I'm looking into Ecuador

Hi Mike,

You don't say when you are going to come to Ecuador, so my advice is not to gather information that will have no relevance in one month, much less two years when DW retires.

Airfares, visa regs, prices, everything is changing in Ecuador all the time.  Lately every time I've checked airfares from Quito to Cali it's been a very different price.

I have stopped writing very many particulars on my blog and website because things are changing so quickly.

There was a law that you couldn't bring a car into Ecuador if it was older than one year.  That changed for a few months and you could bring an older car in.  Then it changed again and now you can't bring a car at all!  Stay tuned.

You plan to sell most of your belongings and rent is a sound one.  That's what we did. People buy here and then don't like it and then what?  Sell out, move again.

You can drive to Panama but then you face the impassable Darian Strait, so you'd need a boat for passage of goods.

Ecuador is a practice of living in the moment.  Life slows down here, whether or not you want it to.  Manana rules!

Come for a visit, take your time, check things out with your body, mind and soul.  Have an experience of this great country and much of what you are asking will be answered by the full-body yes or no you get when you connect with the land, the people and the customs.

I've lived in Cotacachi for 4 years.  You can read our blog-Living in Ecuador - and find out tons of great information on our website--www.Pro-Ecuador.com  We do our best to answer many of the questions newcomers to Ecuador need to know.

Good luck!

HI Mike;

Eagle has a good point. You can get basic information but the important legal items need to be done through an attorney and probably within 6 months of your intended move. I have 3 good attorneys that speak english and have helped me with many different items and areas of Ecuadorian law.
When you visit try to get to our part of the Pacific coast as its very pristine and laid back (I am not fond of city life).
You might find you like it.....;-)
Rosetta stone is one of the best language programs out there in my opinion and they released a new version. The newest version is expensive ($500 to $700). I have found version 3, brand new for as little as $250.

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All the best.