I think one needs about 10 yrs to fully Master & Learn a new trade or craft, customs & culture~

FRI 02 SEP 2015-
Sharing from another public Forum / Group, where a friend asked:

 --"Who among you have come to feel like Ecuador is truly "home" to you?"--
 For those who do feel that way, how long did it take before that realization? Was there a precipitating event? And finally, do you attribute any particular thing (an activity, idea, attitude, etc.) as being responsible for your feeling at home here?
 

Journeyman Jack EC Response: ...an honest question "John Doe", sorry for your castigation from the other group. I guess all of our perceptions & experiences vary, but took me 4-5 yrs, to start to feel a bit at home mainly staying in 1 neighborhood (2- 2+ yr rental contracts, moved 2 doors down, no expats to speak of, maybe 3 expat couples) within 10 km's, mostly friends & business w/ locals - from FEB 2011 - JUN 2015.

I now have moved 1.5 hrs across to Eastern suburb part of town (Quito) to be near the UIO Quito Airport, and for my 4 yrs relationship Ecua G/F to be near Her family & life long friends.

..over the years, being here full time since 2008, nothing made me feel more at home, than having my aunt & uncle living 2 hrs to my north in Cotacachi for 4 yrs until I helped them return back to GA about 18 months ago. (was a downer(:

...or when close friends & family come and visit for 2-3-4 weeks is a special treat that makes me feel at home Here...? <strange I know>

..something I feel helps me, in my case anyways, to make EC feel more at home is to not be back and forth to the US every year, as many do, not knocking it by any means,

...but I just can't fathom putting myself through the emotional / energy / stress & strain of of an INT flight entering & exiting these 2 very different worlds every year,

...or in some cases, expats that max out the res. visa req. of 3) x 30 day trips a year, per year for the first 2 years. like my aunt & uncle did...

(and the saying good byes, or even see yah later, is hard enough when folks leave from Here after a year or 2 or 3),

...I feel the longer I stay put in EC... and not just my home base neighborhood in Quito, but keep focusing on Spanish language improvement & cultural adaptation Here...the quicker it will be home sweet home,

....but by Touring & Introducing others around the country (size of Colorado) about 20,000 km's per / yr.
..it keeps me learning and meeting new folks, - locals & expats alike in all areas of the Country. --as well as helping folks leave and return home permanently...makes life in EC interesting...

~Ebb & flow, ebb & flow ~ I watch them come, I watch them go~

I feel most at home, when I am helping others, learning new routes, and the vastly different ways to go about things, and how to get things done or fixed, it's a learning curve~

...how to get around, and in and out of other towns / citys and areas of EC. often. ..it keeps me fresh and on my toes. Living and not just existing "like a bump on a log."

..no matter if one has achieved residency visa - drivers license - naturalization - home owner mtn. - and a 2nd home owner coast ~ cars / motorcycles owner, marriage - 40ft container - ~4 car garage and we're still building on~ all that is just documents & pieces of paper that can be achieved most anywhere.

Home is where the heart is, if EC is not sunk down and embedded steadfastly into your heart, if you do not want it with a passion like you have never wanted anything before in your life, then it will not truly be home to you.

I think one needs about 10 yrs to fully Master & Learn a new trade or craft, (even a new culture & the customs of small country) to be frank, (or jack:) I have got a long ways to go, still just a journeyman, serving out my apprenticeship time,

I slip in and out of that warm & fuzzy, homey feeling.
I don't guess I really am after that "feel at home" feeling.

(don't kick me out of the group for this, lol:)
...but, I want new and exciting, learning something new everyday. Classroom for "EC 101" is wide open 24/7/365 everyday if you are willing to roll up your sleeves, apply some elbow grease, buckle down and work at it.

I don't like boring and hum drum routines. If I wanted to feel at home, I would have stayed back in ATL. GA & the SE / US running around in familiar circles where I know it like the back of my hand.

2003 to 08 I had the opportunity to bump around on business & pleasure in and out of Europe - N. Africa - Mid East, before regrouping and coming permanently to EC in 08'

...so I do have a tolerance level for my low end boredom of up to just how much high end excitement, or cultural difference I can handle, we all have to just find our sweet spot, and try and maintain it, as best we can:)

..as my 90 yr old Granny Back Home says, (that I call once a week on Magic Jack:) in the Alzheimer's Ward of an assisted living Center, and still says: "Well To Each His Own"

Some of us Like Morgan Freeman's character have waited too long (mentally & spiritually) to get out of the old country / culture and try to make a go of it, into a new country / culture.

..or as Andy Dufresne says in Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living, or get busy dying." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkzc983aE0

Cities Require Precautions, Even Loja!!: Yes, even here! 28 SEP 2015

Cities Require Precautions, Even Loja!!: Yes, even here!: Photo courtesy of QueHayEnLoja
Misconception: Loja is safe at all hours of the day or night.


Clarification: This statement, and variations of it, is written in articles, internet posts, books, etc., about the city of Loja.  Common sense would dictate that it is not true, but all of us sometimes give in to what we WANT to believe rather than what makes sense.  Loja is a CITY,
of course there is crime, of course you have to be careful.

  It therefore strikes me as quite irresponsible on the part of the authors
that repeat this untruth time and time again.  (It is clear that the
vast majority who write about Loja in English-speaking books and
websites have spent very little time in Loja and for some, none at all.)...<read more> http://www.citiesrequireprecautions.blogspot.com/

An expat family’s move to Cuenca; handling the details and settling in, Sep. 7, 2015

By Christopher Lux
With everything sold but our house back in North Carolina, in September last year my son and I arrived in Cuenca. We came ahead of my wife since she had to wait for cooler weather to bring our two large Catahoula Leopard dogs on the plane.
I had to start my new job, and my son came along. Together we went to meetings, workshops, conferences, and classes. Nobody seemed to mind the four-year-old coloring and reading in the corner of the room.

When we first arrived, we stayed in an Airbnb apartment near El Centro. Dano, the owner of the apartment, drove us to a furniture store to buy beds for our house. He showed us the market where we could by affordable furniture and gave advice about keeping dogs in Ecuador.

Our house was rented for us a month earlier by our extended family who happened to be living in Cuenca. Our first week, they took us to dinner, showed us around town, and helped us get the house ready to move into. We lined up painters and a plumber to make a few changes.

After a week in the Airbnb, we moved into our house. It didn’t feel like home at first. We were in a new country, and we were in a neighborhood far away from El Centro and other gringos.

 Soon, as cooler weather arrived in the States, my wife and the dogs arrived in Quito.

 The dogs were too big to fly from Quito to Cuenca,

 so we arranged to have them driven down by the famous Journeyman Jack who specializes in relocation. 

Jack and the dogs drove through the night. My wife stayed in a hotel and flew to Cuenca the next day.

 She arrived early in the morning and the dogs made it a little later in the morning. ....<read more> http://www.cuencahighlife.com/an-expat-familys-move-to-cuenca-handling-the-details-and-settling-in/

Unschooling the Big Blue Marble: Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Unschooling the Big Blue Marble: Leavin' on a Jet Plane:

Saturday, 5 September 2015-

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

We bought our tickets for the U.S. today.  I spent all day working out the flights.  We wanted to fly into New York from Guayaquil or Quito and then take a bus to Cleveland because the savings are huge!  So, after a lot of back and forth I finally found an itinerary that would work.

We are flying to Quito the night of the 28th and then hanging around the airport all night.  The flight to New York leaves at 7:00am and we will arrive in New York City at 5:00pm....<read more> http://unschoolingthebigbluemarble.blogspot.com/

Exact process you need to follow to get your second Ecuadorian passport. 09 AUG 2015-

From Dom Buonamici Newsletter, Owner of
Quito Airport Suites- A hotel just minutes from the new Quito UIO airport, your ideal jump-off point in Ecuador. 09 AUG 2015-

"I got a friend, a young American guy in his early thirties who goes by the name Bart Simpson.

He's rich, specifically, a "dot com" millionaire.

And his hobby in life now is collecting passports, he has six already to be exact.

A South American one is his next target as it would open up the whole continent for him.

He's done his homework, and according to him, Ecuador is the EASIEST to get.

So that's why he's here.

I was helping him out, and here is the exact process you need to follow to get your second Ecuadorian passport.  

1. After at least 2 and a half years of residency (technically they say 3 years but my contact who works in the Quito office told me you can really apply after 2 and a half years from the day you get your Ecuador cedula or ID card) you can apply for the dual citizenship which gets you an Ecuadorian Passport.  You can not be out of the country during those first 2 and a half years a total of more than 90 days, but you can apply for citizenship anyway even if you pass this limit but you'll have to submit a letter stating why you passed the limit and hope they still sign off on it.

2. Gather the requirements.  
- Birth certificate, apostilled and translated to Spanish.
- Passport color copy of the passport where you have the residency visa stamp.  Your passport must have at least 6 months of validity.
-Color copy of Ecuadorian Cedula(ID card).
- Get document from civil registry (registro civil) that states first date of cedula (tarjeta indice de filiacion que dice la primera fecha de cedulacion) - Certificate of compliance (Certificado de cumplimiento de obligaciones) from the SRI (IRS of Ecuador) stating you are up-to-date on any taxes.
- Certificate of compliance (Certificado de cumplimiento de obligaciones) from your local Municipality stating you are up-to-date on any taxes.
- Certificate of compliance (Certificado de cumplimiento de obligaciones) from the IESS social security system of Ecuador stating you are up-to-date on any payments.
- Police record from all the countries (including Ecuador) where you've lived the last 5 years. They are currently accepting only federal level checks from countries with a federal government, for Americans, that means an FBI check, apostilled.
- Migratory movement card, obtained in Ecuadorfrom immigration for $4. (Movimiento Migratorio)
- 4 color passport sized photos.
- Proof of Ecuador solvency:  Like a bank certificate, bank statements last three months, for business owners the monthly sales tax declarations, copies of the title (escritura) of any property or businesses you own in Ecuador or a copy of your rental contract properly inscribed in the rental agency (Juzgado de Inquilinato).

3. In person, they require you submit your documentation in Quito in the Immigration office (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) on 10 de agosto. You can also submit in Guayaquil.

4. You'll be called in within a few months to take a written exam in Spanish on basic Ecuadorian history.  it is not pass/fail, it is just to put in your file, and they would like to see some effort.  It is not verbal in anyway but they reserve the right to do some verbal questions if they wish (but they usually don't according to  my contact).

5. Upon acceptance of application you must publish an ad in local paper announcing your new citizenship.

6. You will then be called in with all the others that day accepted into Ecuadorian citizenship to sing the national hymn (together, not solo) and confirm your new citizenship.  You will need to bring three Ecuadorian witnesses.  You can then go get your Ecuadorian passport.

Duration: about 6 months.

Cost: $200 application fee, $500 acceptance fee, approx $403 publication fee, $285 Civil Registry fee.  All fees are one-time-only, but Ecuador citizenship is for life unless you renounce it.   These costs are the cheapest you can do it for without using an attorney.

Total: Appox $1300.

And to prep for the test, simplifying it and giving you just what you need-to-know, which has remained in the same format for many years now and probably won't change anytime soon, try my new guide to the Ecuador Citizenship test.    It is an immediate download and won't be widely available on the Internet for now after this email.  

Hasta pronto, and please remember for general Ecuador questions I can only answer if you ask via the Q&A forum,

Quito Airport Suites- A hotel just minutes from the new Quito UIO airport, your ideal jump-off point in Ecuador. 09 AUG 2015-

Ecuador – Top Five Expat Blogs- Thursday June 25, 2015

Ecuador – Top Five Expat Blogs

Posted on Thursday June 25, 2015 (12:28:02) 

1.. Paul Acee's Ecuador http://paulacee.com/
An expat in Ecuador since October 2014, Paul's blog is a repository of useful information for anyone who is thinking of either moving to Ecuador or simply paying the country a visit....

2.. Latitude Ecuador http://www.latitudecuador.com/blog/
If you're undecided about whether Ecuador is the right place for you, Latitude Ecuador will probably persuade you that it is. The images throughout the blog are beautiful, illustrating some of the most appealing points about living there,...

3... Ecuador Bound http://ecuador-bound.blogspot.co.uk/
Stuart and Donna describe themselves as 'full-time RVers' and blog about their retirement in Ecuador. Currently situated in Cuenca, they cover the usual tips and tricks for the local area, with fun stories about their own experiences. Of particular interest to the new expat, however, will be the menus along the top, which discuss such diverse topics as how to make a monthly budget, what to bring with you to a new country, a guide to crime in Ecuador, and an overview of the country's visa requirements...

4..  Discover Cuenca Ecuador http://www.discovercuencaecuador.com/
Another couple living in Cuenca, Frank and Angie have some great tips for expats who are moving with their children, including an overview of how their family of five manages to live on less than $1000 per month. There are videos throughout the site which are a great way of getting to know both the landscape of the country and the people behind the blog. Take a look at the '43 Things We Have Observed About Cuenca's People' post for a glimpse into Ecuadorian culture....

5..  Ecuador George
http://www.ecuadorgeorge.com/

Providing a great overview of Ecuadorian culture and life as an expat in general, George's blog talks about what it's like to move from the US to Ecuador, how it feels to retire in a new country, and what you should do if you're visiting for a few days. The 'Before the Big Move' section provides useful tips about preparing yourself for a move abroad, and there's also a useful list of necessary Spanish vocabulary for anyone who doesn't speak the language.

Those are our recommended expat blogs for today. Do you write about being an expat? Let us know in the comments! http://www.expatfocus.com/c/aid=2073/articles/ecuador/ecuador---top-five-expat-blogs/

Howard's Blog: Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru

Our friends Scott and Travis, from Atlanta, invited us to join them on a
trip to Peru.  Specifically, Cusco and Machu Picchu.  We immediately
said yes and the planning began five months ago.  Two weeks ago we met
them in Quito and we spent three days enjoying the city.  One of Mike
and my favorite things to do in Quito is to climb up to one of the
spires atop the Basilica.  Scott and Travis, being the brave souls they
are, joined us on the climb.