Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Panama Passes Law To Tax Worldwide Income on December 31, 2013

 Whhoaa -- I'm Thankful to not be that guy: "Panama Jack" Panama Passes Law To Tax Worldwide Income on December 31, 2013 -- the Panama assembly has passed (and it has been signed by the president) an amendment to the Codigo Fiscal that will make worldwide income subject to Panamanian income tax.

  In other words, they want to do what the US does (but vitually no other country does) by taxing any of your income anywhere in the world. This will be a definite game changer for most expats, as well as many Panamanians.

 This was passed during the extraordinary sessions of the Assembly, with virtually no debate and no notice. According to the article it may affect hundreds of thousands of corporations as well as individuals.: http://boquete.ning.com/forum/topics/panama-passes-law-to-tax-worldwide-income?commentId=1434455%3AComment%3A457294&xg_source=activity

Happy N Y E report: Could Ecuador be the most radical and exciting place on Earth?

Could Ecuador be the most radical and exciting place on Earth?

A decade ago, Ecuador was a banana republic, an economic basket case. Today, it has much to teach the rest of the world- 

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa
President Rafael Correa's approval ratings are in excess of 70%. Photograph: Guillermo Granja/Reuters
 
  Ecuador must be one of the most exciting places on Earth right now, in terms of working towards a new development paradigm. It shows how much can be achieved with political will, even in uncertain economic times.

 Just 10 years ago, Ecuador was more or less a basket case, a quintessential "banana republic" (it happens to be the world's largest exporter of bananas), characterised by political instability, inequality, a poorly-performing economy, and the ever-looming impact of the US on its domestic politics.

In 2000, in response to hyperinflation and balance of payments problems, the government dollarised the economy, replacing the sucre with the US currency as legal tender. This subdued inflation, but it did nothing to address the core economic problems, and further constrained the domestic policy space.

 A major turning point came with the election of the economist Rafael Correa as president. After taking over in January 2007, his government ushered in a series of changes, based on a new constitution (the country's 20th, approved in 2008) that was itself mandated by a popular referendum. A hallmark of the changes that have occurred since then is that major policies have first been put through the referendum process. This has given the government the political ability to take on major vested interests and powerful lobbies.

 The government is now the most stable in recent times and will soon become the longest serving in Ecuador's tumultuous history. The president's approval ratings are well over 70%. All this is due to the reorientation of the government's approach, made possible by a constitution remarkable for its recognition of human rights and the rights of nature, and its acceptance of plurality and cultural diversity....read more: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jan/19/ecuador-radical-exciting-place

Monday, December 30, 2013

Will Manta Be Ecuador's Third International Airport? - December 30, 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013


Will Manta Be Ecuador's Third International Airport?

Reports pop up periodically, mostly on websites and blogs aimed at potential expats, that Ecuador is about to designate Manta as its third international airport, after Quito and Guayaquil. A few years ago, a popular move-overseas site tipped off its readers to a screaming real estate deal; buy property around the Manta airport quickly, it advised, before flights from Miami and Houston start arriving. Recently, another site pushing a Manta real estate development noted that new international flights were sure to make property prices soar.

What's the real story? We talked to an official at Ecuador's Dirección General de Aviación Civil to find out.

Ecuador actually has 11 airports with international designations, the official pointed out. Beside Quito and Guayaquil, airports in Cuenca, Manta, Santa Rosa (Machala), Salinas and Baltra (Galapagos) and five others, are classified as international. The international tag, he said, simply amounts to planning for the future and does not mean flights from the U.S. and Argentina are imminent. In fact, he says, it will probably be years before Ecuador needs another international passenger airport and, when it does, Cuenca would probably be the top choice based on demand.

He added: "Manta is already an international cargo airport and we expect it to grow in this capacity. As far as passenger service goes, Manta is the seventh or eighth largest city in Ecuador so there is minimal demand for international service."

For the record, the official said that the top five airports in Ecuador based on passenger traffic are (in order): Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Baltra and Manta.

Although Ecuador has managed to keep most of the drug trade outside of its borders, there are increasing signs that it is making inroads along its northern border with Colombia and on the Pacific coast.

The dreaded Mexican drug cartels have allied with former paramilitaries and guerrillas in Colombia and frequently encroach across the border into Ecuador. Although the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) officially claims that it is not involved in the drug trade, overwhelming evidence suggests it is, mostly for the purpose of financing its military activity. In many cases, it appears that drug cartels have joined forces with FARC and use remote northern Ecuadorian jungle areas as drug collection and distribution sites....read more:


Editor's note: Adapting to life in Ecuador is an on-going topic of conversation among North American expats. Yolanda Reinoso Barzallo turns the tables and tells the story of being an Ecuadorian living in the Middle East and the U.S. She is a native of Cuenca and the author of a novel, Días de Arena y Dátiles and a collection of short stories, Muros de Papel: Cuentos. 
By Yolanda Reinoso Barzallo

I have been an expat for the last 10 years of my life.

This may not seem remarkable to many people in Cuenca, a city with thousands of North American and European expats. My story, however, has a different twist.

I am a Cuencana. I was born and raised here and my family continues to live here.  I married a gringo from Florida who came to Cuenca to teach English and then moved with him, 10 years ago, when his work took him to the Middle East. Later, we lived in the U.S., in New York and Colorado, before moving back to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

I would like to share with you my perspective on the expat life and how I have changed by being exposed to new cultures....read more:

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Correa slams report on CIA role in Ecuador strike- Quito (AFP) - Dec 23, 2013 -

Correa slams report on CIA role in Ecuador strike- Quito (AFP) - Dec 23, 2013 - Ecuador's President Rafael Correa warned Monday that reports US intelligence played a role in a 2008 Colombian attack on FARC rebels in his country could threaten regional peace efforts.
 

Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported that a secret Central Intelligence Agency program had helped Colombia kill at least two dozen leftist guerrilla leaders.

And, according to the report, it was thanks to US intelligence that the FARC number two, Raul Reyes, was found and killed in a cross-border attack on Ecuador in 2008 that left 24 dead.

Ecuador temporarily broke diplomatic relations with its Andean neighbor following the incident.

On his Twitter account, Correa wondered if these "very serious" revelations and other recent disagreements between his government and Washington were simply coincidence.

He speculated that the report was an attempt to affect Ecuador's relations with the United States and Colombia and "above all, the peace process" under way between Colombia and the FARC.







"At this point, I don't believe in 'coincidences.' Colombia and the international extreme right are capable of anything!" he wrote.

According to the Post, a secret CIA program in Colombia was initially authorized by president George W. Bush around 2000 and has been continued under his successor Barack Obama.

The covert operation provided intelligence to help locate the FARC leaders and supplied a special GPS guidance kit that helped Colombia convert standard bombs into precise smart munitions.

The 2008 incident triggered a diplomatic crisis between Bogota and Quito, with Ecuador suspecting the attack was orchestrated with the help of the United States, despite denial from Colombian authorities.

The governments fully restored relations in 2011....read more: http://news.yahoo.com/correa-slams-report-cia-role-ecuador-strike-213223229.html

The Holiday Issue of Ecuador George- December 24, 2013

The Holiday Issue of Ecuador George 
December 24, 2013

Now here is a great picture I stole from Kimbler’s Exit to Ecuador. From a Christmas Parade a few years ago. Again, you can click on the picture and visit Karen Kimbler’s blog site.



Ecuador George....read more: http://www.ecuadorgeorge.com/ecuador-george/

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Dec23 by helpingkidsinecuador - Daniel is home!


Daniel is home!

Daniel arrived at the Cuenca airport this  Sunday evening. He was welcomed by over 50 friends and relatives!

 Daniel's welcome committee.

As you can imagine Daniel and his mother were overwhelmed by the reception. Talking with his mother she indicated she feels this is like Daniel and her “First ”  Christmas. This gift of life is definitely the most incredible Christmas gift possible!!!

Daniel and mom-
Daniel and mom

Her gratitude to all who helped in saving her child’s life is so very obvious when speaking with her…she is sincerely grateful to all who participated by contributions, thoughts and prayers. This Christmas miracle is acknowledged by all…family and doctors alike.
We, too, want to thank everyone for your incredible response to Helping Kids in Ecuador. This would never have happened without your support. We especially want to thank our medical adviser, Dr. Victor Astudillo of Clinica Latino whose contact with the Foundation Metropolitano set this entire project in motion.
Daniel and Rocio arriving

 Daniel and Rocio arriving


Friday, December 20, 2013

Lyman's Journey: Budget Analysis To Date (Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuad...

Lyman's Journey: Budget Analysis To Date (Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuad...: Before you go peeking at our expense chart below, I need to make a few statements: * This is OUR full disclosure cost breakdown of every...

Budget Analysis To Date (Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador & Nicaragua)

Before you go peeking at our expense chart below, I need to make a few statements:

* This is OUR full disclosure cost breakdown of everything we spent money on based on the way WE live our lives. 

* Our goal for a total monthly budget is $1,800 for living expenses ONLY.  Our income is higher but this amount is what we wanted to see if we could live with so that the extra could be set aside for savings toward further traveling......

Thursday, December 19, 2013 Six months in Ecuador

Thursday, December 19, 2013


Six months in Ecuador

Today marks six months since we moved to Ecuador. It has been a wonderful, trying, fabulous, frustrating time.  We are legal residents of the country, which means that we have our cedulas (Ecuadorian ID card) and the permanent resident stamp in our passports.



Here are some of highlights:

  • Moved from Guayaquil to the Olon area after we obtained residency.  We are renting a casita from a couple of expats while we look for our own property.
  • Bought a car (some people choose to rely solely on the great public transportation system - we did not want to be without our own car)  Scott detailed the process on his blog.
  • Opened a savings account.  This sounds like a simple task but it was not!  It took us three months to accomplish this task. The items required included: 
    • Color copy of passport picture page
    • Color copy of cedula
    • Letter of recommendation no more than one month old from an Ecuadorian who has an account at that bank (our Guayaquil landlady wrote this for us)
    • A cell phone number (or two - we gave two but I am not sure if they were both required)
    • Two land line phone numbers (we gave the number of our landlady and a lady who did translations for us)
    • Proof of employment, retirement income, or bank balance from overseas bank
    • Proof that we either voted in the last election or were not eligible to vote
    • Copy of the most recent month's electric bill showing where we live
    • Made a trip a week after opening it to pick up the ATM card, which took several hours since the system was down when we first arrived,


Visited a hotel in northern Manabi province that is raising a baby monkey!  Something happened to his mother so they stepped in to raise him.  The monkey walked around on my head.  It was funny - just like kittens like to sit on shoulders, behind someone's head, he climbed right up to sit on my head.  He liked my hair and played with it quite a bit....read more: http://emilbloo.blogspot.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Time for phase three...:Sunday, October 13, 2013

Buying the car-


Time for phase three...: Buying the car: In my last post I mentioned that Emily and I had purchased a vehicle here in Ecuador, a Chevrolet/Suzuki Grand Vitara: It's been wo...





In my last post I mentioned that Emily and I had purchased a vehicle here in Ecuador, a Chevrolet/Suzuki Grand Vitara:

It's been working well for us and we're getting about 50 km/gal!  It doesn't have excessive power and it's not four-wheel drive, so we won't be driving it on the beach (which some people do), but it does everything we need.

Buying a car in Ecuador is a much different process than buying one back home.  In the States, the car dealership provides one-stop shopping that covers everything.  In Ecuador, we get to run all over the place to get it done.  There are multiple times where I had to suppress my inner Lewis Black and exercise patience: ....read more: http://sbphasethree.blogspot.com/2013/10/buying-car.html

Thursday, December 19, 2013

EcuadorGeorgeAfterDark- Eight Steps to Making the Transition from the United States to Ecuador:

EcuadorGeorgeAfterDark

December 19, 2013
Sometimes people send me things that they want me to use on my blog.
Although the author has remained anonomous on other sites, she has given me permission to give her credit on my After Dark page.
So cheers to Kathie Sedwick who has produce a magnificent piece of writing. Please enjoy.

Eight Steps to Making the Transition from the United States to Ecuador:


Step 1: Before you leave spend a few months bashing the US on the EE forum at every opportunity. This will endear you to the expat community because ALL expats hate the US.
Step 2: Make sure everyone knows all about how terrible your life has been so you will receive all the sympathy you so richly deserve and people will admire you.....read more: http://www.ecuadorgeorge.com/ecuador-george-after-dark/

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The band Metallica is reportedly coming to Quito MARCH 18, 2014

The band Metallica is reportedly coming to Quito. The former host of MTV's "Headbangers", Alfredo Lewin tweeted a picture with the tentative dates of Metallica's tour in South America. It showed a Quito concert on March 18. City councilor Freddy Heredia said the concert would be at Bicentennial Park.






Update: It's now confirmed that Metallica will indeed perform at Quito's Bicentennial Park on March 18 at 21:00. Tickets go on sale December 19.


Metallica became the only band to perform concerts on all seven continents in the same year. The band recently held a concert in Antarctica. Rock on, penguins!

Bogota, Colombia- March 16, 2014

Lima, Peru-- March 20, 2014

 The band Metallica is reportedly coming to Quito. The former host of MTV's "Headbangers", Alfredo Lewin tweeted a picture with the tentative dates of Metallica's tour in South America. It showed a Quito concert on March 18. City councilor Freddy Heredia said the concert would be at Bicentennial Park.
Update: It's now confirmed that Metallica will indeed perform at Quito's Bicentennial Park on March 18 at 21:00. Tickets go on sale December 19.
 Metallica became the only band to perform concerts on all seven continents in the same year. The band recently held a concert in Antarctica. Rock on, penguins!

https://www.metallica.com/.../history-made-in-antarctica.asp
 Must be a lot of heavy metal fans in Ecuador. Rumor of the band coming to Quito is the most read story this morning on El Comercio's website.
http://www.elcomercio.com/.../Metallica-musica-concierto...
Ticket prices range from $60 to $225. The South America tour schedule is now on Metallica's website.
Bogota, Colombia - March 16, 2014

Quito, Ecuador - March 18, 2014
Lima, Peru - March 20, 2014
http://www.metallica.com/tour_date_list.asp?show=current 

9 Ways to Spot a Fake Guru or Spiritual Teacher - June 15, 2013

These are several ways in which you can spot a false guru, spiritual teacher, or other peddler of faux spirituality. In this day and age where there are thousands of so-called gurus, we have to be careful who we choose to listen to because if we make the mistake of following someone who is ego-centered in their true intentions, then we will lose time, money, and opportunity costs (among other things).


It is my hope that this article can help in discerning between the genuine teacher that wishes nothing more than to help others become self-realized and experience spiritual bliss and those who proclaim they will do these things for you, but in reality are just emptying your bank account. Be mindful of who you decide to listen to and follow, and you will be thankful you spent some time to discern between those who are looking out for others and those who are looking out for themselves.

  Identifying False Gurus and Spiritual Teachers:  

Charging Large Amounts of Money - Giving Themselves Fancy Titles - 
Inability to Take Criticism - Overly Focused on the End Goal -

 Behaving Hypocritically - Focus on Fulfilling Egocentric Desires -

 Displaying Spiritual Materialism - Behaving Selfishly - 

Promising a Fast Path to Self-Realization- .......read more: http://shift.is/2013/06/9-ways-to-spot-a-fake-guru-or-spiritual-teacher/?fb_action_ids=474202272689078&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[393981224055066]&action_type_map=[%22og.likes%22]&action_ref_map=[]

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Embracing the Weirdness…Ecuador’s Surprises! -DEC 12th, 2013


Embracing the Weirdness…Ecuador’s Surprises!

 Our first exposure to the weirdness occurred the day after we landed in Ecuador as we began the long drive from Quito to the coast. We encountered a variety of biological and mechanized conveyances sharing the roadways with each other. Yep! Things with hooves share the same streets and roads with things with wheels. You can round the bend on a mountain road and encounter a herd of cattle blocking both lanes requiring quick, evasive action.

  It’s not uncommon to see a man riding a donkey alongside a motorcycle carrying 4 passengers. Drivers passing slow moving traffic on blind curves is the norm as are the too-often, horrific collisions! I cannot explain this. It is if some of these drivers just don’t understand or believe there could be opposing traffic. Driving a vehicle in this country will expose you to weirdness and moments of terror that you cannot see or fully experience riding as a passenger...read more: http://donaldmurrayecuador.com/embracing-the-weirdnessecuadors-surprises

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Learn Spanish Before Living in Ecuador Part 3

Learn Spanish Before Living in Ecuador Part 3

Learn Spanish before living in Ecuador


If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that one of my goals is to learn Spanish before living in Ecuador.  But what does it mean to learn Spanish?  It might be better to say “become familiar with the Spanish language”.
After studying on and off for six months I am convinced that formal Spanish lessons will eventually be needed. Immersion in a Spanish speaking culture will also be a huge help. But for now, these little windows on the language will have to do… I’ll try to make it as un-boring as possible.

Learn Spanish Before Moving to EcuadorAre you a puzzle person? Learning something completely new like a language is a lot like putting a puzzle together.
What do you do first? I go for the easy pieces.
Outside pieces first, then I look for objects, faces, and similar colors.

An American Military Veteran in Ecuador: Expat to Illegal Alien

An American Military Veteran in Ecuador: Expat to Illegal Alien: As you may have surmised from the title, we went from Expats legally residing in Ecuador, to Illegal Aliens living in Ecuador. How? We went ...

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Are You - possibly considering relocation to Ecuador or other parts of S.A....?

1942 - "Der Führer's Face" This song is a Walt Disney Production and was used in America as propaganda during WWII-

~~Is this Nutsy land so good, Would you leave it if you could,
Ja this Nutsy land is good, We would leave it if we could,
We bring the world to order, Heil Hitler's world to order,
Everyone of foreign race, Will love der fuehrer's face,
When we bring to the world dis order~~ 









Chorus
When der fuehrer says we is de master race
We heil heil right in der fueher's face
Not to love der fuehrer is a great disgrace
So we heil heil right in der fuehrer's face

When Herr Goebbels says we own the world and space
We heil heil right in Herr Goebbels' face
When Herr Goring says they'll never bomb dis place
We heil heil right in Herr Goring's face
Are we not he supermen Aryan pure supermen
Ja we are the supermen (super duper supermen)
Is this Nutsy land so good
Would you leave it if you could
Ja this Nutsy land is good
We would leave it if we could
We bring the world to order
Heil Hitler's world to order
Everyone of foreign race
Will love der fuehrer's face
When we bring to the world dis order,


Comments by Jour-Ja: not really about Ecuador, but you may be able to draw some parallels for wanting to look outside of  N.A. and possibly considering relocation to Ecuador or other parts of S.A....? Good ole Walt Disney - what a guy!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Ecuador Blogs….Which Ones Should You Read?

Ecuador Blogs….Which Ones Should You Read?


Lets try and guess how many Ecuador blogs and forums there are…
Go ahead and pick a number….
Lots and lots of them, that is for sure. A good guess might be somewhere between 300 and 500.  Some of these are more active than others.
So which ones do you take the time to read? How do you find them?
Maybe you just Google “Ecuador Blogs” and look for the most popular. Those usually will show up on page one and two.
Maybe you join an Ecuador Facebook Forum and then get referrals from the membership…