AAA LIVING IN CUENCA: Trip to Machala, Ecuador - the banana capitol of t...

AAA LIVING IN CUENCA: Trip to Machala, Ecuador - the banana capitol of t...:

Stephen and Geri picked me up around 10 am on Saturday morning along with Val and Ana. We headed towards Yunguilla, a beautiful village in the lust green mountains south of Cuenca, and then down to the coast. Leaving behind the 72 degree weather of Cuenca. Two and a half hours later we were in the 86 degree weather of Machala with 80% humidity! It was nice to wear shorts and t-shirts again.

Machala is the banana capitol of the world and we drove through miles of banana fields.

Market Watch Article about Ecuador - TUE, May 14, 2013

by: Grimms' Travel Tales- Tuesday, May 14, 2013-Market Watch Article about Ecuador:
 As a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Mike Grimm traveled to 57 countries in his 29 years of service. “I’ve seen how people live all over the world,” he says. When it came time for Mike and his wife, Patty, to retire in 2010, Grimm, by then a teacher and living in Arizona, knew he wanted a low-cost location with good health care, natural beauty, nice weather and plenty of cultural opportunities.
http://grimmstraveltales.blogspot.com/2013/05/market-watch-article-about-ecuador.html

 

Grimm and his wife opted for Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador. “We live on about $1,500 a month,” Mike says....We were recently interviewed (via Skype) by a journalist writing for the Wall Street Journal's Market Watch segment.  Here is her completed article:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/retire-here-not-there-ecuador-2013-05-13?pagenumber=1

There seems to be a lot of interest all of a sudden in Ecuador.  Please remember to bring your manners and your desire to learn Spanish with you to this beautiful country.

Health Care for U. S. Military Retirees - Live Outside the U. S.

by- Grimms' Travel Tales

Relocating from the U.S. to Ecuador. This will chronicle our adventures (and misadventures) as we learn to live in a foreign country. "The worst day in Ecuador is better than the best day at work."

Health Care for U. S. Military Retirees

Live Outside the U. S.

Any age:  Tricare Standard is the only one you can get outside of the States and it is primary (since Medicare applies only in the States).  You pay up front for your medical costs, and then get reimbursed.

Here is information of how we get reimbursed for our medical expenses while living in Ecuador:

 Since we are outside of the U.S., the only choice in Tricare coverage is Tricare Standard.  Medicare doesn't work here, so Tricare Standard is primary.  We pay the medical bills and prescription costs ourselves and then submit the claim form to receive reimbursement.  The claim form is DD Form 2642 and can be found on the following website:  http://www.tricare.mil/Welcome.aspx.  You fill it out online, (don't forget to save to your computer if you wish), print the completed form, sign it, attach the backup doctor statements/receipts, and mail to the following address:

TRICARE Overseas
Region 15
P. O. Box 7985
Madison, WI  53707-7985
 http://grimmstraveltales.blogspot.com/2013/05/health-care-for-u-s-military-retirees.html

What Do Ecuadorians Think About Americans in Ecuador?

What Do Ecuadorians Think About Americans in Ecuador? Americans in EcuadorDo You Care About What Ecuadorians Think About You?   (part 2) Lets start with a couple of short stories today…

Officials review Ecuador's earthquake vulnerability; Cuenca is at a lower risk while coastal risk is highest

Posted By Admin | Published: May 7, 2013 12:43

How prepared is Ecuador for a major earthquake? Not very, say some Ecuador's emergency management officials, who are reviewing emergency procedures that would respond to disasters similar to those suffered in Haiti. Peru and Chile in the last five years.
Ecuador lies on the eastern rim of the seismically active area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, according the Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute. There have been at least 37 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher since 1541, when written records by the Spanish were first maintained, the institute says. The government estimates that more than 80,000 died as a result of those earthquakes.
It is important, officials say, to know the level of risk of the area you live in. For example, Manta is at a relatively high risk for a catastrophic earthquake whereas Cuenca is at relatively low risk. Countrywide, the area of greatest risk, says the institute, is the coast, particularly the area from Manta to the Colombia border, followed by the northern Andes including the cities of Ambato, Riobamba, Quito and Ibarra.

Lonely Planet - Introducing Ecuador - Best in Travel 2013

Picturesque colonial centers, Kichwa villages, Amazonian rainforest and the breathtaking heights of the Andes – Ecuador may be small, but it has a dazzling array of wonders....

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ecuador

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Cultural Splendor
The historic centers of Quito and Cuenca – both Unesco World Heritage Sites – are lined with photogenic plazas, 17th-century churches and monasteries, and beautifully restored mansions. Wandering the cobblestone streets amid architectural treasures from Spanish colonial days is a fine way to delve into the past. You can travel further back by contemplating great pre-Columbian artworks at museums across the country...

Galápagos Islands vs Isla de la Plata, Ecuador

Isla de la Plata by Ramblurr. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Isla de la Plata is known as the ‘Poor Man’s Galápagos’. It’s certainly easier and cheaper to access – just 27km off the Ecuadorian mainland, while the Galápagos is 1000km. Species here include whales, sea lions and birds, including boobies, frigatebirds and waved albatross; Galápagos faves such as giant tortoise and penguins are absent.
Worth the saving? A Plata day-trip (around US$35) is fine, but is no match. An eight-night Galápagos cruise costs from US$1500 plus flights – but find the cash if you can.... http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/value-travel/expensive-experiences-cheaper-alternatives/

Another ‘monster’ sighting in the Cajas Mountains; British hikers and guide

Posted By Admin | Published: May 6, 2013 23:06

He is called Wawa Grande by the indigenous people living in the Cajas Mountains west of Cuenca. He was called the Monstruo de las Cajas in a 1997 German magazine article.

He can also be called the monster that won’t go away, despite the best efforts of Ecuador’s national park service and a number of scientists.

A Quito television station reported three weeks ago that two British hikers and their tour guide spotted the elusive creature in Cajas National Park during a three-day trek. The trio claimed to have observed the over-sized humanoid animal for several minutes in a remote area of the park in early April.
http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2013/05/06/Another-e28098monstere28099-sighting-reported-in-the-Cajas-Mountains3b-British-hikers-debating-whether-to-release-photos.aspx