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Can anyone say this is incorrect?

Nov

20

2011

First let me say that I’ve been to Panama for a month and not to Ecuador. From everything I’ve read online, here are the reasons I could not live in Ecuador:
1. Taxi kidnappings. I’ve been told to go to a hotel to get a taxi, instead of flagging one down in the street, and to get the phone numbers of those you can trust.
2. You shouldn’t drink the water and that you need a filter for your home.
3. While not a problem with me but it would be with my wife, you can’t flush toilet paper.

Comments?

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In: Ecuador Living Asked By: [2 Grey Star Level]
Answer this Question Now Answers 4 Answers
Answer #1

Hi, from my research< I asked my real estate agent about drinking water in the Salinas area and she said most that can afford drink bottled water, but she cooks with tap water, not sure about other areas. But I use a reverse osmosis system here, because I don't trust the water.
As for toilet paper, I have been to Mexico, Dominican Rep. and Costa Rica and very few people put toilet paper in the toilet, the sewage plants are not like ours here, that's very common

Answers Answered By: tracy [44 Green Star Level]
Answer #2

Hey Flyfisher,

Ive lived in Ecuador on and off for 6 yrs and Ive never had one incident hap´pen to me like a Taxi kidnapping and I flag down in the street often. I do recommend to have a phone number of a taxi you can trust for late night rides though.

As for the toilet paper thing.. thats pretty much all of latin america, you get used to it, trust me.

And for the drinking water, you can cook with it, bath in it, brush your teeth, no problem!

Some drink it straight out the tap but I dont… again, you get used to it, really its no biggie, sounds like you need to weigh your pros and cons and see if moving abroad is for you… you could always dump the misses. :)

Saludos, Dom

Answers Answered By: admin [321 Blue Star Level]
Answer #3

Living in a foreign country is different and sometimes its easy to be swayed by comments and information that is offered. In any developing country you are going to have areas of concern as the populas goes through the growing pains, unfortunately there will be criminal elements everywhere. There are issues in all countries, however I can only reiterate my own personal travels. I have been coming back and forth to Ecuador for years and have lived permanently here for 8 months. I admit I live on the coast where these things are much less prevalant than in the larger cities, but neither my wife or I have experienced any issues. We are alert and always ask locals about specific areas before we go into them, just like we did in the USA…so not different in that regard. Being alert and staying out of bad areas will keep you safer from harm along with knowledge of not flashing jewelry or cash, not acting like a rich gringo or a tourist will help as well.

For water concerns…as with much of the developing world, we do not drink from the tap, but I didnt do that in the USA either so it is not any different for us. We use the water out of the tap for cooking, cleaning, bathing etc. but use bottled for drinking.

Flushing toilet paper can be done in most larger/newer hotels, condos, etc., however the older ones or even homes that were built to Ecuadorian standards do not have the plumbing systems that will allow it as many of the sanitary pipes used are of smaller diameter which causes blockages, not to mention their septic systems leave a lot to be desired. If you are going to build, you can make sure your builder uses 4 inch sanitary pipe and you get a proper septic system…I would recommend a bio-digestor system and they are available all over Ecuador.

Hope that helps some.

Larryp

Answers Answered By: LarryP [322 Blue Star Level]
Answer #4

I’ve never had a taxi problem- either in Salinas or Cuenca. As for flushing toilet paper, it seems to depend on age of apartment you live in- we always flush. In certain restaurants where plumbing is old, you are asked not to- not a problem.
In Salinas we used bottled water where as in Cuenca we drink from the tap- again our apartment building is newer.

Answers Answered By: Petrauwe [7 Grey Star Level]

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