Coffee break at Inn Land of the Sun (formerly Meson de las Flores). See Ecuador health issues below.

Here is the question that a reader asked about Ecuador water and food.

OK, so we’re going to travel to Ecuador. Now my husband is dreaming up lots of bad stuff: non-flushing toilets, need for all kinds of vaccinations, fear of altitude sickness (he did suffer from it in Peru years ago, but I feed him better now and think he’ll be OK), water you can’t drink, food you can’t eat unless it’s cooked. He’s been reading a guide book our neighbor brought over that is 30 years old. Surely things are more up to date now, and more sanitary. Where can I get reliable information?

Here is my reply.

First really… a 30 year old book?  Please use common sense when you travel.

Up to date guidebooks are better than those 30 years old.  Merri’s recommendation is UP TO DATE The New Key to Ecuador and the Galapagos.

Regarding Ecuador water and food.

I often drink water from the tap at our hotel and in many other places and have never been sick. However I do not recommend this because I have been traveling globally for 41 years and have developed a cast iron stomach.   In Ecuador there are two types of really great, inexpensive bottled water. The main brands are Guitig (natural gas – ask for aqua con gas)  and Tesalia (no gas  ask for aqua sin gas).

Regarding vaccinations, very few delegates tell us that they have them.  Merri and I sure have not.  Only in small bits of the south and Amazon would this be needed.   See health warnings for the provinces that are at risk here.

The food in Ecuador is good.  We have never had a problem with salads making us sick for example.  In fact the healthy, delicious  Ecuador food is one great reason to visit and live in Ecuador.

This is for example is a typical coffee break at our hotel.  Hand made coconut dipped in organic Ecuador chocolate, gooseberries and strawberries… that actually taste and feel like strawberries.  This is a lot better than the donuts and danish you might get at a typical north American hotel.

Meat should always be well cooked anywhere.  Rotisserie chicken should be avoided. The center does not get hot enough.  Merri and I do enjoy eatng at some of the outdoor stalls, like…

this. However we would…

only have the corn and avoid the meat.

There are many great restaurants with really low prices. Here…

is a restaurant just round the corner from our hotel.  A full chicken dinner is $2.30 and we have never had anyone report getting sick there.

Ecuador food can really be healthy.  Even…

the welcome cakes our hotel makes for our groups, for example are made with quinoa… a full vegetable protein grain, rather than flower. Here is…

a coconut quinoa flan… little sugar… lots of protein.

We have an organic Swiss cheese factory just down the road from us. Here I am in their caves where the cheese matures.

So there are great choices of cheese… though we like the unfermeneted queso fresco best..

The seafood is wonderful and…

fresh. This is the Ibarra seafood market where the seafood is brought in directly from the sea… just a few hours away.

Meet our chefs Santiago and Alberto. They understand nutrition and style. breakfast looks like…

this and…

Here is a lunch.

Even the ketchup is served with beauty and style.

The hotel makes its own butter and…

ice cream… without sugar… just fresh juice and ice spun in a copper bowl.

During the Easter season a great soup Fanesca is served.

Made from a dozen grains… it is delicious.

Food and water in Canada ad the US are great concerns. Not so much in Ecuador.  See more about Ecuador Nutrition here.

There is one important trick about feeling good in the Andes.    Eat less at high altitude!  Digestion requires oxygen.  Ecuador’s food is so good and plentiful (especially at buffets in the big Quito hotels) that it is easy to overeat.  High altitudes have less oxygen and we have seen numerous delegates who pig out, in Quito especially, suffer from indigestion… not tourista.

Needless to say the liver uses oxygen to metabolize alcohol so a beer wine or cocktail carries a lot more kick in the mountains. Merri and I do not drink much alcohol anyway… so no problem… but if you do… do less.

For altitude sickness, the indigenous drink cinnamon & brown sugar tea (Canella Panella Te).  We have watched this work wonders on delegates who are suffering in the altitude.

When you are in Ecuador  we can help and answer just about any question you have as an Ecuador Living subscriber… you’ll have a contact pretty near you wherever you are.  We can put you in touch with hotels (many offer subscribers discounts) travel agents, attorneys, doctors, businessmen and are here to make sure that your visit is efficient and safe.  Learn how to subscribe here.

Gary

See more about Ecuador shamanic nutrition here.

At our recent Super Thinking, Plus Spanish Course…. we included an Ecuador export table set up by Bonnie Keough, our export tour leader.

Here is delegate Barbara Humphrey taking a look.

She found some jewelry she liked!

Bonnie provides a perfect example of the benefits of earning through exports.  She enjoys extra income… loves having a chance to travel to new interesting countries and has found that she as a niche market at markets set up by the Cultural Survival Organization.

Her exports help create employment for poor people in Ecuador and…

included jewelry…

handmade soaps and…

food supplements.

Whether you goal is to reduce your cost of living… increase your income… enhance the return on your investments or all, having an international view increases your choices… enhances your opportunity and does the world good.

Learn how to gain freedom at our Ecuador exports course April 12-15.

Apr. 17-18   Imbabura Real Estate Tour ($499 or couple $749)
Apr. 20-21  Coastal Mid Coast Real Estate Tour ($499 or couple $749)
Apr. 23-24  Quito & Mindo Real Estate Tour ($499 or couple $749)

Learn how to export Ecuador flowers and much more.

Learn more about Ecuador Roses here

Learn how Fedex delivers Ecuador Easter lilies to your home.

Learn more about our May 9-12, 2010 Cotacachi Super Thinking Plus Spanish course here.

May 9-12       Super Thinking + Spanish Course, Cotacachi Ecuador

May  13-14    Ecuador Shamanic Mingo

May  16-17    Imbabura Real Estate Tour

May  19-20    Coastal Real Estate Tour

May  22-23    Quito Real Estate Tour

May  25-26    Cuenca Real Estate Tour

You enjoy discounts by attending multiple seminars and tours.

June 25-27    International Investing and Business North Carolina

June 28-29    Ecuador Travel & Andes

June 30-Jul 1 Imbabura Real Estate Tour

2010 Summer Schedule

July 3-4      Coastal Real Estate Tour
July 6-7      Quito Real Estate Tour
July 9-10     Cuenca Real Estate Tour

Sept.   3-6   Ecuador Export Tour
Sept.   8-9   Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Sept. 11-12   Coastal Real Estate Tour
Sept. 14-15   Cuenca Real Estate Tour
Sept. 17-18   Ecuador Shamanic Mingo

Oct.    7     Quantum Wealth North Carolina
Oct.   8-10   International Investing & Business North Carolina
Oct.   11-12  Travel to Quito and Andean Tour
Oct.  13-14   Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Oct.  16-17   Coastal Real Estate Tour
Oct.  19-20   Quito Real Estate Tour
Oct. 22-23    Cuenca Real Estate Tour

Nov.    4-7   Super Thinking + Spanish Course Florida
Nov.    8-9   Travel to Quito and Andean Tour
Nov. 10-11    Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Nov. 13-14    Coastal Real Estate Tour
Nov. 16-17    Quito Real Estate
Nov. 19-20    Cuenca Real Estate Tour

Dec.   3-5    Ecuador Shamanic Mingo
Dec.   7-8    Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Dec.  10-11   Coastal Real Estate Tour
Dec. 13-14    Quito Real Estate Tour
Dec. 16-17    Cuenca Real Estate Tour

Hotel Victoria in Cuenca Ecuador

Many readers who travel in Ecuador do so looking for opportunity.   One idea they miss is Ecuador publishing opportunity combined with Ecuador exports.

A delegate on our last export tour sent this note.

Hello Gary: Thank you for the fantastic Import/Export tour Sunday!  The information was invaluable, the hospitality and buys were top shelf, and the people, both along the tour route and on the bus, were great.  It will be much appreciated if you would forward any information on having suits made and ordering roses in Ecuador.  Again, many thanks,

See more on self publishing and Ecuador export opportunity here.

Another loss that many readers experience is from paying too much for their Ecuador hotel rooms. This is why we continue to add the number of hotels that provide our premium subscribers with substantial discounts.   See new hotel discounts here.

An Ecuador Living subscriber recently sent this note about Ecuador travel and Ecuador hotel discounts..

Merri and Gary,  This thank you is long past due. I joined your January Andes tour and had a fantastic time. The entire staff at Mason de Flores were great and Bonnie Keough was a terrific leader for the tour. I saw a couple of wonderful homes in the Cotacachi area and met some fun and interesting people who were also on the tour.

I left the tour in Manta, rented a car from Avis ($394.80 for 15 days), and headed south along the Ruta Del Sol. The road is surprisingly good and as long as one looks out for speed bumps coming into and leaving each village is quite safe to drive. The government is widening and repaving with concrete this highway all the way to Salinas. When complete, the drive will be a chinch.  Along  the route I visited Puerto Cayo, Puerto Lopez and Olon.

Of all the places I visited on this three week trip my favorite was Hostoria Mandala, an exquisite small resort set in a tropical garden on a wonderful beach in Puerto Lopez.

View from Hostoria Mandala

Hosteria Mandala Entrance

I spent a couple of nights in Salinas and looked at several condos.  However, I found Salinas too big and too busy for my taste.

From Salinas I headed east to Cuenca. The highway to Guayaquil is excellent.

From Guayaquil go to Duran, then Pto Inca,then Naranjal, then up through the Andes into Parque El Cajas and down to Cuenca. This is the absolute best route to take and total driving time was about five and a half or six hours.  The road is good all the way and parts of the road in the Andes is being repaved with concrete.

Cuenca was everything I had hoped for; a beautiful colonial city. I booked into the Villa Nova Inn and the staff there was great. However, after two days of climbing the 85 steps from the river up to the town several times a day the altitude got the best of me and I decided to find a hotel in the city.

Right at the top of the steps on Calle Larga I walked into Hotel VIctoria, an elegant old home that has been converted into a 23 room hotel. It was perfect and the ambiance was just what I wanted for my stay in Cuenca.

My room had one wall of glass looking out over the gardens and the Tomebamba river. My rate seemed reasonable and included a full breakfast in their “El Jardin” restaurant. The hotel also has free secure parking for anyone with a car.

I was fortunate to meet the owner of the hotel, Daniel Duran, who invited me to join him for a trip to their sister hotel, Posada Ingapirca. Posada Ingapirca, is a charming old country house, about a hour and a half drive into the country from Cuenca and only 500 yards from the most important archaeological complex in Ecuador; the Inca and Canaris ruins.

Posada Ingapirca

The Posada has 21 rooms and my lunch in their dining room was a special treat.  Sincerely,  Dennis Griffin

We have now arranged for Ecuador Living subscribers to enjoy discounts at the Hotel Victoria in Cuenca as well as at  Posada Ingapirca

Learn here how to subscribe to Ecuador Living’s premium service and enjoy discounts at the following Ecuador hotels.

Inn Land of the Sun (formerly MESON DE LAS FLORES) in Cotacachi.

La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa in Cotacachi.

Radisson Hotel in Quito.

Mansion del Angel in Quito

In Cuenca two hotels offer discounts to our readers.  Villa Nova Inn and Hotel El Dorado

La Selva Jungle Lodge in the Amazon.

Learn here how to subscribe to Ecuador Living’s premium service and enjoy discounts at the following Ecuador hotels.

Gary

See more on self publishing and Ecuador export opportunity here.

This is why Bonnie Keough leads our Ecuador export tours.  Here is Bonnie leading a tour on Ecuador’s coast.

Bonnie is an exporter herself and here are some of the goods she is currently exporting to the US that delegates see on our Ecuador export tour.

Snail

cream. This is a big winner, believe it our not!  Ecuador became a large exporter of snails because the French were running out of their escargot!  They found (being the French they have exquisite taste buds) that snails from other countries weren’t good enough.  But they loved the Ecuadorian ones and felt that they suited their palettes and market.  After a while, workers who handled the snails, began to notice the lovely softness of their hands and voila!

Snail cream for the hands, face and body.  It is smooth, delightful and works!

Knitted gloves. these went well this winter.

Jewelry of many types including…

tagua… which is…

vegetable ivory, plus…

silver and semi precious stones.

The next Export Expedition is April 12 and promises to be full of opportunity, products galore and a lot of fun!  Join Bonnie for the Crafts Trail of the Andes…Cotacachi, the leather market; Otavalo, the textile market; Peguche, the village of the weavers; San Antonio de Ibarra, the village of the wood craftsmen; plus much much more.

Inflation is almost certain in the years ahead and our ability to earn through our business is one good way to combat this problem.

See more on other ways to fight inflation such as with Japanese yen loans here.

Gary

Learn how to gain earning freedom with Ecuador exports and real estate.

April 12-15 Ecuador Export Expedition Tour

Apr. 17-18   Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Apr. 20-21  Coastal Mid Coast Real Estate Tour
Apr. 23-24  Quito & Mindo Real Estate Tour

Learn how to export Ecuador flowers and much more.

Learn more about Ecuador Roses here

Learn how Fedex delivers Ecuador Easter lilies to your home.

Learn more about our May 9-12, 2010 Cotacachi Super Thinking Plus Spanish course here.

May 9-12       Super Thinking + Spanish Course, Cotacachi Ecuador

May  13-14    Ecuador Shamanic Mingo

May  16-17    Imbabura Real Estate Tour

May  19-20    Coastal Real Estate Tour

May  22-23    Quito Real Estate Tour

May  25-26    Cuenca Real Estate Tour

You enjoy discounts by attending multiple seminars and tours.

June 25-27    International Investing and Business North Carolina

June 28-29    Ecuador Travel & Andes

June 30-Jul 1 Imbabura Real Estate Tour

Here is a delegate at our last Super Thinking Plus Spanish Course taking a look at Ecuador exports that can help earn income to fight inflation.

She found some jewelry she liked!

Click here to see more on Ecuador exports plus ways to develop international investment portfolios that fight inflation.

Gary

Creativity, humanitarianism and prosperity come in many forms, but all of them require three things, understanding, communications and inspiration.

Learn here about our latest Super Thinking Plus Spanish course in Mt. Dora, Florida that finished last weekend.  Here are delegates all intent on absorbing Spanish.

Spanish is the second largest language in the world. Chances are a huge Spanish speaking population lives south of or around you. Yet our language system did not teach us how to communicate with or understand this culture.

Learning Spanish is valuable and important.  Now there is way to enjoy a long weekend in the cool mountain sun as you learn Spanish at a price so incredibly inexpensive that it is hard to believe.  Delegates at our course last weekend came from all over the world…  the USA, Canada, Europe…even South Africa, Sri Lanka & China.  They were able to create, speak and understand sentences like this after just four days.

Here is the photo of the white board at last weekend’s Super Thinking plus Spanish course written by a delegate. Delegates were creating, speaking and understanding sentences like this after just four days.

See how and why here.

Gary

Click here to learn about Ecuador earning freedom in flowers and more and how new ideas and technology can create your income  in some amazing ways.

Gary Scott with some of the first new flowers grown in Ecuador. See more here.

Gary

See Ecuador exports at Ecuador Handbag Profits.

Gary

this man and an example from…

this man can enhance your health and wealth as well as help you speak Spanish in Ecuador here.

Gary

and the city hall and town center, just…

steps from the hotel and the village Cathedral.

Plus here is a note from a reader who recently stayed at there in Cotacachi.

We want to thank you both so much for your generosity and kind offer to let us relax at Meson de las Flores Sunday evening and ride back to Quito with you.  We enjoyed our conversations and getting your insights on so many subjects on the ride.  Both of you have become quite an inspiration to us, and we look forward to learning more from you and attending a number of your seminars.  We can hardly wait to return to Ecuador.  This was our first visit, and we really had no idea what to expect.  What a special place and people!  It reminds me of my trip to the Bush of Kenya in the mid 90’s.  Kenya was a magical and life changing experience, and caused me to rethink the world and how I fit into it.  Ecuador had a very similar effect, and is certainly calling me back!

When our flight pulled up to the gate in Atlanta yesterday morning, and the captain announced that we had to wait for Customs to show up to work before we could de-board, Nancy and I just looked at each other and rolled our eyes, with a chuckle…  Welcome back to the U.S.!

See why we have changed the name of our hotel from Meson de las Flores to Hotel Tierra del Sol here

Gary