½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Menu
½ûÂþÌìÌÃ
mindstorm

mindstorm

Active member

American expat in Ecuador

Forum

32 posts

About me

American

Lives in Cuenca

Registration: 30 August 2011

Activity

mindstorm replied to a thread
8 years ago
Dackombe

Quotations for containers ( beware ) by Dackombe

Below are a few of my observations after getting six quotations for shipping a container of household goods from Montreal to Mirador San Jose, Manta. a. Delivery time quoted ranged from 3 to 4 weeks to 6 to 8 weeks. b. Despite being clear regarding ...

mindstorm

Do what we did -- store everything in a AAA storage unit in the city we moved from. After we got our residence visa, we had our EC shipper deliver a container there, and a handyman from our prior home city load it up. Worked without a hitch. For ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
8 years ago
Dackombe

Quotations for containers ( beware ) by Dackombe

Below are a few of my observations after getting six quotations for shipping a container of household goods from Montreal to Mirador San Jose, Manta. a. Delivery time quoted ranged from 3 to 4 weeks to 6 to 8 weeks. b. Despite being clear regarding ...

mindstorm

We put everything we wanted to bring down in a AAA storage unit. After we got our resident visa, we had a handyman from the States load up the container and send it on it's way. Arrived here (from San Francisco) about 5 weeks later. DO NOT ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
crowdpub

Cultural Issue of lack of trust in others in Ecuador by crowdpub

When I first arrived in Ecuador in 1980 there were lots of things I found exciting about the country. The culture was so different than where I was from in the states and I was soon to find many of those things while new and different, would soon ...

mindstorm

Trust, like respect, is something that must be earned. We have an HOA admin who has not kept a single promise in 3 years. I have stopped paying HOA fees until he produces the accounting he has promised for 3 years. He complained that I did not ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

BTW, here is a screenshot of the relevant part of my electrical bill https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1egd47lfa9vc6d/electric%20bill%202015-08.png?dl=0 Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

mindstorm, Do you live in a single family home or an apartment building? If in an apartment, does each unit have its own meter or a common one for all? Something does not sound right. Last month with a family of (4) four, we used 29 kwh and our ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

In order to change, the bill must be in the name of the person who owns the house.I know several people that own property here in Cuenca but do not have (nor intend to get) residence visas. For them, I guess their passport would allow them to get ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

The best official place to start is at: http://www.cocinasdeinduccion.gob.ec/ But as mentioned, remember that to qualify you need an Ecuadorian cedula and you need to be already using a gas cooker where you live.Actually, that web site says that ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

When you take into account the government subsidy, the cost of electricity for the induction cooker will only be marginally higher that the equivalent gas cooker. When the government subsidy runs out after about 3 years, existing gas subsidies will ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

If anybody tries to sell you an electricity conversion service from 115 VAC to 220 VAC, it's a scam because the government will do it for you free of charge provided you switch from gas to induction cooking. Hope this helps, Russell *I believe ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
GMC(SW)

BOTTLED GAS IN ECUADOR by GMC(SW)

The bottled gas used in Ecuador is not of the same quality as found in the U.S. Many residential areas depend on bottled gas. As gas is not plumbed to most buildings, the newer buildings are installing a supply / storage system. This will be large ...

mindstorm

You need a better pressure cooker. Electric pressure cookers don't have the problem of being forgotten on the stove too long, letting pressure build until it blows. Here is mine -- ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
cccmedia

The Migration Map: 39,000 USA Expats Live in Ecuador, 849K in Mexico by cccmedia

An Interactive Migration Map posted at the Viva Tropical Website shows that 39,000 U.S Expats now live in Ecuador. The map is based on migration data collected by the United Nations Population Division. The U.S. State Department estimates that ...

mindstorm

I don't believe those numbers. The general estimate is 4000 to 6000 expats in Cuenca, which is considered the highest concentration of expats. If that is the case, how could there be 39,000 in Ecuador -- 10 times the number in Cuenca? If they ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
Angel2018

My name is Angel and I am 44 years old by Angel2018

Hello, My name is Angel and I am 44 years old. I plan to move to Ecuador in a couple of years. I am still working on convincing my husband that it is a good idea :) My son is 2 years away from obtaining a BA of Accounting, and says he may want to ...

mindstorm

I have lived in Cuenca for two years, and have maybe seen 4 or 5 wheelchairs in all that time. The city is not suitable for anyone with a mobility handicap. I have only seen one elderly woman with a walker, and was coming out of church with her ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
DXBDINO28

Spanish Language Necessity for Citizenship by DXBDINO28

Hi Is it true that to apply for Citizenship One must speak and write Spanish Fluently. What kinds of Questions do they ask ? What if someone cant learn Spanish , do they simply reject the application? Has anyone applied for Citizenship? I am ...

mindstorm

And you probably applied more than a month ago -- when the rules changed... again. They removed the fast track for spouses of EC citizens, and now those must also go through the same process as anyone else. We have a friend that applied last ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
Chezhka

Ecuador's citizenship by Chezhka

Hello everyone! I am thinking to immigrate to Ecuador. My final goal is to change my current citizenship but I can't find any info on how naturalization process works in Ecuador. Could anyone please send me a link and/or any information where I ...

mindstorm

I also suspect that if one can get familiar with most of the first verse of the anthem, there would be no problem.The first friend that told us of getting her citizenship said she only had to sing (actually speak) the first verse and chorus, and ... Read More

mindstorm replied to a thread
9 years ago
Chezhka

Ecuador's citizenship by Chezhka

Hello everyone! I am thinking to immigrate to Ecuador. My final goal is to change my current citizenship but I can't find any info on how naturalization process works in Ecuador. Could anyone please send me a link and/or any information where I ...

mindstorm

BTW, of my friends that got their citizenship in the last couple months, they quotes their total price ranging from $300 to $1000. Well below that $2000 quoted a year ago in that meeting. None said anything about having to advertise, but I ... Read More