New members of the Ecuador forum, introduce yourself here

Hi there,
I too am recent arrival and enjoying myself very much--the altitude hasn't bothered me and in fact my asthmatic condition doesn't seem to be an issue.
In my opinion, If altitude is a possible issue--then you may be wise to check with a medico first--because it is high!!I am from Calgary Canada where the elevation is about 4000 feet and I loved it --the climate was perfect for me as it is here in Cumbaya--just outside Quito.
I  My learning curve with the espanol I know has been very sharp and I think I am improving but still want to take more classes--lots more--at an intermediate level. You see- I think we are in their country and it is up to us to try.
I hope you both follow through with your dream--its worth it!

Hey my name is Alex and I am Ecuadorian Italian, but I live in Chicago so please don't hate ha ;D

Trying to be in Ecuador by 2016.

I have 4 condos in Quito. I've lived there before. Would like to know if other bloggers have started businesses there and the outcome.

Defintely moving to Quito

Hello all,

My wife and I are planning on retiring overseas after reading about it in International Living, We are going to
Ecuador in August for the first time and we are visiting Cuenca, Guayaquil, and Quito.  From that trip
we hope to understand what it is like living in Ecuador. We are currently living in New York State and plan
on working for two or three more years before making our final move, so we are in the planning stage at this time.
We are looking forward to learn a new way of life and will try to be patient.

I am a CPA in and have been downsized and I found another job as a bookkeeper (very little pay) and my wife is a dietitian. 

Thanks

Hello,

My wife and I are also planning on moving back to Ecuador in 3-4 years. The only difference is that I am originally from Quito and have lived in the States too long. There is a big community of ex-pats in Cuenca. People are attracted to the smaller city life, great weather and culture.

I plan in opening a business in Quito. I currently have 4 condos there so this move is more like a needed change of scenery.

Ecuador is amazing!! Small and yet so diverse.

Enjoy

Welcome -- ask away -- We all have had zillions of questions before making the trip too!

Here's some tips: Start learning Spanish and practice with each other -- KEY WORDS: PRACTICE daily>>> think outside the box and don't try to be perfect!  Read Lonely Planet and Moon Guides from your local bookstore. Sure, you can also take a class at the local high school /community center, for starters. Taken umpteen private and group classes in Sud America myself and run intercambios where we SPanish and ENglish learn from each other. These groups everyone likesI   Have taught English in South America ( Chile and Ecuador) and the more you practice, the more you listen to the sounds, the more you learn!  Watching UNIVISION on TV, esp fun are the telenovelas.  You will enjoy them -- find a family from Latin America in your community and adopt them or get together for cafecito and ask questions -- they'd like to get to know you and your customs as well esp if they are immigrants.  Have fun!
I have lived in South America for almost 5 years (not a long time, there is a lot to learn)
I have lots still to learn.. Disfrutenlo...   Sue in QUito

P.S. Be wary : Don't go on an International Living or Peddicord organization trip -- lots of b.s.

Hi Susan-
Great video.
Muchas Gracias!
John & Cindy

mikking wrote:

Hello all,

My wife and I are planning on retiring overseas after reading about it in International Living, We are going to
Ecuador in August for the first time and we are visiting Cuenca, Guayaquil, and Quito.  From that trip
we hope to understand what it is like living in Ecuador. We are currently living in New York State and plan
on working for two or three more years before making our final move, so we are in the planning stage at this time.
We are looking forward to learn a new way of life and will try to be patient.

I am a CPA in and have been downsized and I found another job as a bookkeeper (very little pay) and my wife is a dietitian. 

Thanks

Welcome. Sorry to hear about the downsizing, though of course you have lots of company. At least you found something, that's better than some have done.

It sounds like you are taking the right approach with an exploratory visit. If you think you might like the coast, I'd suggest that you look at more than Guayaquil -- most expats seem to prefer Salinas, Bahia, Puerto Lopez, or some of the other places around there. I like Quito, but we all have different wants/needs.

As others will warn you, take what International Living says with several grains of salt. Ecuador is a very nice place, but it's not heaven on earth. IL is in the business of touting real estate to their suckers readers

Hi Marcoalexnelly

Do you know if Salinas has good medical facilities as you would find in Quito, Guayaquil  and Cuenca?
By that I mean state of the art?


Thanks

Mike

Thanks, Bob H.

International Living is a very bad signpost for Ecuador.   We who care about Ecuador and its development and the reputation of gringos and their futures here as well as our fellow expats form wherever they come from --- ought to be singing the same tune, IMO.

SUe in QUito

Lester Terry Strech II
L. Terry Strech worked in Kabul, Afghanistan with the Afghanistan National Security Force and Counter Narcotics Aviation Fleet Management Support for the Department of Defense teaching DLI English Language 2009-2010. He has worked in Education/ESL/EFL for over 42 years in Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand, Laos, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq and the United States of America.  Mr. Strech has worked as a Public School Principal in American, Chief Training Instructor, Principal Instructor, Director, Academic Dean, Project Site Lead, Academic Director and Instructor in many different countries.  He has a United States teaching certificate from Texas, TESOL Certificate, Defense Language Institute Certificate (2) and graduate work in Adult Teaching/Training. He was employed by General Dynamic IT in Kabul, Afghanistan as the Program Development Manager.

I am Jim Barickman.  My wife, Marianne and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary 8/1/2914 and are moving to a leased home in Cuenca with our 110lb Doberman 9/1/2014 to begin our next 50 yrs, if we can get all tasks completed    As you all know this is not like moving across town. We have obtained our Residency Visas. We are both newly retired, Marianne as a Speech Pathologist and myself as a Real Estate Developer and Realtor.  We are looking forward to making new friends and experiencing new adventures.

OH BOY!!!!  You go guys!!!! spirits after my own my heart! I brought my three dogs and cat with me from Canada and even though there were those who said --maybe not the best idea --I am glad they are here with me even though it was extremely costly. I am sure you are doing all you can to keep the cost low. Lets hear it for another fifty years of the good life!!!

Congrats on the fifty years, Jim and Marianne -- and best wishes on the move. Sounds like you have things lined up well, getting your visa in advance.

My name is  David and we are just starting the research part. The "we" in the equation is Finnegan, a 18 month old Border Collie. Hoping to get some help from the forum   ...I will arrive with a backback...a Nikon D80 camera and my best friend. Soooo lets begin,shall we

"My name is  David and we are just starting the research part. The "we" in the equation is Finnegan, a 18 month old Border Collie."

Hi David!  Welcome!   Lots of good information here.

I too am looking to move from Kansas with my terrier mix Fergus to settle in Cotacochi/Ibarra area, sometime in the fall of 2015 where the expat community is fairly small.  The majority of expats I've met online seem to be in Cuenca, a much larger city in south central Ecuador.

Hello Joanne.....Just wondering why did you choose Cotacochi? Like so many others...I was considering Cuenca as a place to start. We can then sniff around the country from there.

Good for you! Any advice on obtaining residency visa from the U.S.? I am daunted by the process.

Hey Pat...I don't feel qualified to offer any advice or even suggestions as I am new to the process as well. I have read alot of great information about the "Visa" subject on this site. Doesn't seem that difficult once we have all the required legalized documents. Wish all the best in your quest for "expatship"....david

Hey David, I read a few blogs, and it seemed that Cotacochi was small enough to have a real "hometown" feel.  I've lived in the heart of downtown Wichita for the last 20+ years.  I'm looking for a much slower way of life.  If I need that big city weekend away, Quito is only about 2 hours south, and Ibarra is 20-30 minutes north when I need a bigger grocery or just a Kentucky Fried Chicken. 

Hi Pat, 

It's my understanding that you can enter Ecuador on a tourist visa for 3 months.  You would get that at the airport on your arrival.  There are three basic type of residency visa's, retirement, professional and investor.  They all have different requirements. 

You'll find many of your questions answered here; https://www.expat.com/forum/519-3-visas-ecuador.html

I've got an outbound ticket for a December til April trip, with the other details very much in the air. I fly into Bogota, Colombia, eventually crossing to Ecuador by land, eventually crossing back into Colombia and flying to Panama. Then I'll overland to Managua and fly back to the US. The South American part of this will be all new to me, and any tips will be most welcome. I'm particularly troubled by conflicting online reports about two things.  What's the best bus class you can catch from, say, Pasto to Quito? Or put it another way, what's the shortest luxury bus trip between Colombia and Ecuador? Also, are there presently limits imposed on ATM withdrawal totals within Ecuador If so, how much and how often? I've seen conflicting reports posted online about both these subjects. Thanks forward for your help. Oh, and is wearing a Stetson hat in Ecuador simply something one does not do?

I can't help with the bus or hat questions -- sorry about that -- but my ATM experience is that I regularly withdrew $500 at a time from Banco Pichincha ATMs. A few other banks had the same limit, a couple only $300. I didn't try to withdraw more than once a day, because I never needed to.

I think as long as you carry a gun while wearing aforementioned hat--you're OK.

Thanks. When I buy stuff in places that only take cash, I find I spend less to travel. Need ATMs to access the cash, but only last winter none of my ATM cards worked in Nicaragua. But every cloud has a silver lining and thanks to the Flor de Cana rum distillery, it turns out Nicaragua is a very reasonably priced place to be driven to drink. And a new thought -- any experience with the use in Ecuador of chip-and-pin or chip-and-signature credit cards versus those not so equipped?

uh--what???I am in Ecuador but have no idea what you are saying re these cards. Sorry!

Don't know what are the best buses but you might check out these links for schedules and routes.

http://ecuadorbuses.com/http://andestransit.com/

novato1953 wrote:

Thanks. When I buy stuff in places that only take cash, I find I spend less to travel. Need ATMs to access the cash, but only last winter none of my ATM cards worked in Nicaragua. But every cloud has a silver lining and thanks to the Flor de Cana rum distillery, it turns out Nicaragua is a very reasonably priced place to be driven to drink. And a new thought -- any experience with the use in Ecuador of chip-and-pin or chip-and-signature credit cards versus those not so equipped?

We met some Europeans on our trip to Ecuador and they were funded by ATM's just like the rest of us, so I assume chip-and-pin cards work in many cash machines there as the European cards went chip and pin years ago.

Our mag stripe USA debit card worked only at some banking machines. Banco Pichincha would not process it. We were able to use the machines from Banco de Bolivia, Banco Guayaquil, and our favorite, Alfa Bank. Alfa Bank had the highest cash allowance of $500 withdrawal per day and did not charge any fees for the service. The other banks charged service fees. All of the above banks are large institutions and found all over Ecuador.

Put me down for three dogs - two Shitzuhs and a Staffordshire Terrier mix. I couldn't imagine moving anywhere without them.

I just purchased a house in Vilcabamba, and I have to say that I really love the area. The weather is never above the 70s and never below the 60s. I also decided that Cuenca just seemed to have too many expats for men, so I chose the southern part of the country for its nature, cleanliness and beauty,

Vilca is a small town of only about 2000 people. After living abroad for over 10 years, I decided peace and tranquility was for me. However, I knew that I would need things that wouldn't be found in such a small place - and Loja is just a short drive to major shopping. I'm hoping for the best of both worlds! I first learned about it from this video that was posted about five years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXauuFSPMIA

Good luck to all who are looking for "their place" in Ecuador!

gardener1 wrote:

Our mag stripe USA debit card worked only at some banking machines. Banco Pichincha would not process it. We were able to use the machines from Banco de Bolivia, Banco Guayaquil, and our favorite, Alfa Bank. Alfa Bank had the highest cash allowance of $500 withdrawal per day and did not charge any fees for the service. The other banks charged service fees. All of the above banks are large institutions and found all over Ecuador.

Gardener: I'm surprised about Banco Pichincha. My card was a magnetic stripe debit card from Citibank and Banco Pichincha (and others) accepted it.

I should have mentioned that there was no ATM fee, but it should be noted that Citibank charges a 3% 'foreign transaction charge' for ATM withdrawals and any other transactions (e.g., using their debit card at Supermaxi) -- fifteen bucks on a $500 withdrawal. Really annoyed me. If using a US debit card, it might be worth checking whether your bank charges similar fees.

Hi everybody,

This is to remind you that this topic is for the introduction of the new members as it is specified in the title.
It would be best to avoid going off topic.

If you have some questions to ask or if you want to debate on an another subject related to expatriation, i will advise you to create a new topic for more visibility. Let's keep this thread for the introduction of the new members only please.

Thank you all,

Priscilla 

Fstop wrote:

Hello Joanne.....Just wondering why did you choose Cotacochi? Like so many others...I was considering Cuenca as a place to start. We can then sniff around the country from there.

I'm just really looking for a small town, and a quiet, simple life, although I think I'd enjoy Cuenca also.

I have a 2 year old Border Collie that loves to run. Are there places in Cuenca where we can go off leash?

I am hoping to buy property in Ecuador and I would love if someone can walk me through the steps

I am looking for the same thing you are--I have three active little dogs who love to play and currently I am living pretty close to a park but I am afraid to just let them run as it is not a dog park per se. Anyone??

Thanks for the reply Barbara. Finnegan is a herding dog so he instinctively want to run. We were thinking about relocating to Cuenca...but he won't like being on the leash all the time. Yes....anyone???

Thankyou.....Have a nice day

I am in the processor buying a home in Vilcabama and am hoping to establish an animal rescue group once I get settled. It would be great to have a large dog friendly park for people who want to let their dogs run on their own!

You are obviously an experienced world traveler, Susan. I was just curious as to why you settled on Vilcabamba? I have been researching Vilcabamba and Otavalo. Although Vilcabamba appears to have better weather, I am concerned about the distance to medical care. Appreciate your thoughts.

Hi, Susan,
Actually that is my dream too --it is just that I am unsure of Vilicabamba. It  might be too quiet for me. Don't know. But I sure would like to explore this a bit with you if you are interested in an associate helper and perhaps an accommodation sharer. Please let me know your thoughts as I am mightily open. I also own a home in CALGARY, Canada where I am from. I would not be looking at selling it until I am sure this is where I want to be. Good for you for taking this step--truly a woman of courage--which I admire plus your concern for rescue animals which I truly share!