12 countries in 12 years

Friday, November 29, 2013

We're Taking a Motor Trike in Puerto Lopez Ecuador!

Need a cheap ride? They're just 25 to 50 cents depending on how long the ride is, but they can sure be a bumpy  ride. Some people call them "motor taxis too.

                            

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

We're Having a $2.50 Fish Almuerzo in Manta Ecuador

When we are at the coast we usually opt for the fish almuerzo. The fresh tuna soup (encebollado) they serve before the main course is wonderful too. It's almost a meal in itself. The tuna is freshly caught; it is not a can of tuna opened up and made into the soup, no, it is freshly caught tuna with big chunks of tuna in the bowl of soup. What a value!  --- See Below the Video for more videos of MANTA.

 

           



 More Video and Articles from Manta Ecuador!













Monday, November 25, 2013

Sitting on the Beach Sharing TIPS on How to Negotiate - Manabi Province Ecuador

We're enjoying the beautiful ocean and this secluded beach area in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador.  We're at the most northern end at the point. It is an enjoyable beach walk from the city of Puerto Lopez to the north point.

                          

Saturday, November 23, 2013

We're Walking Along the Malecon in Puerto Lopez Ecuador and Dodging the Assertive Salesmen

They are all over, salesmen trying to sell you a tour, trip, and or an excursion to some exotic, tropical island in and around Puerto Lopez. It started the minute we walked off the bus, literally they were all over us!  We barely walked off the bus and got our luggage cart from underneath the bus when salesmen came rushing up to us wanting to take us to a secluded beach called Las Frailes. The cost, $5 for a ten minute ride on a motor trike.



In town, especially on the Malecon the salesmen will rush up to you with their brochure and sales pitch if you even so much as LOOK at them. Remember: always negotiate the price. They will begin with outrageous prices BECAUSE some gringos pay the first price they are told a tour is. You have to let them know you are not that naive to pay that price for such and such tour...and of course, be nice and smile, always. If you don't want to take a tour, don't look at them.

                    

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ecuador Beach! Local Fishermen Safeguarding Their Catch from the Coastal Birds! Puerto Lopez Ecuador

Ecuador Beach and the Coastal Birds...It's a tough job but someone's got to do it. We watched as the fishermen scurried from their fishing boats, carrying heavy crates of fish to the ice trucks. The birds lie in wait for just the opportune moment to swoop down and grab a bite to eat!  Dinner time!

                           

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Quito Weather in October AFTER Being on the Ecuador Coast

The sun is shining in Quito Ecuador! You would think that coming from the coast to the Andes the weather would be worse, but the sun came out every day in Quito for hours at a time, which warmed us up and it was great.

Now about the beaches. If you don't mind cloudy and sometimes a little bit chilly along the southern and central Ecuador coastline then go to the beach August through October. We still had a wonderful time adventuring along the Ecuador coast. The weather is still really nice along beach this time of year, even if it is mostly overcast; its not too humid and not too hot.
                       

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Misleading Advertising with Hotel Finders: We Thought We Were Getting an Ocean View!

It is really hard not to go through one of these online 'hotel finders" portals because they have literally taken over the Internet! What we do now is use these intermediaries just for finding the name of numerous hotels or hostels in the area we want to go to. Then we "Google" the hotel name and find their website. We wade through tons of 'hotel finders' first, about three pages on Google before we even get the hotel's website. Sometimes you have to type in the name of the hotel, plus the keyword "website" to pull up their website. Do you have a story to share about using a hotel finder? Talk to us in the comments!

                          

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Blackout In a Small Coastal Village Somewhere on the Ecuador Coast

The beauty of some of the Ecuador coast is absolutely awe inspiring, however the infrastructure in most areas is not that great, especially in the smaller towns and villages. The power went out for fourteen hours in this small coastal village we visited for a week, and during that week it went out three other times, not as long but for several hours.

               

Friday, November 15, 2013

Looking to Rent a House in Cuenca Ecuador? How Hot is the Market in Cuenca?

ABOUT THE SHARK INFESTED WATERS OF THE RENTAL MARKET IN CUENCA ECUADOR. 



How hot is the rental market in Cuenca Ecuador?  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then  take a look at both pictures below of a house recently listed for rent.

Quickly:  What's the first thing you see?







This first photo is from a Cuenca Real Estate Company










***





Home on Five Acres in Cuenca for $400







THIS HOME HAS RENTED


If you like beautiful views, peace and quiet and only be 10 minutes from
major shopping then this Mediterranean style home might just be for
you. It has a huge terazza area with built in barbeque. Great for
entertaining.



This remodeled home is at the very top of the hill behind Supermaxi
grocery store. The bus only goes half way up so you will need a car.  





*** 





If you noticed it was the same house you have good photo recognition. 



if you noticed the price in the first photo was 40% higher, then you are brighter than the average duck.



There is no need to belabor any point, we think it speaks for itself. 




Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Cultural Integration Is More Fulfilling and Less Expensive in Cuenca Ecuador!

Be happy and save money in Cuenca Ecuador! The articles and videos on this website are about the people of Cuenca, the places of Cuenca, and all of the things that make Cuenca what it is. We do not candy coat or glorify Cuenca Ecuador. We just tell it like it is, and show it how it is, and all from a family who live at the local level and have integrated into the local culture. That's what you will find on this website...the REAL Cuenca. 

           

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Taking a Motor Trike to the New Mercado in Puerto Lopez

The new Mercado in Pto Lopez is nice and clean, however, they moved it from a centrally located area to a far away area of the town. 



Talk of the town is the locals were upset about this new Mercado being so far away from the center of town. 



We can see why they were upset. Whoever decided to move the Mercado numerous blocks away from everything wasn't really thinking about how much business they might lose.



What do I mean? Well, there is a produce vendor, with a lot of different fruits and vegetables right on the corner as you come into the city center, and it gets a lot of business just because it is more convenient.  It's always packed with people. 

              

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Thinking of Moving to Quito? We're Hitting the Pavement in Quito to Make Your Landing Safer, Easier and Less Stressful!

We hope you have subscribed to our Quito website because we probably will not be posting our Quito information and videos on the Cuenca website for too much longer. We have a lot of Ecuador coastal travels to share with our readers on this  Blog.



Anyway, just want to let our readers know for those who are interested...we
are in Quito Ecuador, experiencing,
observing, researching on how to save money, how to stay safe, and how to
truly enjoy the move or visit to Quito with less stress when you first
land in Quito Ecuador. All the wonderful details will be in our new
Book, The DIY Quito Landing Guide. 



           

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

We're Back in Beautiful Quito Ecuador! First Stop, Desayuno for $1.75

Not only was the breakfast $1.75 but they served real coffee instead of instant. This was a real treat for me since we've been on the road traveling the Ecuador coast for months now. Most restaurants, unless you go to an actual coffee shop, serve instant coffee!  This is very strange in a land that grows coffee!! 



Anyway, we have been pounding the pavement in Quito to bring you the best of this lovely, BIG cosmopolitan city.

                  

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Puerto Lopez Ecuador - Reminds Us of the Wild Wild West


There is a little bit of the Wild Wild West in Puerto Lopez. Some of the buildings resemble the square construction back then, and the motor trikes remind us of little carriages. And the dusty/muddy streets are a dead give away for the old western movies.

We have more video of the Mercado, the new pier, the main tourist drag shopping, and the Northern most beach of Puerto Lopez Ecuador.