Are you planning on taking a scouting trip before you move? Have you traveled internationally? If not, there will be some new things to get used to. We went on a scouting trip to Margarita Island, Venezuela. It paid off. We decided not to move there. We learned a lot from that trip. The cost of…
Love it or hate it – House Hunters International is a powerhouse affecting thousands of future expats. In this post, I’ll share some reflections about our HHI experience a few years ago. And I publish a full list of all 14 House Hunter International episodes filmed here in Ecuador. Our House Hunters International Experience It’s been…
Ecuador is famous for chocolate. In this post, we’ll cover some of the premium chocolate brands in Ecuador (República del Cacao, Pacari), a unique chocolate drink with cheese, and how to correctly taste chocolate. Let’s begin with our full taste review of República del Cacao. República del Cacao: Premium Ecuador Chocolate Imagine our excitement when República…
Interested in the cost of living about a sailboat while cruising around the world? It is surprisingly inexpensive. Dana Greyson and Wayne Seitz (GalleyWenchTales.com) are experienced sailors and share all their specifics in this details cost of living post. Lets get started… For us, traveling by sailboat (“cruising”) is a bit like an RV on the water,…
This is a post by Magali Ipina – a Canadian expat living in Quito, Ecuador. Baños is by far one of our favorite destinations here in Ecuador due to its spectacular setting and amazing natural beauty. Best Things to Do in Baños Gateway to the Amazon rain-forest, it is home to 70 waterfalls, and hundreds…
Mangos are delicious and messy. They are one of the hardest-to-eat fruits for new expats and travelers – especially those of us from non-tropical climates. In this post, you’ll learn how to peel and eat a mango (like a human). I didn’t like mangoes in Canada. They never ripened, were expensive, and they tasted like soap….
Traveling and want to avoid diarrhea? Of course you do. The first thing to do is find safe water. In this post, you’ll learn about a lab test I ran to see how well Steripen sterilizes dirty water. Lets do this! SteriPEN Ultra Review (with Lab Test Results) Travelers Rule #1: Don’t drink the water!…
In this post, you’ll learn how to get cheaper flights by beating the airlines at their own game. And yes. Cookies are involved. The airlines are playing a game. An unfair one. And it all comes down to cookies. How Airlines Use Cookies to Charge You More All online businesses have tools in place to offer…
On Tuesday, August 12 2014, an American expat couple experienced a home invasion, robbery and the wife was kidnapped and taken from Vilcabamba to Cuenca. It has been covered in both of Cuenca’s local papers: El Tiempo (Police catch alleged kidnapping gang) and El Mercurio (Investigating the kidnapping of an American woman). Earlier this afternoon, the…
In this post, you’ll learn about the 24 Ecuador provinces. We also include the population numbers, physical area, and provincial capitals. Plus an explanation of cantóns, parroquias in Ecuador. Ecuador has a lot of provinces – especially for its relatively small size. Map of Ecuador’s Provinces Ecuador has a total of 24 provinces with a land…