Want to come meet the author of the Ecuador Gringo? Come to Bungalow 6 in the Mariscal. That’s right everybody, I have been working upstairs in the famous Bungalow since I got to Quito 3 months ago. Bungalow is known as the Mariscal’s prime party spot and you can tell by the lines of people waiting to get in outside. Bungalow started becoming a cornerstone of the Mariscal’s party scene about 3 years back when John Ott and Sean Carter, a couple of American expats, took it over and began transforming it into a popular hangout, popular with both Ecuadorians and Foreigners alike. I heard one local Ecuadorian describe its secret as being a sort of melting pot Read more
It was last Sunday in the Mariscal, I walked up to Finn McCools, a popular Irish pub in Quito’s Mariscal with the mind to order a Sunday roast and indulge myself. The waitress tells me there will be no roasts and that they’ll be shutting in 30 minutes. Normally the beer would be flowing at 4:30 in the afternoon, with the mixed crowd of locals, tourists, and expats watching sports, eating, or playing pool, but the new law had kept pretty much everybody at home. Quitos’ new drinking law had gone into effect and we were feeling it here at ground zero in the Mariscal, Quitos main party zone.
I looked back outside contemplating where to get Read more
Few places in La Mariscal, the center for Quito’s gringos, draw me in as does Uncle Ho’s. It goes beyond the food or the cocktails, rather it comes down to the personality behind the bar. Meet Kevin Sheehy: a five foot ten Irishman with a distinctive braided goatee dangling down below his chin who can be found most nights serving up martinis, cracking jokes with the local clientele, and checking the baseball play-by-plays on his laptop. Popular with Quito’s English teacher crowd and local gringo business owner alike, Ho’s intimate bar provides a great place to catch the game and have a chat. Kev’s a typical Irishman with a riotous sense of humor; he quickly friendlies up to anyone Read more
Dixie Davie, an Australian from Perth, and her husband have been in Cuenca for two years now – and loving every minute of it. Her site is Retire – in – Ecuador.
The Gringo and company had an opportunity to join her on her tour this past week – it was a very well spent $75. We learned a lot – both the positive and the negative about moving to Cuenca. It was mostly positive.
From her site, here is her description of her tour:
This tour is designed to show you a little of what it is like to live here and to find out where the best neighborhoods are, and where to do your grocery and other Read more
Today I am going to share a special report from Gary Scott, an expert on pretty much everything Ecuador and everything investment as well.
In a recent article, entitled Ecuador Beach Acreage, Gary highlights the investment potential of areas north of Manta and Bahia. He writes:
“Bahía is a Pacific coastal city located on a peninsula about an hour and 15 minutes north of Manta and is bordered by the Chone River. This river creates the opportunity. The estuary has always stopped the traffic flow.”
Bahia is one of nicest resort areas due to its natural beauty and cleanliness, as well as easy access from Quito, Manta, and Guayaquil. The problem is the estuary Read more
The Ecuador Gringo is a fan of Happy Gringo Travel, and that’s not just because I’m a happy gringo too. Happy Gringo is dedicated to planning the perfect trip to fit your needs, and they are genuinely happy to do it.
Tours include trips to the Galapagos, into the jungle and the cloudforest, as well as a whole host of day trips. The trips highlight Ecuador and provide tourists with glimpses into the everyday life of Ecuadorians. Tours are designed to have a more real-to-life flair than your traditional mainstream tours, which make them a favorite among travelers who want to experience the real Ecuador, but can’t make the travel plans on their own.
For those coming to Ecuador who plan to use Quito as a central base of operations for excursions throughout the country, or those checking out the city to see if they would like to retire here permanently, you may want to consider getting a membership to the South American Explorers Club.
A standard single membership costs $60 (for a pair it’s 90) and includes access to all the clubhouses (located throughout South America), their respective libraries, a book exchange, storage and mail services, wireless internet, access to their members only web-site, discounts with language schools, tours, hotels, travel advice and trip planning. YOu also get the quarterly magazine and the monthly e-newsletter, as well as tons of information about Read more
Looking for a way to pick up Spanish – fast? Try the “Super Thinking – Super Spanish” courses taught at El Meson de las Flores in Cotacachi.
The “Super Thinking + Spanish” courses are taught by Steve Marchant and a group of native Spanish speaking teachers. The course was developed by Steve together with Merri, who, along with her husband, Gary Scott owns El Meson de las Flores.
The courses are based off of the Lozanov method, developed by Dr.Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian educational master. Dr.Lozanov was granted a visa to enter the United States in order to teach his Method, which involves improving the speed, accuracy and efficiency of the learning process. At least three best selling books, the Mozart Effect, Superlearning, and Read more
Chris Guillebeau is the mastermind behind “The Art of Non-Conformity,” an online blog that touches on unconventional strategies for life, work, and travel. He is also a friend of this traveling gringo. Chris is an amazing character who has spent time the last ten years self-employed, four of them in West Africa as a volunteer aid worker.
Chris’ most recent project is a series of Unconventional Guides and other informational products. These will be available for purchase and expound upon the topics he regularly tackles on his blog: Life, Work and Travel.
The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself is an authoritative look at being self-employed. It explains how you can make money and spend Read more
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