Expat Lifestyle – Page 35 – The Ecuador Insider

7 Day Self-Guided Ecuador Coastal Tour

Here’s one sample Itinerary I’d recommend to someone looking for beachfront property in Ecuador. You can go yourself taking local buses and taxis without renting a car if you wish to minimize your expenses.

Day 1- Fly to Manta, visit nearby Crucita, San Clemente, northern Manta
Day 2- Manta
Day 3- Catch bus south to Santa Marianta, Puerto Cayo
Day 4- Visit Los Frailes beach, sleep in Puerto Lopez
Day 5- bus to Ayampe, then bus to Olon, sleep in Olon.
Day 6- Visit Montanita, bus to Salinas, sleep in Salinas
Day 7- Salinas, nightime 3 hour bus to Guayaquil

*The ideal time alotted for this trip should be 10-14 days, but it can be done in 7 rushing.

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Dodging Street Dogs in Ecuador

As I house hunted this week, I can honestly tell you one of the top dangers for anyone looking for property in Ecuador are the street dogs!

In Ecuador, like in most developing countries, there are several dogs roaming the streets.

The worst are the dogs on the property of private owners, when looking at a property they could sneek up on you like they have me. People are more lax about putting beware of dog signs.

But thankfully I’ve never been bit in Ecuador, only once in Brazil.

1 Way I Avoid Inflated Gringo Prices

A lot of people ask me, “Do property sellers in Ecuador really ‘up’ the prices when they hear or see the buyer is a foreigner?”

My short answer… “Hell yeah they do!”

And if someone tells you otherwise, they’re wrong, or probably trying to sell you something.

Now, to be fair, maybe 80% of the time you’ll get quoted the same price as locals do, but there’s still that 20% chance you’ll get “upped”. In fact, it happened to me this week. I got a tip a hotel was for sale for $150k… a deal… I approached, the owner saw I was a gringo, and quoted me $400k!

Why do sellers in ecuador do this? Just like anywhere in a developing, relatively poor country, they think EVERYONE from rich countries is rich, and actually, comparatively, they’re right.

Now, instead of just stating the obvious I’ll leave you this week with one creative way I USE to avoid getting hit with special inflated “gringo prices”.

I created a new email address under a VERY Ecuadorian name that I use to email and make first contact with properties I see advertised on the net in Ecuador, doesn’t matter if it’s listed by a “gringo (foreigner)” or Ecuadorian.

My alternative name is … Juan Yagual. Super coastal Ecuadorian.

A few VERY Ecuadorian names you could use are:

First names: Juan, Jose, Hector, Galo, Cilindro, Cesar, Mario, Diana, Carolina, Ana, Marisol, Paola, Karina
Last names: Yagual, Andrade, Sandoval, Fernandez, Caicedo, Ortiz, Amores

And in your email, a VERY local, yet polite, way to ask the asking price of a property…(to mask you’re a gringo)…

Estimado[dear] (insert name if you now it),

Quería saber cuanto pide por la propiedad que tienes en venta? [I’d like to know what’s the asking price of the property for sale?]

Esperando la respuesta, [waiting for the response]

Juan Yagual (Ecuadorians have two last names but sometimes only put one)

Remember, you only have to hide your identity until you know the asking price of the property, after that it’s generally OK if they find out you’re a foreigner.

How to Beat Horrendous Bank Lines in Ecuador

Ecuador is still “old school” in that the people still prefer to pay their bills waiting in line at the bank… causing horrendous bank lines, especially during peak hours around lunchtime and after work.

You can pay your bills online in Ecuador, but most don’t trust e-commerce just yet.

One way to beat the lines is to go in off peak hours or to get an account in a smaller bank in Ecuador (like Banco Promerica) instead of the big players like Banco Pichincha or Banco Guayaquil.

Ecuadorian Guacamole: A Disgrace

Ecuadorian gastronomy is delicious, but one thing Ecuadorians really have to learn how to do is Guacamole…

You know, the thick, chunky stuff the Mexicans make… well, in Ecuador, their version of Guacamole is liquid. Often serving in a tube like ketchup, it even looks like ketchup, but its green and not nearly as good.

Sad, because I love Guack!

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