ecokirby
Scottish expat in Ecuador
Forum posts
20
About me
Scottish
Lives in Quito
Speaks English, Spanish, French
Registration: 25 March 2013
Volunteering in Ecuador by Maximilien
Hi, While living abroad, some expats wish to get involved in the local community life. What organizations expats can turn to if they want to volunteer in Ecuador? How to join a charitable institution, what are the steps? Which causes ...
Hi. I am director of Yanapuma Foundation (Fundaci贸n Yanapuma) and we run our own sustainable development projects in Ecuador as well as collaborating with over 35 grass-roots projects all around the country to receive volunteers, individually ... Read More
Safety in Quito by blumenwe
My husband and I will be spending 2 months in Quito, and exploring Ecuador. I understand safety can be an issue. I am looking for tips on what to watch out for, what areas to stay away from, scams to be aware of. I do know about a few of the ...
We have a Spanish school in Quito and one in Cuenca - Yanapuma Spanish School - and we work with volunteers all over the country. We are actually a non-profit NGO doing sustainable development projects with indigenous and marginalized communities, ... Read More
Safety in Quito by blumenwe
My husband and I will be spending 2 months in Quito, and exploring Ecuador. I understand safety can be an issue. I am looking for tips on what to watch out for, what areas to stay away from, scams to be aware of. I do know about a few of the ...
I always comment to our students and volunteers who are concerned about being robbed in Quito that what you read on the internet is never representative of the real situation. It is those who have bad experiences who tend to write about it on the ... Read More
Volunteering in Quito by AnnaNorway
Hi! I'm Anna from Norway, and next February i'm going to Quito to volunteer. I'm planning on staying until the beginning of June. I know a girl in Quito after she had an exchange year in my town, and I really want to experience her ...
Try Yanapuma Foundation. Their offices are in Quito and they can help organize volunteering for you in one of the projects that they support in Quito. You can google the name to find the website. Read More
Volunteering in Ecuador by Maximilien
Hi, While living abroad, some expats wish to get involved in the local community life. What organizations expats can turn to if they want to volunteer in Ecuador? How to join a charitable institution, what are the steps? Which causes ...
If you are interested in volunteering you can contact Yanapuma Foundation. We have offices in Quito and in Cuenca, and the foundation is a non-profit NGO whose mission is to promote sustainable development among indigenous and marginalized ... Read More
Top 5 tips to live in Ecuador by expat.com
Hi, When you are going to live abroad, you may have a lot of questions. Hence to facilitate you in this process, we are inviting expats to share their top 5 tips with regards to settling and living in Ecuador. What recommendations would you ...
1. Learn Spanish! - at least SOME Spanish. With so many retired Americans in Cuenca there seem to be many who now feel it is not necessary to speak the language. 2. Appreciate the cultural differences. Many of the complaints I have heard from ... Read More
Homestays by DanC
I am in the process of planning my first trip to Ecuador. I plan to visit in about a year if I can find a deal on airfare as that seems to be the most expensive part of the trip. My question is has anyone visited and did a homestay? To me that ...
You are right that staying with a local host family is a great way to learn more about the country and culture. You can find reliable homestays in Cuenca and other places through some of the Spanish schools that regularly receive and place students ... Read More
dental care in Quito by datdyat
I expect I am going to need some dental work done in the near future and I am wondering if I should get it done in Canada (where I have no health insurance to cover it) or wait to do it in Ecuador. specifically: I think I need 2 wisdom teeth out ...
I have used a dentist here in Quito over the past 6 years that I would highly recommend for any complicated work. It is Dental Smiles. Google - Dental Smiles Quito for more info. Dr. Santiago Silva. I had my 4 front teeth capped by him and recently ... Read More
Language issue by brainteaser
Greetings, I am a newbie to this site. I have been reading many posts here, which I found very helpful. Being over the mid-50s, my husband and I are thinking about living abroad after retirement. At first, we've looked into Belize, but the summer ...
Age should never be an excuse for not learning a new language! It is like aerobics for the brain and will keep your brain fit and healthy. And while you can quite easily get by living in a foreign country these days without speaking the language, ... Read More
Moving to Quito....freaking out about La Mariscal assaults by yggdrasill
I'm moving to Quito with my husband. I'm worried about safety. Don't get me wrong--I grew up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic but I'm a bit out of practice with a third world country and I won't have a car. There's been about 580 assaults in La ...
I have lived in Quito for 8 years now, and can say that what you hear is definitely exaggerated I always comment to our Spanish students and volunteers that it is the people who get robbed who write about it on the internet. People who don't get ... Read More
Spanish Lessons by exnavyabfc
Does anyone have suggestions for a spanish school in Cuenca or on the coast? Have you used one? Thanks Gene
Oops! Sorry Gene! too much going on right now!! Read More
Spanish Lessons by exnavyabfc
Does anyone have suggestions for a spanish school in Cuenca or on the coast? Have you used one? Thanks Gene
Hi Bob! Do feel free to stop by when you come down. We are located at Av. Veintimilla E8-125 y Av. 6 de Diciembre, on the edge of the main tourist area of Quito. It is the large white colonial building on the corner. See you there! Read More
Living and working illegally in Ecuador by TheGiovanniIncident
This may seem like an odd question. But I don't want to commit to any type of work visa. However I do want to experience another country for maybe a year. Is it possible to get a place and work side jobs for cash teaching english in ...
You will need some kind of visa to be in Ecuador that long, as you would need for ANY country in the world. While you may be able to be here for a year without ever needing to prove that you are here legally, when you go to leave the country your ... Read More
Spanish Lessons by exnavyabfc
Does anyone have suggestions for a spanish school in Cuenca or on the coast? Have you used one? Thanks Gene
Hi Gene - Cuenca is a beautiful city! Call me biased but I recommend Yanapuma Spanish School in Cuenca (I am the director actually!) It is on Simon Bolivar 6-23 and Hermano Miguel, just two blocks from the Parque Calder贸n and right opposite the ... Read More
need a private room ASAP
I know of one that should be available right away. You can call David on this number:[Moderated: Please use private message.]. He rents out rooms in the Mariscal district of Quito. Tell him Andy gave you his number. Good luck! Read More
Tourists need to take it easy in The Mariscal by Themiddleoftheworld
Coming from your feet on the ground in the Mariscal District. I feel I need to share this with you. This side of town is not Compton, but you do need to be aware that flashing your iPad around here could make it dissapear with a flash. You have no ...
Good advice from Mike! I work with a lot of volunteers and students at Yanapuma, and a fair number of them do get robbed while they are here in Quito. "Be aware without being paranoid" is always my motto. There are many simple precautions you can ... Read More
Hey all, newbie here...just a bit of info. by Lauratort
Hey all! Just found this site and think it's a fantastic idea! My husband and I are planning early retirement and have been considering Ecuador. You know that when you first begin searching for relocation info, you will find tons of "touristy" ...
Hi Lauratort! I am sure you will find Ecuador interesting. I have been here for nearly 8 years now (see my post "Accidentally Moving to Ecuador" and have seen the country develop hugely in that time. It still has a long way to go though as some of ... Read More
Accidentally moving to Ecuador by ecokirby
I came to Ecuador 7 years ago on a two-month vacation having just finished my doctoral studies in New York. My plan was to visit Ecuador Peru and Bolivia in those 2 months. But here I am 7 years later with roots in Quito and Cuenca. One day as I ...
They say that moving house is one of the most stressful life events after the death of a loved one, and when that move involves moving to another country it can be even more stressful, even though it is something that we choose to do. Everyone ... Read More
Travelling to Ecuador in Jun 2013 by escapingoth
Hi Everyone My wife and I have been looking at eventually retiring in about 5 years and have been looking at the different information out there about the potential places to do this at. I will be traveling to Ecuador by myself for 2 weeks in June ...
Hi Hans! Official government websites often way overstate the dangers of setting foot in South America! Plus, the many visitors who come here and don't have anything negative happen to them rarely write about such a non-event on the internet. Those ... Read More
Accidentally moving to Ecuador
I came to Ecuador 7 years ago on a two-month vacation having just finished my doctoral studies in New York. My plan was to visit Ecuador Peru and Bolivia in those 2 months. But here I am 7 years later with roots in Quito and Cuenca. One day as I ... Read More