzan. We were going to build here in the DR but have totally changed our minds having lived here.

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Thanks Suzan, we totally agree! We will be there as soon as we can!

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Thank you so much Suzan! You a BIG help!

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Got so involved in the story and forgot to answer your question. We are looking in the Quenca area or surrounding valleys like Yunguilla.

[ANGELA SWOPE]

That is exactly what we want to hear. Oh yes, we have had more than our fair share of interactions with the police and commendante, very pleasant man and we haven’t had to pay him. If you need someone arrested, again, you pay the police to arrest that person. See the government here is very very corruptand it starts at the President and just trickles down and doesn’t stop at government level it goes to the people. When an extranjero comes into the country they are seen as prey and fair game for all! Our landlord for example, thinks extranjeros come to this country to pay him, not because he has a rental house.

You’ve heard the saying “To rob Peter to pay Paul”? Well here, they’ll rob Peter, Paul and all their friends and not pay anyone! Haha! Crime is extremely high, it is robbery and drugs.

We lived here a little over two months and we had lots of jewelry stolen, not because the house got broken into, because the the house cleaner and friend went through my house while we and our friend were at the capital getting our residency resolved. These people knew how long we would be gone and took their time. The house cleaner is our friends (the friend that went to the capital) girlfriend and the other guy we have known for years, actually everyone we had known for years, so it’s not like it was just someone off the street. People that know you will rob you! Nothing ever happened to anyone!

It will be actually comforting to live somewhere where it is not so corrupt!

Sorry, longer answer than I intended but the last 18 mons here have been interesting and frustrating at the same time.

[ANGELA SWOPE]

Website would be great. Here we have one that supplies individual, dealer or used car sales to post. Also would be great to know the place to look like: Quito is better than Cuenca, etc. Dominican Republic is strange, I think, they have specialty towns, fortunately I live 40 km from the car parts town. I will be moving to Ecuador with 3 Rottweilers and a husband so a car is needed, who wants to ride on a bus with a Rotty? Lol! Only me! Thanks for checking!

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