Ecuador Culture for October: Music and Magic

An incredibly intense schedule of cultural events is set in Ecuador during October.  Soak up the culture of Ecuador by attending one or more of these events.  Cultural suggestions come from Liliya Bykova, an expat living in Quito’s historic Old Town.   This is the first in a series of cultural reports that Liliya will provide [...]

Quito Taxi Tips:

By Linda McFarlin
Quito taxis can rip you off if you don’t know the fundamentals about using them.
As we explore more and more of Quito, mostly by taxi, Gary has observed that there can be a big difference in the cost of fares between the same destinations depending on which taxi we use.  He asked [...]

A Walk Through Old Town Quito With Liliya

By Linda McFarlin
One exceptionally sunny morning in September, our Russian-American friend Liliya gave us a sample of her walking tour through Old Town Quito. Liliya and her husband Leo, two transplants from Minnesota, are now happily ensconced in their new home in Quito’s historic district.
They love to lead inquisitive tourists through the ins and [...]

As the Beans Burn

Today is a lovely day in Cotacachi—sunny and warm. And quiet. A slight breeze teases the shiny green leaves of the orange hibiscus on our terrace. It’s almost noon and all I hear is soft Latin music wafting up from a nearby tienda. No indigenous marching in circles, whistling and gesticulating. No riot police in [...]

Cotacachi Dance of San Juan is Starting: Get Ready to Rumble

We are entering one of the most exciting times of the year here in Cotacachi, and in other areas in the Northern Andes. The celebration of the solstice has historically been a major event in these mountains. Cotacachi is no exception.
Tomorrow, June 24th, starts the famous Baila de San Juan. This is [...]

Cuenca, Ecuador: It Feels Like Home

Like Jason, I too am back from my trip, but while he was tripping around the U.S., I was doing the same in Ecuador. When I departed on May 2, I had the mistaken notion that I could continue to post regularly, but time and travel restrictions prevented me from doing so.
The good news [...]

Ecuador Internet, Airports, Hotels, and Download Speeds

Day before yesterday, I set out on a journey around Ecuador with a couple of clients to see if we could find them some property.
Due to the amount of traffic we are getting on our website and blog, and the amount of emails they generate, I was somewhat concerned about continuing to stay in touch [...]

Questions about Bring Gold to Ecuador, Tourist Visas

Pro-Ecuador.com received the following question:
I read your post about bringing gold into Ecuador and I was wondering what happens when you declare over $10k in gold. Do you pay taxes or some fee? If I came with gold I would be an American coming from Venezuela.
I was also curious about my visa [...]

Otavalo Market was Built by a Female Dutch Architect

The Otavalo Market, called the largest indigenous market in the Americas, is one of the “can’t miss” events when you visit Ecuador. Literally thousands of vendors line the streets every Saturday.
There are some little know facts about that Otavalo market that Linda dug up that make it even more interesting.

“Did you know that [...]

You Can Bring Gold to Ecuador

We recently had a question from a reader whether it is legal to bring gold into Ecuador, and to buy and sell gold. Acutally, I have had this question twice in the last week.
Pro-Ecuador.com’s Martha Perez went to work looking for an answer. She didn’t have to look far because her sister owns [...]