Being a surfer, I know how frustrating it can be negotiating the rising and often restrictive baggage policies of major airlines. The so-called handling fees for your surfboards, snowboards, musical instruments can be annoying and at times preposterously high. In the wake of competition, rising fuel costs airlines are hitting the adventure seekers firsts. For most, it doesn’t matter. Most travel with just a carry-on and a check in and the savvy backpackers can get away with just a carry on by shedding weight. But any kayak or orbitz search for flights should be tendered with a search of baggage policies to see what kind of tariffs are placed on you equipment.

So for your convenience I have made a comparison of current fees for all the international carriers routing through Europe and the US. All flights to Ecuador will pass through these airlines either directly or via codeshares. Connecting legs to the airlines particular hub might be coded with a different airline so you will have to do more research. For code shared flights(a flight that is booked under one airline, but actual operates with another airline) you might be subject for the “hidden” airline fee. I recently booked a multistop flight with LAN via orbitz.com. The flight went Quito to Guayaquil and Guayaquil to San Salvador. Now while I booked the flight because LAN is the sole airline operating out of Ecuador that DOESN’T charge for surfboards, the GUA to SAL portion actually turned out to be coded with Taca/Avianca. So I got hit with $150 fee! My bad for not checking up!

Many airlines allow extra baggage for their business and frequent flyer member. Some airlines measure baggage weight limit by the number of pieces, weight, dimension or any combination of the three. Some airlines charge extra for surfboards, some don’t(LAN). Some will allow you to include it with the aggregate of your other bags if you’ve not yet reached the limit. But some heinous airlines will charge you per board and some evil airlines won’t allow any at all. The all important thing is to check the policy before you book because if you show up and refuse to pay the fee, well then they will simply refuse your boards.

The savvy travelers only weapon besides solid research? Charm. Show up early, show up lightly packed and show up prepared to brown nose that over worked and under paid airline representative. The check in agent is the key. I tend to spend my time in that “Disneyland” waiting line checking out the agents. Who is grumpy, who is bubbly, who is the most flirtatious and likely the most single. These are the ones that I wait for, even going so far as to let others pass me by so I can check-in with them. Then a little bit of charm and viola! I have maybe paid board fees 20% of the time on average over the years.

So here’s a breakdown of airlines by region, the hubs, policy and fee. Note: any flight originating outside Europe or the US must route through these airlines eventually. Check your originating airlines policies for their restrictions and fees.

I hope this is helpful.  Remember that these prices are subject change.  Please check out this other post as well.

Cheap Flights and Reduced Fares to Ecuador

El Quetzal coffee and cacao company was started  by Joe, an Ecuadorian who lived a great part of his life in the US looking for land build their retirement home.   Joe and his wife came to Mindo and bought their land near to the river and right off the main square  where they were happy to settle down, but ever the entrepreneur, Joe quickly found himself immersing himself in cacao which ideally grows in the humid and wet Mindo cloudforests leading up from the north of Quito.  Later he found himself also purchasing and roasting his organic coffee beans that grows well in these same humid hills and volcanic soils.   In fact all of the production is organic—coffee and cacao.  Now organic is a loose term and has been thrown around and abused as much as such words as love, honor and duty.  But here in Quetzal’s operations it is kept pure meaning no fertilizers are used in the soil, while no herbicides or pesticides are used in the raising of the trees.  The trees are grown in and amongst the cloudforest itself where there exists the  natural predators of harmful bugs that might attack the trees.  While it may not lead to bumper harvests this technique provides shelter to the many other plant and animal making up the unique biodiversity that inhabit this biosphere all the while providing shade for the workers who harvest  these wonderful fruits.

Francisco, the smiley front man, whom I’d been dealing with on brokering a coffee deal and who was filling in for his brother Joe while he was away in the states,   invited me along the 4 o’clock tour which promptly got started at about 4: 30.   With all the German and American patiently waiting with cafe con leches and hot cocos in hand, trying to fend off the damp that was now steadily pouring outside, we sat in Quetzal’s cafe awaiting the arrival of the few remaining other attendees  making their way.  It was nice to be outside of Quito for even a short spell feeling life in its cycle.  Rain and sun, plants growing and dying and being harvested and consumed–by us and by all the creature roaming around in this valley.  The hummingbirds and mosquitoes,  the jaguars far off in the murky depths, the trout swimming in the river.  The lazy domesticated kinds—the dogs roaming the streets,  Chickens pecking in yards underfoot and, us the human variety, nibbling at chocolate brownies and sipping on the extracts from ground coffee beans and cacao.  We all made up the cycle present in this un-deforested area of this civil society.

And so Francisco dutifully commenced the tour running us through a history of the cacao tree—it’s Olmec origins, supplication by the conquistadors, it’s discovery in the old world, carving a path from Spain, to France and on to England and so on.  It’s renaissance from a crude drink to a highly evolved and varied sweet, making it’s way into cakes and candies. Even now it’s uses proliferate—only recently did the BBC report that it was being a touted as the next non-narco treatment for the chronic cough.  And it’s here in these native cloud forests of the Americas that cacao continues to prosper and fuel our flavor center, titillate our endorphin release mechanism, and drive world economies.
After a bit of history,  We were led off toward the fermentation tents.  Here racks of raw beans in their kernels were drying in the green house conditions while stacks of covered beans were fermenting under plastic tarps.   The key to rich beans:  fermentation.  The longer it ferments the stronger the bean, and normally this is done anywhere from 3-6 days.  Quetzal always pushes it to obtain the strongest bean.  In a later part of the tour we were shown the machinery that separates the bean from the flaky shell.  There were other homemade contraptions for the production of beans, but I’d tired of the tour by this point—not that it wasn’t interesting—I just have acute ADD and so went downstairs into the kitchen to warm up and flirt with the kitchen help.  I ended up helping the lovely Claudia prepare a fresh batch of brownies of which we were able to sample.   And wow!! rich as you could ever hope for!  Simple and pure.  Butter salt, sugar,  cacao blocks, vanilla and a little heat for about 45 minutes and voila! You have an incredible brownie.

As the tour concluded the North Face wearing Germans and Americans shuffled downstairs for their awaited coffee and hot cocoa and brownies and homemade(you guessed it) chocolate ice cream. The rain continued pouring outside.  The beans continued their fermentation in the tent.  The next batch of cacao and coffee were pulsating to life somewhere in the cloud forests as the sun begin its settling and  where  sleeping jaguars were beginning to stir while hummingbirds pollinated their blooms.  All seemed right with the world.

Check out El Quetzal http://www.elquetzaldemindo.com// in Mindo just two hours north of Quito.  It is just off the main plaza and really not hard to find.  There are daily tours and cost 3.50$ including a sample of coffee and brownies.  Quetzal offers a variety of products including organinc fresh roasted coffee, cocoa powder, chocolate bars,  and much more.  Quetzal is also a restaurant and offers fresh, healthy organic meals throughout the day.

Looking for more tours in Ecuador? Let the Happy Gringo help you. Or check out these guided real estate tours here.

If you are interested in hiring help for the house, the best way to do it is by getting a reference. As you get to know more people in Ecuador you can ask around for suggestions on how they found their maids. Ask them to ask their employees to recommend someone for the job.

Employing someone in your house is not expensive when compared to North American standards. Two-hundred to two-hundred and fifty dollars a month can get you help three to four days a week. It is also standard practice to provide your employee with a meal while they are working in your home.

If you don’t know anyone to give you a recommendation then you can go through the local papers, such as El Comercio in Quito and El Universo in Guayaquil. You will need to know a little bit of Spanish to navigate the papers. Make sure and check out the classified section under Servicios for domestic workers (empleadas in Spanish) for people offering their services. When going through the paper you might find that charges are a little bit more, ranging from $300 to $400 a month.

Maids take care of all of the basics around the house; if you want extra little projects done you should compensate accordingly. Also, the Ecuadorian government requires that you pay some benefits and other employment related costs, so make sure you are up to date on what the current fees are.

Find your dream home in Cuenca here.

If you aren’t yet sold on Cuenca, check out this post with tons of great reasons to relocate to Cuenca.

A  few features of apartments make the m much more user friendly than a large house.  First off, less upkeep.  A big country house will most like likely be much older and as such will require much more upkeep—roofs leak, yards need to be weeded, and the plumbing is often old tired.  Now take a new city studio.  Not quite so old, should be  in good shape, no cracks or leaks and no yard.

And what about costs?  A new apartment near the city center in the heart of the colonial district, two bedroom and two baths of  about 1,100 meters for only about $55.000!!  Or try out a luxury suite, one example I read about  was a 3,300-square-foot, two-level luxury penthouse, with 360-degree views, hardwood flooring, impressive tile work, three bedrooms, and four bathrooms for $210,000. Also included is a maid’s suite, 24-hour security, underground parking, and 110 square feet of secure storage.

But try out living in Cuenca before you settle in on it.  To rent something similar to the more modest apartment in Cuenca  would cost you about $350 per month.  Try it out for six months.  Get to know the city’s cobblestone streets and lazy afternoons in little cafes.  Cuenca offers up a thriving expat community as well, so there are many foreigners to know and make for a nice move if you should decide.

For more on Apartments in Ecuador and in Cuenca check out : http://internationalliving.com and search and do a search.

Also refer back to the the previous article on the upcoming event that International living is holding here in Quito to learn more about what you need to do to get an apartment in Ecuador.

If Cuenca isn’t your cup of tea, check out these tips for finding an apartment in Quito.

Having to re-apply and constantly extend tourist visas can be a hassle.  If you are planning on staying in Ecuador for more than 3 months a year, a residency visa is your choice.

There are many different ways to get your residency in Ecuador.  Here, I will mention the easiest two.

And so Sucre continue to serve his adopted city for many years.  Many a bleary eyed passenger would alarmingly wake to hard banks through the narrow Andean passes that leadone through the Quito flight path.  And it is a grand approach.  Planes come from more or less south to north as the drop down into, at 2800 m up, one of the worlds highest airports.  One gets a good display of the cities layout passing the old town, through the Mariscal and over Parque Carolina before dropping into the airport in the Northern reaches.  But after a few too many incidents over the years,  Those in charge of theses things decided to move the airport one valley over, where there would be a lot less collaborator damage if something were to  happen.  Plus as the airport could not expand any further to accommodate larger planes on  new international routes, it seemed that they needed a new one.

And when it does, getting into and out of Quito will suck.

Right now it is convenient and cheap and relatively quick to get from the Mariscal to the Airport.  Just hop on the trolley, take it to the airport stop, and you’re there.  25 cents, done and dusted.  A cab ride will run you about 5-10 depending on how much they take you  for.  But wait for this new airport in November 2011 to be open.  It is easily located a 20$ cab ride out of the city, taking at least 40 minutes.  But seeing as it is only a two lane road winding through mountain passes, in the event of rain or an accident what will you think will happen?  Yep, folks expect delays, plan to perhaps miss your flight all together, and definitely expect to leave your house or hostel even sooner  than normal.

Poor planning

Economically,  and logically a light rail out to the  new airport would have been the sound option, something to have completed during or before the opening. But  we sometimes don’t run on logic here.  Think how nice it  is getting on the Underground tube from Piccadilly and taking that blue stripe out through zones 1 to 7 and you could share my feelings.  The reliability of metros take a lot of stress out of you and they make a lot of sense to control noise and air pollution.   But not here.  Prepare for hell.  Getting]here and away won’t be half the fun.

Eventually it will work out, I have faith.  The new airport  will allow for greater transport in both human and commercial cargo which will bring greater wealth to the city. Safer flight patterns and less noise pollution will render Quito safer and more pleasant.  And sooner or later, once the right wheels are greased, a light rail will be built and the people and tourists here in Quito will once again be able to shuttle themselves cheaply , efficiently, and cheaply to the airport.  Till then, prepare for an Adventure in Exhaustion from November 2011 on.

IL bases its reports on two important criteria: value and quality of life.  Did you know that you can find a modest house along the coast for between $65,000 and 80,000 dollars?  Did you know that Quito averages about 70 degrees all year long?  How bout that Cuenca is considered the number one retirement spot for anywhere due to value and perfect climate.

Topics, taken directly from International livings website,  on this five day seminar will be:

“Current strategies to protect your wealth from the US economy… the pros and pitfalls of international real estate… how to buy it with your IRA… how to use currencies to safeguard your retirement… “\

“We’ll also get into the nuts and bolts of moving, retiring, or doing business overseas.”

“…healthcare strategies, how to save a fortune on premiums and still get the top treatments abroad…”

“…tax strategies… title insurance… managing health risks… step by step “how to’s” of making the move… building your home in the tropics… international tax planning… and much more.”

The event will take place at the Swiss hotel, where the miss Universe pageant took placein 2004.  This is one of Quito’s nicest and acclaimed hotels.  The cost will be  $1295 person, but you can save if you meet do a few things now:

$200 off  early registration (register by January 10th)

$50:   IL Magazine reader.
$150   if you or a member of IL’s Lifetime Society.
$200 no matter when you register if you are a member of IL’s Publisher’s Roundtable or Real Estate Trend Alert.
Come FREE if you are a member of IL’s World Club.

Check out the website: http://www.internationallivingultimateevent.com
call directly at 1-866-381-8446 (toll free in the US and Canada) or 1-410-223-2688
or email at Events@InternationalLiving.com.

For more information on the legal requirements for living and working in Ecuador check out this post.

Hola Everyone,

This Newsletter is about a Panama and Ecuador Seminar which is being held in January 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am letting you know this up front – those of you who are not interested, read no further.

This seminar is one that is easily affordable and not the high price seminars that you have seen advertised by others. This is a great way to come and find out what you need to know about Panama and Ecuador as possible places to relocate to.

I will be attending myself as an exhibitor for Cuenca. My Cuenca booth will have lots of good information for those thinking of moving here. Meet me in Charlotte. CLICK HERE to make your appointment with me.

Joining me will be one of the guest speakers for Ecuador, and Cuenca in particular. He is a very well known local bilingual Cuencanco who will also be able to help answer any questions you may have about Cuenca.

To attend the Seminar please book through www.panama-ecuador.com .

Register Now for

PANAMA and ECUADOR

Two Day SEMINAR

PRESENTED in CHARLOTTE, NC

January 15th & 16th, 2011

For more information and to make your booking today go to

www.panama-ecuador.com

Once you have made your booking to attend the seminar you can arrange a 30 minute meeting with myself and my colleagues. To secure your booking with me CLICK HERE and send through the form at the bottom of the page.

Please note that I am not the organizer of the Panama-Ecuador Seminar. For all other queries please contact the organizers at www.panama-ecuador.com .

Look forward to meeting you.

Chao for now

Dixie

Ecuador adopted the dollar to combat the dramatic nosedive the fledgling Sucre made in 1999, plunging to a rate of over 24,000 Sucres to one dollar. President Jamil Mahuad decision to dollarize, led to his usurpation by a popular uprising of militarily backed indigenous rioters. The mere thought of allowing the Yankees to invade the wallets of every patriot? Replacing the national heros: the Belecazars, the Bolivars and Alfaros, and even the Sucre himself with Washington, Lincolns, and Jacksons? It was all just too much to take and as often as such the messenger of ill news is killed while handing out the decree. The then Vice president Gustavo Noboa ascended to power in Mahuads wake and went ahead with his plans anyhow. And amidst the wails of the end of national sovereignty and the reintroduction of Banana Republic politics the Ecuadorian economy would experience an eventual growth and stabilization.

Albeit interesting, too much research into dollarization might cause acute somnolence and you and I asleep and drooling on the keyboard might short out our computers cause financial crises of our own. So I won’t take the economic talk any further. I’ll save all the debate of nominal interest rates and workers remittance vs. loss of seigniorage and national pride to you and your own research.

What is probably more important for the tourist or expat coming to Ecuador is the conveinence of having a currency which is easily convertable—well no conversion for north americans—simpler still. Most of us balk at the complexities of rates going to the 10,000^th decimal. And with percentage takes by banks, fees for travellers checks, and that paranoia that you could have gotten a better rate elsewhere, it’s a whole lot nicer knowing that your greenback is what it is. Makes it quite easy to measure how far you’ll be carried with your bank book when planning out a holiday. I’d say the only downside for tourists is the loss of desirable rates that destabled currencies have on exchange. The falling suscre to dollar must have made for great travel here in ’99. I remember being in Asia when the plummeting asian tiger made for some good travelling. Whoosh, wandering out of the bank in Bali with a backpack of money(<16,000 rupee to the dollar at the time!!) and checking into swankier accomadation for the same buck was a grand one.

But for those who come to reside and bank here a stable currency is even more important. Faith that your savings won’t suddenly plummet as the Sucre did or be devalued as what happened in Argentina, makes it more feasible to relocate and reinvest in a country. You would hate to see your entire life savings invested in a foreign bank suddenly become very expensive toilet paper. So for the potential expat, A, this means you can come here and invest in local banks, rather than keeping your currency locked abroad. Obviously you’d want to avoid international fees which would be numerous and daft if you were residing. B, keeping your money in a bank is good overall for Ecuador and for all residing. More foreign investment means a better economy which you will see directly and indirectly with better roads, services, greater employment, less crime, etc.

Overall, stability is favorable for growth and for all the blows it has done to national pride, I think the people prefer knowing that they need only carry three Washingtons rather than 75,000 Sucres to purchase their gin and tonics at my bar. Sure makes my life easier. Stability is good for us who live here as well. Stability is growth. Those wanting to own or invest here know that they are making a safer bet and can stay, putting down roots, confidently knowing that their dollars sleep safely in the bank vault at night.

For a comprehensive history of everything Ecuador currency check wiki of course: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_of_Ecuador

and for an interesting, quick read with charts and graphs breaking down the reasons for, the effects of and the pros and cons of dollarization in Ecuador check: http://www.econ.umn.edu/~ina/1102_F09/Ecuador.pdf `