Kris and I are making the big step and moving to Ecuador on Jan 5 2023. We sold our house and are moving to the coast. After a few exploratory trips and a ton of research, not only did Ecuador meet all the important practical criteria for us, but we can call it home. Ecuador has something for everyone but for us, the incredible diversity in nature, the very friendly welcoming people and a climate for almost anyone are what settled it for us. Goodbye Winter! We decided to start a KZread channel to document our journey for ourselves, our family and our friends and maybe give some others the courage to move from their comfort zone and enjoy this incredible world. We hope you subscribe to our channel and join us on our journey. If we are fortunate enough to be able to monetize this channel, 100% will be donated to Ecuadorian charities. Life the Life you Love!!
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Could u explain your health insurance u have please.
We have private insurance. You can get many types of plans to meet your needs or get the public insurance at around 86 a month called IESS. You can contact Bluebox insurance out of Manta for a quote on private insurance.
Where do u live now?
We live just north of Olon on the coast.
Im 70 yrs and recently widowed and will come to visit this year. It Aug 2024 now. I do speak perfect Spanish having grown up in Mexico City from the age of 11 to 30. Might live there part time.
That's great. Check out Cuenca. Most popular for expats but many more depending on what you like.
Question: are these mud baths in Cuenca Ecuador?
Yes just north of Cuenca.
Did u say shlomo? My doggies were name Hannah and Shlomo
No Our dogs are Willow and Henry.
THANKS FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION VERY GOOD IND. HOPE IT GETS MUCH BETTER I HOPE EVUADORIANS ARE RESILIANT THANK YOU AGAIN ❤😅
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Na tbird party lm vm
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My wife and I stayed for just under three weeks in Cuenca last summer and it was absolutely wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it!
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Enjoyed the show , I see why Cuenca is so popular, a lot to experience there looks like.
Thanks, great to see you today. Check out frecuento and megakywi.
We have had the pleasure of Sebastian and Victor's help for the last two years . Fantastic people!
That's great. Thanks for spreading the word.
Im thinking of making the move. Im really considering living near my grandparents. Ive never dedicated spending time and caring for them. The only bad thing is they are in yuayaquil
There are good and bad areas so it may be ok plus things keep improving this year over last.
If you do the trip as a couple to Cotacachi, then you should definitely stay and dine at the Mirage. The hotel is beautiful and the restaurant is spectacular.
That sounds very good. Thanks for the tip.
Great video again! The city and the ruins looked amazing. Happy you returned home safely.
Thanks 🙏
Yes… i thought it was going to be a video about shopping in Cuenca with the lead in! 😂
The taxi couldn't make it up our hill with all the weight from stuff Kris bought in Cuenca. True story.
Nice video and good info. Planning to do 3-4 weeks in January, split about evenly between Cuenca and the coast (eg Olon). Trickiest part seems to be travel between the two. Would you recommend flying into Cuenca (coming from the US), then flying to Guayaquil, then private driver to Olon? Any other recommendations? TVM!
Ok perfect time to see the Olon area at its best. Yes best use of your time is the flight from Cuenca to Guayaquil. Then either driver or bus. Driver will be about 100. I have a driver who can meet you there. Let me know a week before and I can hook you up with him. You will have a blast.
You’re the best! Thanks
In the last 5 years, I have seen every video that has been done about Ecuador and you guys are the best. Since my wife and I will soon be moving there, your video raises an important question. Are you guys still using credit cards from Canada or did you get Credit cards in Ecuador? If you are using cards from Canada do you pay them with money in a bank in Canada or Ecuador?
Thanks for all your kind words. So we kept our Canadian bank accounts and credit cards with RBC. We signed up with their RBC cross border package which got us an account out of their Georgia USA branch with a USA credit card and debit card. We also have a bank account at banco Guayaquil. We transfer money accordingly based on our financial needs. We pick the appropriate time with exchange rates to move money from Canada account to US account. We use US credit cards for major stores in Ecuador. We use debit card for ATM machines here. We use banco Guayaquil account for paying bills and transferring money to companies and people who don't take credit cards. Also for getting cash out of machines.
@@KrisandMike Are you paying transfer fees, or have you been able to avoid that?
@user-lc5cg6gd5o You always pay transfer fees to get money into an Ecuador bank. Not huge at all. Use Xoom or Wise or something similar to limit fees. But in the whole process from getting money from Canada to Ecuador using any process the biggest cost is the exchange rates you get from the banks. The banks will add in significant costs to the exchange rates buried in. You will get a much better rate by moving at least 10K and converting to us dollars. Larger amounts are better using external services like Knightsbridge
@@KrisandMike Thank you. Your help is always very much appreciated.
Kris, isn't it crazy how fast a checked bag fills up? Lol! Loved the video Mike!
Thanks my friends.
Hola Mike and Kris, I chose to spend my first year in Ecuador in Cuenca. Think I may have been exploring the coast about the time you were here. My favorite discovery was . Ecuadorians seem to be the same no mater where I go. Secret I haven't shared. Just between you and I. I walk into any bank. With a smile and respect. Slip a $20 under the window and ask for 20 coins. PS.I'm thinking of videoing some of my experiences. Do you have a opinion on using a Go Pro ? For me. Simplest would be best. Gacias
Thanks for watching. Interesting about the bank for getting change. In Canada you can't get service without an account there. Incredible eh? Yes action is great for KZread. We use the DJI action 3 for all our video footage. More expensive is the DJI osmo pocket series which the latest is excellent 👌. These are great they are small and can fit in a very small back. Great for walking around.
@@KrisandMike Sopping on Tiendamia. They only offer the DJI 2. Being clumsy. Thought the Go Pro looked rugged. As for change at banks. In Manta one bank turned down my request. Went to another and was helped happily.
Loved this video. I also love doors and take pictures of them😊. We are in our 50s, and we're in Banos last year, hired a local private driver for a day, best money spent! He showed us SO much, and so fun, no real lines to wait in.
Yes private drivers for the day are well worth the investment plus your helping a family out. Everybody wins.
Very interesting
Thanks 👍
I like to photograph ecuadorian doors too. So many beautiful handmade doors here.
Yes you are right. Lots of very special ones out there. Hope you are doing well Tom. Take care
We visited Cuenca and Cotacatchi in May '22. Loved them both!
That's great 👍 thanks for watching
That spa looked amazing!! So glad you were able to share your experience there. What an awesome little getaway!
I had a great time!
Way to go Kris. My wife and I were in the apartment on the 6th floor the first 2 weeks of June. The landlord was wonderful and prompt in answering questions. It was our exploratory trip and we are Moving down next July. Did you see Pete the cat prowling the rooftops across the street? Those stairs will make you strong!
That's so funny 🤣. What a small world. No Pete was not in sight. Glad your exploratory trip was a success. Enjoy your new life.
You guys are great...entertaining, informative and funny! Youre one of the last youtubers left on the coast. Our dear friend in Manta has " punched out" from doing videos. We sorely will miss him greatly!😢 So we only really have you! Dont leave us!
Thanks for your kind words. We have no plans of stopping anytime soon. Yes we haven't met Don yet but watched regularly. He will be missed but I have a feeling he might be back. I don't think Manta is a good fit for him. He might be happier if he tried another place in Ecuador. All part of the journey. Take care.
Yesaa pls make a video of doors! Thanks for the relaxed convo & wonderful info on Cuenca
Thanks 🙏
Mike, I love doors too. The most beautiful ones I have seen are in Spain, so tall. I saw a book on doors once, should have bought it.
Thanks for watching.
Kris and Mike, you answered in one of the comments that it would be ideal to divide your time between coast and city. I'm wondering what your thoughts would be on leaving a place empty while travelling elsewhere. Do you think that would be safe? Who would you get to check in? Are there property management type companies? Am I mistaken that it would be risky?
There are definitely people who can come check out your home while gone. Or maybe you might want to rent it out here and there while gone. Gabi is perfect for that. A lot of houses here on the coast remain empty for long periods of time. Quite a few homes here are a second residence where they come to vacation. Very safe.
My husband does not like to travel. So sometimes I would go and he would stay home and take care of the house and the garden. It's nice to have a little break and something new to talk about. What did you buy on your trip Chris? Show and tell? I encourage you both to explore together. Do it while you can! Especially if you have someone reliable to house sit. Cheers from Canada.😊
I bought clothes and decor for my house. If you ever need a travel companion just shoot me a message. lol. It sounds like Mike is hunkering down here on the coast. 😉 lol
@KrisandMike Thanks! Amazing thought:) Enjoying the adventures of Kris and Mike. And I would totally use cash as well! 😁
Kris, thanks so much for sharing your shopping adventure with us! I was curious if they have any online shopping sites there similar to Amazon? If you do any shopping online from out of the country, how much is the import tax?
Thanks for watching. There are lots of online shopping opportunities here. A new video coming soon will cover our top 5.
I lived in Cuenca for a year in 2015. I went back a few more times because I absolutely love Cuenca. I, like you Kris, could go back and forth from coast to mountains to even dessert beaches. Very emotional to watch this video. I married a farmer four years ago here in Alabama, so, yeah, probably won't be back. You def have to be on the same page.
Life is so much what you make it. And yes being on the same page is important. Take care.
If you like doors, you should come to Toledo in Madrid/Spain, where jewish, christian and muslim cultures coexisted a long time ago. The next time i go to Ecuador, im gonna make sure i visit Cuenca.
Thanks for the suggestion. And thanks for watching
Cuenca is beautiful I love it there
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What I liked seeing was the motorcycle. What I liked hearing was you can travel around Ecuador to a different climate. I think what I would like is the ability to have a home base and be able to travel without it being ridiculously expensive or complicated.
That's possible to do that. Renting a home base with nothing fancy . Go for it.
FYI, if you get to the change machine at the National Bank and it isn't working, you can always go into the bank--just need your cedula number--and they will give change any amount of bills into dollar coins.
Narrated, I would certainly watch a video of doors, Kris and Mike. :)
We probably have 30 doors right now. 😂
Glad Kris is back, Mike looks great in that shirt.
Thanks my friend. Hope your well.
As an old farm boy and living 13 years in the Chihuahuan desert surrounded by many thousand acres of cattle ranches, I too love country living. But not having to drive and with all the conveniences of Cuenca, I'm thrilled to live here. I miss zero things from the USA.
I totally understand. Once your here there is no going back. We love it here.
Glad to see Victor and Sebastian getting a plug. Victor has been a huge help to us not only driving, but helping us when we needed someone to translate for us. 👋👋👋👋
Yes we help who we can. They are amazing. Highly recommended.
My hardest decision is Cuenca, Cotacachi or the coast! Each has so many positives and no negatives! I want to go to Loja but I’m afraid to be even more confused as to where to stay. Lol. I may end up with a couple months in each place for the first couple winters to figure it out! Glad you had a great time Kris! I can’t imagine being on the 7th floor with no elevator. You are a rock star!!!
Try them all out. They are all so different and beautiful.
I need the city every two months ! Just sayin
I really enjoyed Kris’ photography and trip to Cuenca! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks 🙏. She had some great shots.
We had. Wonderful time in Cuenca..we also did the spa day....AMAZING...WE went for the full delicious lunch and 1hr massage.....Fantastic.....I would like to stay just outside Cuenca....but Cuenca is so beautiful and walkable....thank you for your videos
Thanks for watching.
Hi shalom dear family ,im a servant of God from Pakistan im coming to Ecuador with my family .
Welcome. Enjoy 😊
@@KrisandMike I would like to join your church I'm a pastor ☺️
Once again. Thank you! You two are the kind of Expats that Ecuador needs. I hope eventually, to have the same beneficial presence to my soon to be Sierra home.
Thanks very much for your kind words
Thanks, Mike. Your videos and open presentation of the good and the bad around Ecuador, has been instrumental in my decision to go ahead with my plans to make the move. Within the next few months, I plan on preparing my home, here in the States, for sale and taking the next few months after that finding a home in the Sierra. I am still a bit undecided as to whether I want to be outside Cuenca or in the Malacatos/Vilcabamba vicinity. Love both areas, but still leaning south of Loja... I look forward to your future updates. Thanks again!
Exciting times ahead for you. Enjoy
Wow! Stick around for the price, fam ❤
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Hello. Visit ,Riobamba, Ambato, other nice cities from the sierra ( by the Andes)❤ l live in the states and watch how many of you love my country. You are my second favorite couple of gringos besides Amalia and PJ. I hope you meet one day.
Thanks for the kind words. We love it here very much.