Ecuador Expat Info
We share Ecuador Expat Info, tips, experiences and services for people who are considering a move to Ecuador and for those who already live here.
Ecuador Expat Info VLOG
Cuenca Expats Magazine Interview w/ Ed Lindquist (Episode 134) (8/24/2019) - We had the great privilege of interviewing Ed Lindquist, Managing Partner of Cuenca Expats Magazine. He shared his knowledge and expertise of Cuenca's expat population, as well as his experience starting a business in Cuenca Ecuador...
How To Get To Cuenca Ecuador from the USA (Episode 133) (8/20/2019) - In this episode, we discuss how to get to Cuenca Ecuador from the USA, including airports, airlines, ground transportation and airport hotels...
Why Expats Leave Cuenca Ecuador (Episode 131) (8/13/2019) - Cuenca is a transitional community for expats. In this episode, we discuss the 12 most common reasons why expats leave Cuenca Ecuador.
Ecuador Health Insurance Overview 2019 (Episode 128) (8/3/2019) - Mario Miranda is a health insurance agent located in Cuenca Ecuador. He stopped by to answer some of our questions about Ecuador Health Insurance.
There are two types of health insurance in Ecuador: Public and Private....
Cuenca Ecuador Crime (2019) + Safety Tips (Episode 126) (7/27/2019) - The Cuenca Ecuador Crime rate has been a trending topic lately. CuencaHighLife reported on a statement made by a citizens group claiming that crime has increased over the past year or so here in Cuenca. Several people have also messaged us to ask if Cuenca is safe.
In this video, we'll talk about some of the crime rate stats for Cuenca, what the provincial government has to say about it, and our experience living here for 2 years. We'll also share a few stories from our friends who have had things stolen from them, and offer some safety tips that will help you in any city....
Cuenca Animal Clinic: Daisy’s Day at the Dentist (Episode 124) (7/20/2019) - After a long talk and some biscuit bribery, Daisy agreed to let us film her day at the dentist at the Cuenca Animal Clinic. She got her annual exam, teeth cleaning and a toenail trim....
Vilcabamba to Cuenca Transportation Options + More Vilca Observations (Episode 123) (7/16/2019) - In this video, we share several Vilcabamba to Cuenca transportation options, as well as a few more Vilca Observations from our week there. You'll also get to meet a chocolate farmer who uses something other than plastic for his packaging.
Vilcabamba Ecuador: 5 Things We Loved + 1 Interesting Observation (Episode 122) (7/13/2019) - On our last day in Vilcabamba Ecuador, we decided to share the 5 things we loved plus one interesting observation. It's a truly magical place and should be on your list of places to visit....
Vilcabamba Ecuador Tour 2019 + Mico’s Oasis Verde (Episode 121) (7/9/2019) - This video starts with a Vilcabamba Ecuador Tour showing our walk around town. Then we talked with Mico from Mico's Oasis Verde before enjoying a delicious plant-based dinner.
Vilcabamba Ecuador: Madre Tierra Resort Tour + Rumi Wilco Hike + Bachata Dancing (Episode 120) (7/6/2019) - On our trip to Vilcabamba Ecuador, we stayed at the beautiful and relaxing Madre Tierra Resort and Spa. We also enjoyed a leisurely hike on the Rumi Wilco trail along Río Vilcabamba. And we ended our video with a night of bachata dancing with Johnny and Olesya.
Cuenca Ecuador Cost of Living 2019: Updated with Real Prices (Episode 118) (6/29/2019) - This Cuenca Ecuador Cost of Living 2019 video covers our monthly living expenses, as well as some other common costs. If you're thinking about moving here, check out our Ecuador Expat Info page for more videos and detailed blog posts....
New Expat First Impressions of Cuenca Ecuador + We Got Fingerprinted!!! (Episode 116) (6/22/2019) - A couple of our subscribers and new arrivals share their New Expat First Impressions of Cuenca Ecuador. Plus, Amelia and I got fingerprinted! Relax... It's for the background checks we need to file our Ecuador Permanent Residency Visa application.
How To Overcome Your Fears: 9 Tips + Useful Actions (Episode 115) (6/18/2019) - We've done a lot of scary things in our lives, like selling everything we own and moving to South America. Some people call us risk takers, but in reality, we were scared to death! We just pushed through the fear and did it anyway! Here are the 9 tips we learned along the way to overcome your fears while doing things that scare you to death!
Cuenca Ecuador Expat Living Day In The Life (Episode 113) (6/11/2019) - We share another typical day in our life in this Cuenca Ecuador Expat Living video. After my morning massage, we had a late lunch with friends, visited an organic shop in El Centro, walked around this beautiful city taking pictures and ended our afternoon at Zatua Miski for a peanut butter chocolate ice cream bar.
The next morning, we woke to a beautiful day during the rainy season here in Cuenca Ecuador, so we decided to take Daisy for a walk along the river. Little did we know that a pothole had my name on it....
Ecuador Permanent Resident Visa 2019 w/ Maite from GringoVisas Cuenca (Episode 112) (6/8/2019) - An Ecuador Permanent Resident Visa is something we need if we want to stay in Ecuador beyond our 2-year temporary resident visa expiration date.
Our temporary resident visa expires in 8 months and we wanted to get a headstart on the process because it can take awhile to get all the necessary paperwork. It also takes awhile for the Ecuadorian government to approve and issue our permanent resident visas.
Here's an overview of what you can expect if you're ready to apply for your Ecuador Permanent Resident Visa....
Sojo Spa Hair Salon Cuenca Ecuador (Episode 110) (6/1/2019) - Amelia and I went to Sojo Spa Hair Salon Cuenca Ecuador to get her dried out mop cut off. She said it reached the point of no return. Plus, I've been encouraging her to get it cut for quite a while.
It's a long-standing joke on our channel to refer to Amelia's uber curly frizzy hair as a mop. She thinks it's just as funny as everyone else!
Ecuador Resident Visa Types & Process 2019 – Interview w/ Maité Durán at Gringo Visas (Episode 93) (4/16/2019) - We get a lot of questions about the types of Ecuador resident visas and the process for getting a visa in Ecuador so we arranged an interview with Maité Durán at GringoVisas. She and her team helped Amelia and me get our temporary resident visas when we decided to move to Ecuador.
Bringing Pets to Ecuador: Daisy and Alicia’s Excellent Adventure (Episode 85) (3/28/2019) - We've had LOTS of questions about how to bring pets to Ecuador and about how pet-friendly Cuenca is, so we thought we'd record a quick video talking about our experience bring Daisy and Alicia here. It was quite the adventure!
For our fellow vegans, we're using the term "pets" in this post and in the video for SEO value. More people search for pet travel and pet services than they search for companion animals or fur babies so we don't want to miss out on that search traffic...
Emergency Trip to US Consulate in Guayaquil + Our Big Surprise (Episode 82) (3/21/2019) - We had to make an emergency trip to the US Consulate in Guayaquil to get my passport renewed for a reason many people don't know about. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
WE'RE GOING TO INDIA!!!
Amelia is finally letting me tell you because we can't keep it a secret any longer. Our friends Chinnu and Abin from Namaste India are getting married! Their story is a full blown India Rom Com (Romantic Comedy) that we'll share on a later date.
Apartamentos Otorongo Tour – Flashback Day In The Life in Cuenca Ecuador (Episode 81) (3/19/2019) - This is a flashback day in our life. When we first moved here and stayed at Apartamentos Otorongo, we had a daily routine that included fresh fruits & veggies, and fresh baked bread...
Cuenca Ecuador Expat Pros and Cons – Part 2 (Episode 80) (3/16/2019) - Here is our Cuenca Expats Pros & Cons list, our second top 10 list of things we love about Cuenca and a few things we don't love so much....
Cuenca Ecuador Pros and Cons – Part 1 (Episode 71) (2/23/2019) - We've had several requests for a video covering the things we love about Cuenca Ecuador, as well as some of the things we don't love. That was the inspiration for this video sharing our Cuenca Ecuador Pros and Cons....
Cuenca Ecuador Rental House + Monthly Living Expenses 2019 (Episode 63) (2/4/2019) - Here's our Cuenca Ecuador Rental House Tour. Plus, we share our cost of living and monthly living expenses in spring of 2019 as two American expats.
Cuenca Ecuador Pharmacy Tour and Paying Bills + Beet Burgers Cooking Video (Episode 54) (1/15/2019) - If you've never been to Cuenca or a South American country, you may be curious about basic things like paying bills and shopping at pharmacies. In this video, we'll show you the unusual (by American standards) way of paying bills and perhaps reassure you about the quality of pharmacies with a Cuenca Ecuador Pharmacy Tour....