Living in Ecuador

woooooow! it's kinda scary!!! my boyfriend is from there but lives in Spain for 8 years. He thinks to come back in his country.

i appreciate your honesty about ecuador because i have seen the same behavior in panama. they say the national pastime in panama is "juega" which means "get over on the gringo". for some "juega" is the only life: find a gringo and work him until youve got his money and then lie, make excuses, threaten and hide to keep it but there's nothing you can do. the maids steal and the taxis exthort you. the plutocratic elite have the conquistidor attitude with the "underclass" and wonder why you dont step on them with the boot. you will be told by a lawyer can help and then will promise, take money and just make excuses when he cant deliver results. the police will shake you down as a victim more than investigate the local and any thing that goes to court is a win against the gringo every time. there is no justice or fairness for you if you are in trouble or disopute in panama so better avoid it and concentrate on all the things you had to have when you decided to move there. whatever they were?? "get used to it", the entrenched expats or married into influence expats would say.."this is panama!" i was a hubilado pensionado with all those benefits and discounts and lasted a year before i came back to Florida. the cost of living doesnt matter when you live in fear because you have really no civil rights in the "banana republic". is ecuador the same? please tell me how it is different. please tell me it is different than panama as described? -jim (hablo bastante espanol para hacer una "vida loca" y conocer una mujer bonita por mi amiga y hacer la felicidad, tambien ir el mercado y comprar que todo necessito vivir y ser tranquilo!)

hi, responding to the anarchy in ecuador.

can you be detained without formal charge. how long?

is there "posting bail bond" in ecuador?

do they have the jury system?

betond a reasonable doubt burden of proof?

if yes to these do they enforce these laws at all?

or is it like panama..you pay a fortune to a lawyer to bribe the judge and if you dont a pro se panamanian will win any case or law suit without witnesses or evidence BECAUSE YOU ARE A GRINGO.

is ecuador anti-american? are woman anti-american?

there are many scordnful anti-american expats in eciador and seething anti-american haters. one is JOHN WALKER AND HIS RETIR-IN-ECUADOR (dot)COM. it is a scam and he is a con man.

for more info on the details please contact me at [email protected]

ps. how are the girls of ecuador and the social and night life. anything like colombianas or bars in panama, colombia which are "take me home gringo!"

Wow, International Living magazine makes Ecuador seem like a nice safe country to live in.  We were hoping to live in a smallish town to retire.  Now it seems we will have to fear for our lives?

It has been our experience that you find what you are looking for, no matter where you live.

If you carry yourself like a victim, you will become one no matter where you are.  If you travel alone, in a country where you are obviously not a national, you 'invite' difficulty if you have not first educated yourself on the customs and history of that country. 

If you do not know the language, your difficulty is compounded.

We have been keeping up with Ecuador for the past 2-3 years.  We have gotten to know people online and in person who have nothing to offer except their own experiences.  We have visited and intend to return for a 90 day stay before actually moving to Ecuador.

My unsolicited advice, if I may be so bold, is to read books and talk to people on many different forums.  Learn the language well enough to get around. Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone are the programs we used - and we were able to navigate well from Quito to the Andes to Cuenca.  Physically visit the places you are interested in independent of the organized tours.  See where they go and make your own arrangements to visit the same places; you will see the true Ecuador if you strike out on your own.

An educated decision is always the best one.  Finally, if you are not adventurous, flexible and curious, you may want to rethink moving to a 3rd world country.  It is not the same as the USA; isn't that why you are moving, however?

The bottom line is: Do your homework.  You'll not be sorry you prepared so well.

The best to you.

To add balance to this conversation thread, we have lived in Cuenca for well over a year and find it has far exceeded our expectations. The people are warm, welcoming and very patient as we learn the language.

We have never felt unsafe or personally threatened but we do exercise common sense and avoid potentially dangerous situations.

We consider ourselves to be guests here and try to treat the local people with respect. Our best advice is to visit for a couple of months before moving here. See for yourself.

It certainly isn't perfect and some things take some getting used to. Can't get cheddar cheese or European sausage. The sidewalks are narrow. Ecuadoreans don't pay much attention to polite queueing protocol. But you know what? It's an adventure.

Good grief! Kinda scary ... my wife and I are in the early stages of researching a move to Ecuador, probably in a year or so ... our concerns so far -- how far our income will stretch ($30k-$40k annually), how to get our pets there, whether to rent or buy, what the weather in Cuenca is like year-round, etc. Now a whole new kettle of fish has been presented -- rudeness, crime, etc. Anybody care to reassure us?

No pun intended Shoman, but you're right on the money. We live in Cuenca and we are spending about that amount or even a little less. This gives us a very nice lifestyle.

Hello Shoman,

You do have a way of highlighting the negatives....but I really do appreciate that balance from what International living and other touristy books are saying. I am thinking of moving there because the good ole USA is moving in a very different direction here. Martial law is readily talked about as a possibility here.....what could be worse in Ecuador??  Also, all the really smart pundits know we are on the verge of either hyper inflationary depression or some combination of that and a deflationary spiral that could last for decades. My thought is that if I am priced out of America on my fixed retirement, I might be forced to move and deal with the occasional rude, lazy, never on time, lights out maybe 4 hours at a time...type of scenario you describe.
Anyway, I had 4 years of spanish in H.S. so I have a very elementary level of spanish now after 40 years. How long would it be before (you think) I would be fluent?  I find the language barrier to big a GIANT hurdle. I would be willing to visit and see for myself but how much can I see in a weeks vacation?  I find these blogs invaluable.....especially your in depth analysis. Where you fluent before moving there?  And where are you originally from...just curious.

I think sh0man has done a good job of providing contrast to the situation in Ecuador. I have lived in Quito for over 5 years and feel safer than I do in the US... let me explain why:

Security in almost all of Quito is focused on protective not reactive presence. meaning almost all of the places where you live, where you shop, where you eat have protective security so you can have much more peace of mind... whereas in the US if you get robbed, the police force usually does a good job of responding promptly.

do robberies still happen yes, but for the most part equal to or not as often (statistically) as they do in most major cities in the US.

That being said... common sense applies MORE in Quito than it would in the US.. dont wear flashy items. Keep doors & windows locked in your car, etc.

I would definitely recommend if you're thinking of moving to ecuador, that you take kind of an extended vacation and enroll in a language class there or something of that nature where you have a set schedule and can make friends.  See how you like it and start networking from there.  That's what I did and it worked out for me.  The most important thing is making friends and getting to know people and I think that taking classes or volunteering or getting involved in some sort of community group is the best way to do that.  good luck!
Carrie
www.flavorsofecuador.com

My wife & I are considering visiting Ecuador with a view to seeing whether or not we would like to live there...we love Canada but find the cost of living crippling on our pensions.
I agree that International Living paints a very rosy picture so its good to hear that of course like any other place there is sadly crime...it depends on the amount & type.

Our plan is to visit for at least a month, tour around as much as we can 7 see the different places we might want to live.If that all pans out we would likely rent aplace for 6 months before making any firm decision to move.

I appreciate the  frankness about what life is really like, but in visiting  any country I have been fortunate enough to find that if you treat people with kindness & respect, especially for their customs, they will treat you well.

G.E. Mullan

This guy Shoman has a lot of useful information for potential
residents of Ecuador. However, he's very down on the Ecuadorian population. What gets me is, he claims to be born there of an Ecuadorian mother. Wow, that's what I call a split and conflicting personality. I'm also Ecuadorian but don't fit his description of ugly, lazy, rude and dirty. I guess you'll have to judge for yourselves and read between the lines.

My mom lived in Spain in the 70's. At that time if you were a South American, you had a good education and money. That all changed in the 90's when masses of Ecuadorians moved to Europe, mostly Spain to work. Those imigrants were poor uneducated people from rural areas. To a point that some towns were left half empty. Shoman, you are feeding the stereo type again by asking if her boyfriend is legal in Spain. The unemployment is terrible in Spain now and some are returning home. I was surprised that some Spaniards are posting to see if they can get jobs in Ecuador. Such a reversal.

sh0man wrote:

Hello... coming back to Ecuador from Spain? If he is legal in Spain - why would he do that? With current government, there will be very hard business and very few decent jobs in the next few years... unless you are a very tough business people (hehe - like myself:) you won't find nothing here with those 50-100k that you might bring with you... just honestly like it is..

Yes, and in full force. Like the Tartars!...LOL

sh0man wrote:

Here he is: out of the shadow... The first reasonable thing I heard from you, norviato, that is "judge for yourself".

Shoman, I had almost an identical experience. I was visitin Quito on vacation. My mom, sister in law and brother were living there at the time. My brother said you drive and after a bit of coxing I took over the wheel. Going through one of those tunnels. San Juan or San Roque, not sure which. I was told by my brother to make a u-turn cause I had gone too far or something. A car in front of us did a u-turn. I followed them and that's when the cop flagged me down. The others sped away. I didn't even know that I had done something wrong as there was no sign indicating no u-turn. The cops pointed to the police station between the tunnels and we all got out. We went in and in a few minutes my mom dropped the name of one of our relatives who was in government at the time. The police quickly escorted us back to our car and apologized for the inconvenience. Moral of the story. It pays to know someone in lofty places. If you befriend some really decent Ecuadorians that have clout. They will help you with just about anything. And guess what folks? They won't even expect money from you.

sh0man wrote:

For those of you who intend to drive in Ecuador... Keep in mind that for some traffic offenses you can be arrested. The obvious are: traffic accidents with damages $400.00 +, with personal injuries or deaths. Some are not so obvious for the north american drivers, for example: changing lane in the tunnel or on the ramp. I got caught like this once in the San Juan tunnel in Quito... I changed the lane and kept driving when the police pick up truck pulled up and without turning the lights they signaled to me that I pulled over... OK, we stopped, they approached and explained to me what I did mentioning that I can get up to 6 months in jail for this, then took my drivers license and told me to follow them... yes, that is how they make arrests here - no putting cuffs, nothing like in US... Of course I asked them if we could in any way fix the situation so they let me slide with a warning... they said: no... OK, so in a couple of blocks they stopped and waived to me to approach their cruiser. I came over and got in to the back sit. "So how do u want to fix it" I was asked. "Why don't I buy you a nice dinner and you give me a warning?" I proposed. After a couple of minutes of bargaining, like "it all caught on video, what are we going to say to our superiors" etc. I asked them "how much?", "as much as you think is fare" was the answer, and one of them gave me an envelope. I put 2 x $50.00 in the envelope, they didn't even look, gave me back my license and that was it...
Another evening I was circling in Mariscal - a tourist area with a lot of night life - waiting for a friend of mine when a police car waived me to pull over, again without any lights. OK, they made me breath in their faces, after which one of them got into my car and  I was told to follow them to the police hospital to check my blood for alcohol. No problem, but we were not going to any hospital, while I was told to circle more around the same area the cop explained to me how much time I'd spend in prison if they find any alcohol in me... We drove around some more, then we stopped, all 4 of them checked my breath again... threw in my window my license and disappeared  into the night...
Not all of them accept bribes though, but you can safely offer money to them anytime - won't arrest you for that... for small offenses it makes more sense to pay the ridiculously  low fine, some $5-10...
So, be careful driving, it is a little different here...
P.S. OK, traffic laws have changed. You only can be arrested: if driving drunk, if u kill someone in an accident, or if the damage to the second or third party is more than $500.00 and u cannot get to the agreement with them.

Better stay away from the "take me home gringo" types. As long as you behave and don't throw any bad "gringo" attitudes you'll be alright. Remember, the justice system here in the U.S. isn't always impartial with foreigners either. Jury or not.

legalmedicinegroup wrote:

hi, responding to the anarchy in ecuador.

can you be detained without formal charge. how long?

is there "posting bail bond" in ecuador?

do they have the jury system?

betond a reasonable doubt burden of proof?

if yes to these do they enforce these laws at all?

or is it like panama..you pay a fortune to a lawyer to bribe the judge and if you dont a pro se panamanian will win any case or law suit without witnesses or evidence BECAUSE YOU ARE A GRINGO.

is ecuador anti-american? are woman anti-american?

there are many scordnful anti-american expats in eciador and seething anti-american haters. one is JOHN WALKER AND HIS RETIR-IN-ECUADOR (dot)COM. it is a scam and he is a con man.

for more info on the details please contact me at [email protected]

ps. how are the girls of ecuador and the social and night life. anything like colombianas or bars in panama, colombia which are "take me home gringo!"

Hopefully you've already moved and settled in Ecuador. Spanish is an easy language to learn. There are so many schools there or you can have a tutor come to your house. The trick is not to become isolated in a total expat community. Mingle with the locals that you consider to be in your level and you'll be happy with the results. With the rest of the population you can be courteous as well. Nothing makes enemies more than acting as if you are above them.

freetobe wrote:

It has been our experience that you find what you are looking for, no matter where you live.

If you carry yourself like a victim, you will become one no matter where you are.  If you travel alone, in a country where you are obviously not a national, you 'invite' difficulty if you have not first educated yourself on the customs and history of that country. 

If you do not know the language, your difficulty is compounded.

We have been keeping up with Ecuador for the past 2-3 years.  We have gotten to know people online and in person who have nothing to offer except their own experiences.  We have visited and intend to return for a 90 day stay before actually moving to Ecuador.

My unsolicited advice, if I may be so bold, is to read books and talk to people on many different forums.  Learn the language well enough to get around. Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone are the programs we used - and we were able to navigate well from Quito to the Andes to Cuenca.  Physically visit the places you are interested in independent of the organized tours.  See where they go and make your own arrangements to visit the same places; you will see the true Ecuador if you strike out on your own.

An educated decision is always the best one.  Finally, if you are not adventurous, flexible and curious, you may want to rethink moving to a 3rd world country.  It is not the same as the USA; isn't that why you are moving, however?

The bottom line is: Do your homework.  You'll not be sorry you prepared so well.

The best to you.

Wrong again Shoman, You can learn a lot from Ecuadorians. Unesco picked Quito and Cuenca as world heritage sites. There's a lot of culture there in the way of painting, sculpture, architecture etc. The handy crafts are exceptional. Every time someone visits my house here in Florida. They are amazed at the beauty of this folklore. It's all done by Ecuadorian hands. Visit the wonderful churches, monasteries, convents etc. Even if you are not religious. It's awe inspiring but you need a certain appreciation and sensitivity to value that. If you don't you can live in Somalia and it's all the same.

sh0man wrote:

Respect their customs... ok, easier to say than to do. I'm talking about customs like: don't let anybody pass, regardless of sex and age, on foot or in a car - and be proud about it; be late in everything, and try to tell them that; and some other. New York will look to you as the most polite place compare to this. I said it before and repeat: Ecuadorians are not avatar, there is nothing you can learn from them. You can observe and take advantage of their screwed up society in any way you desire: retirement, business etc. If you think you saw them in US, wait until you see them in mass. Sorry for a harsh and pragmatic message, but for those who after 50-60 years of US living want to disagree with me: I don't believe you. Cheers.

I'm glad to know that they are restricting guns. In Canada that seems to work well. I wish the situation here in the U.S. was the same. Instead we have the 2nd amendment right to have accidents and crime...LOL Getting back to safety in Ecuador. There's always been petty theft but now you have to be more vigilant. So I agree with Shoman totally. I was in Atacames years ago and nothing negative happened to us but that was then and now is now. Esmeraldas has a huge black community that's mostly poor. In the city of Esmeraldas I was coming out with two American friends from the Banco Central branch there. Two little kids no more than 10 years old ran behind us and tried to pick our pockets. It was almost comical as they bumped into a pilar in the process. They didn't get anything. However. From what I read it's better to stay away from that area. Also, it's close to the Colombian border and kidnappings could take place.

sh0man wrote:

Here I'd like to cover an issue of personal security in Ecuador. Those of you coming from US will be really unprepared for this, .. so I want you to be prepared. The bad news: you can get robbed basically anywhere, you imagine it: walking on the street, in the restaurant, stopping on the traffic light, walking on the beach, entering your house etc. It does not really matter what you have: I know robberies when robbers used a stolen car and a gun just to get a $100 and a cell phone. The good news: the robberies are not violent - means if you don't resist you don't get hurt, although if you do resist unsuccessfully you may get hurt or killed, and 99% of the cases are very poorly and cheaply set, meaning really easy to spot and prevent. I was robbed once in Atacames - a seaside town in Esmeraldas, which I highly don't recommend to visit unless you want to have a bad impression about the Ecuadorian coast. Robbed is not a word, because I had just got out of the ocean and had nothing on me but swim trunks and cheap sunglasses... nevertheless a couple of black fellows who for the last 30 min were playing football on the beach approached me and asked for a change. I usually don't give, but at that moment really didn't have... When I was shown a revolver, my sunglasses were taken from my head, and the robbers ran off... at 1 PM, although the beach was pretty much deserted... I have not heard of senseless killings of innocent unarmed people in the malls, schools etc. like the ones that happen from time to time in US. The police like many other things in Ecuador are useless - that's another Ecuadorian shock - dare to call 911 and report an armed robbery in progress, then sit and wait for the police - chances are they never come. It is not that cops here are all cowards, I know many who care and like to help but... I also know one who shot dead a bank robber in an open shootout, and now is being sued by the dead robber's family... Justice system is extremely manipulative when it comes to robberies. There are no trials by jury, all is decided by a single judge - imagine the rest yourselves: the highest paying bidder usually the innocent one. I remember one case: a gang of colombians armed with AK's was robbing jewelry stores and banks in the malls in september last year. Stupid robberies: all caught on video so they ended up caught. I don't know how but 2 of them just got out... Or the case of Restrepo brothers: 2 teenagers simply disappeared from the police station - look it up in internet, very interesting. It happened 20 years ago (should I add "only" 20 years ago) but still there is no official version of what happened. Nothing changed in 20 years: same thing will happen today... Laws are not helping either - recent attempts by the government to "uncrowd" crowded jails led to decriminalization of many "light" offenses. For example: robbery without violence up to $600 - meaning if someone snatches your blackberry the police immediately can not arrest the offender if he/she gives it back. Here you can not hurt anyone just defending your property. Only if you are attacked personally - and only with the same weapon you are being attacked... know what I mean? For example - if someone attacks you with a knife, you cannot legally shoot him/her, and/or you can not shoot someone without being shot at first... ridiculous, ah? Well, all I'm saying is in Ecuador you have to be always on alert - watching if you are being followed, if someone is where is not supposed to be etc. - always on the code orange for those who know what it means. If not your next "friendly" non violent robbery is just around the corner. Don't want you to be scared just prepared. Any questions, please.
P.S. July, 2009. Recently the government cracked down on firearms: no carrying on the streets anywhere, no new sales. If you already have one you can keep it at home. We'll see what will happen in the future.

Mr. Mullan, You hit the nail right on the head. No matter where you go if you treat people well they do the same to you. Of course Mr. Shoman doesn't see it that way. To each his own!

gemullan wrote:

My wife & I are considering visiting Ecuador with a view to seeing whether or not we would like to live there...we love Canada but find the cost of living crippling on our pensions.
I agree that International Living paints a very rosy picture so its good to hear that of course like any other place there is sadly crime...it depends on the amount & type.

Our plan is to visit for at least a month, tour around as much as we can 7 see the different places we might want to live.If that all pans out we would likely rent aplace for 6 months before making any firm decision to move.

I appreciate the  frankness about what life is really like, but in visiting  any country I have been fortunate enough to find that if you treat people with kindness & respect, especially for their customs, they will treat you well.

G.E. Mullan

norviato1 > let me remind you that the forum goal is to help each other, and not to criticize other members.

please concentrate on the original discussion or the moderators will intervene again

Sir, I'm helping others by clarifying misconceptions created by Shoman. When he refers to Ecuadorians as ugly, lazy and dirty. Should I stay quiet? Most in here want to know positive and negatives but not in the way of insults. Where are the moderators then?

Julien wrote:

norviato1 > let me remind you that the forum goal is to help each other, and not to criticize other members.

please concentrate on the original discussion or the moderators will intervene again