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Adjusting to Expat Life in Ecuador

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DCinEC
  5/11/2009 17:10 EST

The biggest limiting factor to settleing in Ecuador is the language. We came with a very limited vocabullary but after 2 months immersion are doing well.
2. The biggest culture shock was the fact that people do not keep appointments, things do not get done quicky, What one govt office tells you is not what the next want as far as forms, information, etc., people do not mean to be dishonest but they do not always tell what is true but what they think you want to hear. You have to know someone who knoiws someone etc to find out what really is the story or to get things accomplished.

3. My best advice is

1. Make contacts before you arrive who can take you around the areas you visit, interpretet and negotiate on your behalf
1. Learn some basic spanish before you come.
2. Check everything, tickets, receipts, passports, important papers and keep the yellow declaration piece of paper you fill out on arrival. Customs wants it when you leave but no one tells you this until you get to out going customs.
3. When you come through customs, make sure they stamp your passport for 30 to 90 days expected stay. They stamped mine for 90 days and my wife's for 10 days. It cost us $230 fine and lawyer fees to get it changed to 90 days. We were told of several others to whom this happened.
4.. If applying for permanent visa, make sure you have a competent lawyer. We have heard first hand from people several horror stories about problems getting it done. We have a good lawyer in Quito and his assistant here in Bahia who handles all the paper work. And they do it right.
5. Have funds in a bank account in the states from which you can draw cash via VISA card. You need your permanent visa to open a bank account at most banks. The Banco Commercial allowed us to open a savings account with our passport. Several companies here don't do business with them. We can draw $300 a day for a $3.00 charge at ATM of Bank of Pinchincha. A check on a US bank takes 40 days to clear after deposit to an account here in Ecuador.
6. Don't rent a car! It is expensive and if you have an accident you are guilty and may be put in jail until after the investigation and paperwork is done. That may take a while. Also the auto is impounded until after the case is settled and you will be charged every day it is impounded.
Hire a taxi for local travel and public bus or air transport for longer travels.
You can rent a taxi for about $30.00 a day.
7. There are very few standards here. Health standards for food preparation, building codes, how things are done and many others are not fixed and change daily. Bathrooms are not always clean and most often have no paper.
Most anything can be done in time , with the proper bribes, er, or donations for his kids shoes. Don't take anything you are told as gospel, get info from at least three people who have had it done and then decide on a consensis and then have someone you know and trust to assist you.

All that being said, we are very satisfied and happy to have moved to Ecuador. Life here is much less hectic and more satisfying, Stress is reduced 500 percent- unless you are a type A addict, the food is so great and healthy you may not want to eat the food when you go back to the US. My health has improved immensely. I came with a wheelchair 2 months ago. In December 2008 I had Gullian-Beret syndrome and was a quadraplegic. I spent 2 weeks in hospital for plasma dialysis, 3 weeks in rehab hospital., and 3 weeks home physical therapy. I am 70 years young
Today I walk with one cane for balance. I have lost 20 pounds due to the good food and exercise
And best of all --YES, you can live well on $700 a month.

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With Offices in BOTH Ecuador and the US, Ecuador Visas with Attorney Sara Chaca is the No. 1 Visa Law Firm for Your Move! Specializing in Ecuador Residency Visas plus converting from Temporary to Permanent Residency, Containers, Real Estate Closings, Wills and Estate Planning, Driver Licenses, Opening Businesses & Citizenship!
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SagewoodShawn
  6/1/2009 15:56 EST

You mentioned a good attorney in Quito who has an assistant in Bahia. We plan to move to Bahia. Please provide the name and contact info of this attorney.

Many thanks,
Shawn

WmT
  6/22/2009 11:10 EST

DC,

Congratulations on improving your life & health! I myself experienced the same type of improvements in just the 2 weeks I spent looking around the coast! I lost 12 lbs and for the first time in years was pain free! This for someone who has had multible back surgeries and has RA... I can't wait to return for good next month!

William

eddstaton
  6/22/2009 22:35 EST

So my wife & I are visiting Cuenca next month with the intent of moving there within the next 6-9 months. Not familiar with where you reside. Any tips to make sure our trip is successful would be greatly appreciated. Edd Staton

Chiquita
  6/23/2009 08:31 EST

DCinEC presents a very accurate picture of life in Ecuador.
Who you know is of paramount importance here to oil the wheels of Bureaucracy. Even being friends with a taxi driver who knew how the system works and who could act on our behalf, helped us immensely.
Otherwise, being unable to speak Spanish or to understand it, we would have been lost. So I would say the language barrier has been our biggest difficulty.
The other difficulty was expecting people to keep apointments and their word.
We have since learned to just "go with the flow." This is a culture where nothing is urgent and time is not important. This differs from city to city or area to area, but for the most part it is true. Ecuadorians are lovely, warm, friendly, laid-back people. They don't rush you so don't try to rush them - it doesn't work.
The food was also a bit of a challenge. No lamb, of which I am very fond. I got a bit tired of chicken and rice. Here in Cuenca we have more choice, so it is much better.
On a personal note, the other huge difficulty I had was remembering to place my used toilet paper in a bin in the bathroom and not down the toilet. Ugh!!!

Chiquita.

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With Offices in BOTH Ecuador and the US, Ecuador Visas with Attorney Sara Chaca is the No. 1 Visa Law Firm for Your Move! Specializing in Ecuador Residency Visas plus converting from Temporary to Permanent Residency, Containers, Real Estate Closings, Wills and Estate Planning, Driver Licenses, Opening Businesses & Citizenship!

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With Offices in BOTH Ecuador and the US, Ecuador Visas with Attorney Sara Chaca is the No. 1 Visa Law Firm for Your Move! Specializing in Ecuador Residency Visas plus converting from Temporary to Permanent Residency, Containers, Real Estate Closings, Wills and Estate Planning, Driver Licenses, Opening Businesses & Citizenship!
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JP55301
  7/5/2009 23:26 EST

Chiquita,
they sell an appliance called a toilet bidet that can easily be installed in the toilet which will allow washing after use and will resolve the paper situation and is more sanitary!
regards
JP

Chiquita
  7/7/2009 10:47 EST

Thanks, JP. Will look into that. However, we are only renting this apartment so cannot do any construction alterations.

Bye the way, not to stir up a hornets nest, but we took over Dean's hostel in Bahia but did not run it as a B&B, only as a residence while staying in Bahia for nine months. Dean was instrumental in our move from South Africa to Ecuador.
We got chatting on a forum and he answered all our queries and concerns. Then he wanted to move back to the U.S.A. and offered us the rental of the hostal and the purchase of the entire contents. This way we had a olace to land and a home when we arrived in Ecuador. Dean was a great help in getting us settled. So we wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him.
Regards,
Chiquita.

JP55301
  7/7/2009 12:34 EST

Hi chiquita,
hadn't heard from you in a while. There is no construction or alteration of the property to install the bidet. See the following site: WWW.BIFFY.COM.
By the way I'm glad you spoke up and cleared who Dean is. But why send it to me? I don't know the gentlemen and have no problems with him. The person you should have directed this info to is that gentlemen Steve from the developer company who seems to have a problem with this gentlemen called Dean. From your input seems he is a nice person and fits the purpose of this forum informing and helping people that need the help w/o expecting anything in return. I'm glad that you narrated the help he gave you and how influential he was to your move.
regards
JP

Chiquita
  7/7/2009 16:22 EST

Sorry for sending the info that we rented the apartment in which Dean ran his hostal.
It was just a "by the way" and not an attempt to clear the gentleman. I do not vouch for anyone's character unless I have known them personally for many years. I was just sharing how he helped us when we first came to Ecuador.
Again JP, you missed the point.

Chiquita.

JP55301
  7/7/2009 18:42 EST

Chiquita,
no need to apologize. I agree with everything you say and understand you were just sharing good information. You always do. My point is why you sent it to me and not the gentlemen that was asking about him. I was just curious since I have no idea who this person is nor do I care.
regards
JP

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Ecuador Visas - Law office of Attorney Sara Chaca

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