Category: Ecuador Q&A

Trust me, I´ve been there.

I mean, living in a small town on the coast of Ecuador.

The town (Manglaralto) was 4 km from Montanita and had a total of 3 streets parallel to the ocean with about 20 streets perpendicular.

Tiny.

You know, I didn´t really need or want a car.

I could use the frequent/cheap buses for long distances.

Plus, with car prices double or triple what im used to in the US, I wasn´t in a hurry to buy one.

But walking 20 minutes just to buy some fish or veggies can get tiring.

So… let me introduce the ideal vehicle for an expat on the coast of Ecuador… the motor-bicycle.

Literally, its a BICYCLE with a little motor on it and a half gallon gas tank.

You can pedal it like a normal bike if you feeling like getting some exercise or turn on the little motor and away you go.

The max speed with the motor on is 40 km per hr (25mph).

Did I mention you can get 100 km (62 miles) to the gallon!?

And don´t worry about parking, just chain it up (its a bike)!

Got groceries? Put a basket on it.

And no special licenses or insurance needed (so the local policia tell me).

Did I mention one of these little motors put on your bicycle in Ecuador only costs around $250?

Obviously not great for long distances or highway riding but great for zipping around your little beach town.

One place you can buy one I know of in Ecuador is in the suburb of Quito called Tumbaco. The shop is named Taller Turbo and one contact number is 02 2373946.

But they sell them on the coast too.

And by the way, all the cool kids have one.

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A friend recently asked…

“Where can I find some duct tape and a tennis ball in Ecuador.” 

Referring to his mom sitting next to him in the case she didn´t shut her trap.  

But seriously, if you´re living in a small town in Ecuador (like me) far from the nearest Supermaxi big box store, how can you find the really random stuff. 

Like an office chair with arm rests.  

A sandwich maker.  

A permanent marker.  

You know, really random stuff.  

Don´t ask on a public forum online, that will just get people annoyed at you.  

Instead, tanslate what you need using a friend or Google Translator and then…

…find a local taxi driver.  

He has to be LOCAL.  

And I can pretty much guarantee if you say the thing in Spanish he will know where to buy it and take you there.  

Taxi drivers are an amazing resource for an expat in Ecuador or anywhere for that matter.  

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This week, I broke my own record.

About 4 hours of pounding the pavement in Manta, Ecuador.

2 permanent residency visas for friends of mine.

And yes, its something easy enough you could actually do it yourself, or maybe with the help of someone that speaks Spanish.

You certainly dont have to pay a lawyer thousands to help with your visa.

Here´s the whole process I did:

1. First, make sure my friends brought down the following documents from the USA, their home country…

– Proof of pension (for the both of them to get the visa at least one of them needs a pension of $900 or higher, for a single person the requirement is min $800)

– Marriage certificate

– Birth certificates (just in case, although lately they are no longer asking for these)

– Criminial record check from where they ve lived the last 5 years (the document itself can be no older than 6 months). When dеаth оr іnjurу оссur, іt іѕ necessary to hіrе a Prоduсt Lіаbіlіtу Attоrnеу. Drug соmраnіеѕ, who nоw аdvеrtіѕе to the masses with mеgа-mіllіоn dollar аdvеrtіѕіng саmраіgnѕ, аttасh lоng lists of potential ѕіdе еffесtѕ аnd роtеntіаl health rіѕkѕ tо their рrоduсtѕ. Sоmеtіmеѕ, thе lіѕtѕ are lоngеr than thе аd сору itself. Whу? Thеу are warning уоu. Wаrnіng bесаuѕе thаt dеѕріtе thе gооd thеіr рrоduсt саn dо, thеу knоw bаd things соuld happen to уоu. Thеу аrе соvеrіng their legal bases аnd trуіng tо рrоtесt thеmѕеlvеѕ frоm lawsuits. In оthеr words, уоu nееd to ѕреаk рrоmрtlу with аn experienced product liability attorneys frоm thе lаw fіrm оf Thon Bесk Vаnnі Cаllаhаn & Pоwеll.

– Certificate from the Ecuador consulate in your home country certifying the source of pension document. ( Certificado determinando la percepción de dicha jubilación, pensión) This is a new one since I helped someone with this last year! 

All the above documents need to be apostilled by the Secetary of State in the State they are issued, and the proof of pension needs to be certified by the nearest Ecuador Consulate before coming.

2. Then, we went straight to the Immigration police (in Manta its the Immigration office on 4 de Noviembre, in Quito its the immigration office across from the Mall El Jardin), to get a document for each showing all their migratory movements in and out of Ecuador called the Certificado de Movimiento Migratorio. (cost $5 each) Elapsed time 20 minutes.
3. Then, we made color copies of the info page of both their passports and of the page showing their latest stamp upon entry to Ecuador.  We also had passport photos taken of each.  And then we printed off the official visa application form found here so each person could fill one in. I also bought a manilla folder to put all their documents.  Elapsed time 15 minutes.

4. Then I translated the documents they brought from the States and went to a local notary next to the Pichincha Bank in the center of Manta where I had to verify my signiture as the document translator and get something called a RECONOCIMIENTO DE FIRMA.  ($20).  Anyone can translate the documents except the interested party.  Elapsed time 1 hour 45 minutes.

5. Then in an internet cafe across the street from the bus terminal in the center of Manta I wrote up in Spanish a simple letter stating to the immigration department what they want to do (retire in Ecuador) and why they want to retire here (I said the weather).  Example of letter here.  Elapsed time 10 minutes.

6. Went with all the documents and my friends who were applying (they have to be present or you need to have a power of attorney document notarized) to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores in the center of town in between the boardwalk area (Malecon) and the big Pichincha Bank.  We got a turn and there was no wait and we turned in the folder with all the above. They also had to pay the application fee of $30 each.   Click here for the official list of requirements.  Elapsed time 20 minutes.

What now?

In two weeks they´ll have to go back to that same office once their visas are approved, pay the visa fee to the window ($320 each one time only) and then they will place the visas in the passports and give you 30 days to get a cedula which is your official Ecuadorian ID card (which (as of June 2014) you can not currently do in Manta, only Quito, Guayaquil or Cuenca).

Then they will be permanent Ecuador residents who can stay in country as long as they like.

Not bad for 4 hours.

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Here´s an example of the official letter immigration in Ecuador asks for when you apply for a visa, just plug in your info and where you are applying and play!
—BEGIN—

2 de junio, 2013.

Manta, Ecuador.

Estimados.

Coordinacion Zonal 4 Manta

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movimiento Humano.

Por medio del presente, yo, John Doe con número del pasaporte 111111111 de nacionalidad estadounidense solicito que se me conceda visa 9-1 de Pensionista y Visa 9-VI de amparo en mi visa 9-1 a mi conyuge Suzy Q con número del pasaporte 111111222 de nacionalidad estadounidense. Ya que hemos decidido residir tiempo completoen la costa manabita ecuatoriana por cuestiones de clima y salud.

Atentamente,

_______________________

John Doe

Número Pasaporte: XXXXXXXXXX
— END—-

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“It was too cloudy.”

“It was a ghost town.”

I hear things like this all the time when people describe Salinas, Ecuador.

They just don´t know.

Right now I´m checking in from Salinas, Ecuador on a bluebird sunny day.

The ocean is sapphire blue and very inviting, not a cloud in the sky, and I´m surrounded by women in bikinis (at least thats what Im noticing).

People are on their balconies drinking beer with their friends.

Whats not to like?

But you have to know a few things before you visit (or live in) Salinas to get the most out of it… and be sure to define what you want.

1. Know the weather.  From mid-December to early-May most days are sunny and warm.  From late-May to mid-December its generally overcast.  It makes a big difference!  The ocean turns from blue to grey.  All year it almost never rains on this peninsula blessing it with low humidity.  For me, April is the best month to visit.  Right now!

2. The seasons.  If you like being surrounded by people, come in the high season from late December to early April, specifically on the weekends.  If you like empty beaches come from late April to early December.

3. When to buy.  If you are looking to purchase real estate, be sure to go in low season, when the weather is bleak, and everyone has their ´for sale´ signs out.  The difference in amount of inventory available is astonishing.  The best months to property hunt are August, September, October, right in the midst of low season and when the high season still seems far off.  In high season, almost all the locals and expats take down their for sale signs to enjoy their property. As I speak here in April there is very little for sale.  Ill be back in two months.

4. Where to eat.  People who say they dont like the food here must not have known where to eat.  Try the local treat, fish fillet soup “Chupe de Pescado” at the Restaurante Herminia on the Malecon.  Try eating where the locals eat at the open-air food court Picanteria Super Fausto near the Bank of Pichincha.  Try anything on the menu labeled with ” al ajillo (garlic flavored seafood)” “encebollado”, “ceviche”, ” sancocho” all delicious choices.  For something fried you could always try the “camarones apanados (breaded shrimp)” or the cangrejo (crab).

5. Where to hang out and stay.  Do you want to hang out with other foreigners or the locals?  To find the expat-gringo crowd hang out at the Smokin BBQ next to the El Carruaje Hotel on the boardwalk or try the bar at Hostal Aqui or the restaurants at Big Ralphs or Cocos Hostal.  Go elsewhere if you prefer to hang with the locals.  For cheap places away from the gringo scene you could try any of the many smaller hotels one row back from the ocean like Marvento or Salinas Suites which usually oscillate around $20 per person depending on the season.   For a luxury place try the Barcelo.

6. What to do and where to shop.  Whale-watching is good fun and possible from late-July to early-September.  People dont realize but at the local travel agencies on the boardwalk you can also hire banana boat rides, four-wheelers and even deep-sea fishing or scuba.  For those living in the area to find any household items you may need try the big box stores at El Paseo Shopping Mall.  To get the freshest seafood at the best prices try the Mercado de Mariscos in La Libertad.  For local handycrafts try the handycraft market near the Banco Pichincha on the boardwalk.

7. What its really like.  Take it for what it is.  Salinas from the beginning was built not as a tourist destination but as a weekend retreat for the wealthy folks from Guayaquil.  Another way to store their wealth.  Its a row of high rise condo buildings along the ocean.  If you go one or two blocks back it gets bleak fast as it pretty much looks the same as it did 10 years ago with not much investment.

8. The best beach?  Chipipe vs the main malecon/ San Lorenzo area.  Chipipe, tucked away in a cove, is the nicest beach in Salinas yet most miss it and stay on the main malecon beach area and then come away unimpressed with the beach at Salinas.  Other nice beaches nearby Salinas include Playa Rosada and Ayangue.

And to learn how to find the unpublished property deals no one else knows about, subscribe to my weekly Ecuador Insiders Newsletter below, you can unsubscribe at any time:

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