Life in Quito

Arabian Knight wrote:

Do they have big food chain restaurants like McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks for my coffee?

Finally, someone who's got his priorities straight in moving
to Ecuador

Mickey D:  We've got plenty of his places here in Quito.

Chicken outlets:  You can choose here amongst KFC (plentiful outlets), Texas Chicken, Tennessee Fried Chicken, and lots of South American places -- including Pollo Loco (crazy chicken).

You're more likely to be getting your coffee at Juan Valdez Café or Sweet & Coffee than finding any Starbucks.  But you won't go wanting.  And there's hope:  Starbucks opened its first place in Colombia last year and dozens more may be coming to Ecuador's northern neighbor.  Maybe Ecuador next....?

cccmedia in Quito

Thanks for the info CCC


Are there movie theaters that show English movies ?

And yeah regarding health care , do we have access to public healthcare ?

And last but not the least , would I be seeing lots of foreigners in the streets of Quito ?

Arabian Knight wrote:

Are there movie theaters that show English movies ?

And...do we have access to public healthcare ?

I have so many English-language movies available through my HBO package...and at $1.25 with typically good quality, pirated DVD's are widely and openly available in the "tiendas"...that I've never had the urge to look for English-language cinemas.  One way or another, you'll get your fill of the movies here.

For Expat residents, health care is available for about $73 a month (single person; slightly more for a couple) through the government's IESS program.  CuencaBoy told us the IESS care is excellent in his city;  Quito reports will hopefully start coming in now that the government expanded that program in 2014.  The government's free health-care is generally not recommended for Gringos and is at least one rung down the ladder from IESS.

Use the search-function above to find health-care threads on the forum from days gone by.

cccmedia in Quito

Arabian Knight wrote:

Quito...How's the nightlife ?...are there Arabs and Arabic cuisine restaurants ?

Let's talk restaurants first.

Quito has all the famous cuisines of the world.  Tonight I had two plates of Italian food in an Argentinian restaurant in Gringolandia.  Go figure.  I took half of it home, by the way.

El Arabe and Rincón Arabe (Arab corner) are two of the many Middle Eastern restaurants listed and reviewed at tripadvisor.com ...
Google:  Middle Eastern restaurants tripadvisor Quito Ecuador.

Tripadvisor also has plenty of info for you about nightlife.  To put it mildly, nobody is complaining about any lack of variety and availability of nightlife in Ecuador's national capital.  Plaza Foch is the nightlife center of Quito.

cccmedia in Quito

Arabian Knight wrote:

would I be seeing lots of foreigners in the streets of Quito?

Well, let's see. I'm sure I can remember the answer to this question. Oh, yeah.

The only way you won't see them is if you're wearing a blindfold!

Half the tables in that Argentinian restaurant tonight were being used by apparent Gringos, including yours truly.

If there are "Arabian" visitors, and of course there are, they are probably wearing Western garb as I don't recall seeing what I consider "Arabian" clothing around town.

Naturally, you'll see a lot more foreigners in Gringolandia than in some out-of-the-way "vecindario" in south Quito.  I don't venture down that way anymore, but I suspect a local could live a lifetime in such a spot without encountering a single Gringo.

cccmedia in Quito

There's a few kabob places and a small Arabian and Middle Eastern population. There is also historically a bit of Arabian culture that was carried over by the conquistadors due to the Arabian and N African influence in southern Spain. Or so I'm told, anyway.

My $68 insurance with Confiamed canceled me after one claim in 2.5 years, so beware the claims of cheap insurance. Just a word to the wise. On the good side, medical visits and drugs are much cheaper than in the US.

$68 insurance, that is cheap!  And apparently you got only what you paid for.

I was paying $240 a month, medical-dental, with Salud SA insurance, during my first months living in Ecuador.  They wouldn't pay a cent for my medicine reimbursements.

When the IESS program was expanded last year, I eagerly dumped Salud, saving almost $170 a month in premiums immediately.

A doctor's office visit in Quito without insurance may cost one about $30 (possibly less in EC pueblos), or $50 for a specialist office visit.  The latter is necessary to obtain prescriptions for "psychotropic" drugs including ambien.

cccmedia in Quito

Life in Quito is cosmopolitan...very livable and an investment hot spot for real estate in Ecuador. Yes...ahem...fast food restaurants proliferate...especially the ever popular KFC, here. Nightlife is good, especially around "The Mariscal" district, however, comparable to other global cities/countries, Quito/Ecuador are not prolific "nightlife destinations". We are not talking Bangkok, here.  As for Arab cuisine and culture, reasonable presence throughout most parts of Quito, especially in the northern section.