Fun facts about Ecuador by Married w/ Luggage

Fun facts about Ecuador

Posted on December 20, 2010 // 16 Comments

We’ve observed a few things about Ecuador you may not find in your local travel guide. As we make our way into Colombia, we want to leave you with this little list of fun facts we learned during our travels.
(All of these statements are said with great affection, since we have really grown to love this country.)

Transportation

• Stop = yield. This is no joke. A friendly tap on the horn as you approach an intersection is about all the warning you’ll get from an approaching car. And following behind the car in front of you? That’s for suckers. Ecuadorians continually tailgate and pass the cars in front of them. We’ve even seen buses pass each other at night on 2-lane curvy mountain roads. No one wants to wait once they get in the car (before they get in the car, that’s another story!)....Fun facts about Ecuador Posted on December 20, 2010 // 16 Comments We’ve observed a few things about Ecuador you may not find in your local travel guide. As we make our way into Colombia, we want to leave you with this little list of fun facts we learned during our travels. (All of these statements are said with great affection, since we have really grown to love this country.) Transportation Stop = yield. This is no joke. A friendly tap on the horn as you approach an intersection is about all the warning you’ll get from an approaching car. And following behind the car in front of you? That’s for suckers. Ecuadorians continually tailgate and pass the cars in front of them. We’ve even seen buses pass each other at night on 2-lane curvy mountain roads. No one wants to wait once they get in the car (before they get in the car, that’s another story!).

Living and Retiring in Ecuador: How Sweet it Is -- Hershey's Cocoa!

Living and Retiring in Ecuador: How Sweet it Is -- Hershey's Cocoa!: Cost of Living Update: Hershey's Cocoa $7.39 After living in Pennsylvania for 23 years and having Hershey, PA 20 minutes down the ...

Life in the middle of the world - Ecuador: Quito Traffic "Que Bestia!"

Life in the middle of the world - Ecuador: Quito Traffic "Que Bestia!": I promised in the beginning I would keep it real, upfront, and honest throughout all of my blog posts.  So as promised I am here to tell you...So as promised I am here to tell you one of Quito's ugliest and most brutal realities.

THE TRAFFIC HERE SUCKS.

This is where you will spend a ton of your time if you live in Quito

I mean it is really bad.  Absolutely horrible.  This is being typed from the hands of a Los Angeles native driver, so that in it self should say a lot.  But seriously, my 10 mile commute is actually an hour and a half at a minimum. 

The miniature version of "streets" you find in certain sections of the city, plus the street lights that are green for a whole 1.8 seconds on major intersections, multiplied by the over abundance of mid sized and large SUV's here in Quito, only begins to describe this mess.  (massive run on sentence I know)

Everyday congestion in the city of Quito

If you must drive here, You will find these many little caveats or unwritten rules helpful:

• It is perfectly OK to be all the way in the right lane on a 3 lane road, then suddenly make a left turn without using your signal.  This works both ways. 
• It is also perfectly acceptable to park in the middle of the street to send a text message, make a phone call, or even get out to buy some street food.  
• If you own a motorcycle you are allowed to drive pretty much anywhere you can make your bike go, even down stairs.    
• Running a red light is perfectly OK after sunset or on Sunday, however the concept of what "Right on red" is has not caught on yet, even though it is actually legal here. 
• Buses are above the law and actually gain 50 points for every car they run into.  Blue buses have diplomatic immunity.
• People will beep at the people in front of them to go when the light is still red, even if it is a police officer in front of them.
• The space between the two lanes on the road is actually another lane, if your car can fit.   

By following these unwritten laws, you will survive driving here in Quito.  Good luck. 

Discover Cuenca Ecuador: Are Ecuadorians Really as Friendly as EVERYONE Say...

Discover Cuenca Ecuador: Are Ecuadorians Really as Friendly as EVERYONE Say...: Are Ecuadorians Really as Friendly as EVERYONE Says? The quick answer is…YES…But let me start by saying that when we first started this ...

Friday, July 5, 2013

Are Ecuadorians Really as Friendly as EVERYONE Says?

Are Ecuadorians Really as Friendly as EVERYONE Says?

The quick answer is…YES…But let me start by saying that when we first started this blog two years ago we were the first bloggers to go outside the box and pop the bubble that Cuenca is really not everything the glossy magazine writers say it is.  You have probably seen our 12 annoyances about Cuenca video we published on YT in 2011.
 

Anyway, a lot can evolve over time, and now everyone is writing about the negatives of Cuenca Ecuador. 
 
In fact, we know of one glossy travel online magazine that will no longer say “it is perfect spring like weather year round”, now it reads:   “Does this sound like spring-like weather to you”?   It changes the picture quite a bit, doesn’t it?

Receiving Funds from Coopera Investments - CUENCA, ECUADOR

By Brian and Aaron - The Cuenca Referral Network.

Receiving Funds from Coopera Investments

June 21, 2013
Hello Everyone
Aaron and I went and met with the Superentendencia de Economia Popular Y Solidaria this morning to get some information directly from them regarding how funds for individuals with accounts with Coopera would receive their money.
First, if you have a CD, those are being purchased by other Cooperativas and will go for the remainder of their term.  For example, if you have a 1 year CD which matures in Nov of 2013, your CD will still mature in Nov of 2013 with a different Cooperativa.  You would then be able to collect your money should you decide not to invest in another CD.
If you have a CD that has already matured or matures the end of this month, you will be able to receive funds the beginning of July.
99% of all accounts will be paid out the beginning of July through other Cooperativas.
The 29^th – 30^th of June, you can go to www.seps.gob.ec and using your account number and cedula or passport, you can see where to go to collect your money.
For the 1% that has larger deposits, you will also be able to receive some of your money in July, however the initial maximum for withdrawal is not yet set.  The numbers $30,000 – $50,000 were discussed but as of yet the amount is not set in stone.  In theory (but certainly not confirmed) you would be able to come periodically and receive the rest of your money in $30,000 – $50,000 increments.
For example, if you have in your account 100k, you might get 30k in July, 30k in Aug, 30k in Sept, and 10k in Oct.........
http://www.cuencareferralnetwork.com/network/receiving-funds-from-coopera-investments/

Moving to Cuenca, Ecuador: What You're Not Being Told!

 Posted: 06/21/2013 5:18 pm

Photo Courtesy of Hole in The Donut Cultural Travel In the past few years, more and more people seem to have gone crazy about Ecuador and, particularly, about the charming and lively city of Cuenca. Cuenca is rich in history and architecture; it's walking friendly and it's surrounded by breathtaking scenic mountain sights. After all, who doesn't dream of yearlong perfect weather that would only be the background of incredible genuine friendliness, exotic and tasty food, deep culture and uncontaminated nature? Surely, Cuenca represents a heartwarming destination with plenty of hidden treasures to discover, however, if by any chance you're thinking about making more than just a trip out of this city and if you're thinking about building a new life there, like many did before you, you might want to consider a few peculiar aspects that aren't often discussed.......
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ombretta-di-dio/moving-to-cuenca-ecuador-_b_3461993.html

Life in the middle of the world - Ecuador: Getting my Cedula.

Life in the middle of the world - Ecuador: Getting my Cedula.: Hello everyone.  It has been quite a while since I have posted.  Only because I have been extremely busy piecing together my new life here. ...