Ecuador in images.

You should get to see all these places in Ecuador.
They're great!!! Congrats to the photographers.
And to see more pics, visit Flickr.

Ecuador's President Mr. Rafael Correa

Rafael Correa won the run-off vote in presidential elections in November 2006, promising a social revolution to benefit the poor.

He took up his post in January 2007, joining Latin America's club of left-leaning leaders, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivian President Evo Morales, who have not been shy in their criticism of the US and who have led a South American nationalisation drive.

Mr Correa, an outsider with no political party backing, moved quickly to secure the support of voters in a referendum for a special assembly to rewrite the constitution.

He said the new constitution was designed to hand more power to the poor and reduce the role of the traditional parties, whom he blames for the country's problems. Critics said it was solely aimed at increasing his powers.

Despite resistance from the opposition-led Congress, the revised constitution was approved by 64% of voters in a referendum in September 2008.

The new basic law also allowed Mr Correa to stand for re-election, enabling him to win a second term with a convincing election victory in April 2009.

Mr Correa is against Ecuador entering into a free trade pact with the US, saying it would hurt Ecuador's farmers. Talks on such a deal were frozen with his election.

He also refused to extend the US military's use of the Manta air base on the Pacific coast for drug surveillance flights after the treaty governing its use expired in 2009.

Read more at BBC News.

The General Linguistics Method for Teaching Foreign Languages

Created by linguists, teachers and students from a half-dozen countries, General Linguistics developed Bueno, entonces… to incorporate all the best elements of the software and audiobook language learning methods like Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone that have been around for decades.

We mixed the comprehensive learning material of the audiobook courses with the addictive, fun and universally beloved format of a television show to create the Bueno, entonces… series. Each of the 30classes is 30-40 minutes long, proven as the perfect length for a language course - long enough to cover vocabulary and grammar topics but short enough to keep you interested the whole time. The challenging fast pace and edgy, entertaining style of Bueno, entonces… will keep you coming back for more.

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous. Bueno, entonces… infuses a witty, engaging storyline into the learning process - and by following along you absorb more Spanish, morequickly than you ever thought possible. By the end of the 5-week, 30-class series, you
will be speaking and understanding native conversational Spanish!

Bueno, entonces… incorporates the following 5 principles to make learning Spanish fun, painless and effective:

1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging With Wit and Charm.

If you are not engaged, you are not going to learn or remember anything. Learning doesn’t have to be boring — remember your favorite teachers? Well, wait until you meet David & Jimena…

2. See The Words On The Screen.

Some people are audio learners, some people are video learners - most people are both, and learn different things in one way or the other. With Bueno, entonces… every word in Spanish is written on the screen so you can see how it is spelled while you hear it being pronounced. Old-fashioned audiobooks only get your half-way there.

3. Color-Coding.

Everything on the screen is color-coded in Spanish and English to help you understand word usage and sentence structure. You’ll start to quickly see and understand which words in Spanish correspond with similar words in English, and how those words are used in a sentence.

Read about this new and quick method of learning Spanish on buenoentonces.com/blog.

Vida Verde. Spanish School in Quito

We are a Spanish language school in Quito, Ecuador offering intensive Spanish language instruction and Spanish immersion programs. With all the Spanish schools in Ecuador and throughout the world, you may be thinking, "Why should I learn Spanish at the Vida Verde Spanish School?" Well, the answer to that is easy. It's because we offer something other schools don't: Learning with a conscience.

Our spanish school is located in a spacious, yet cozy, colonial house near the Mariscal tourist district of Quito. While studying with us, you'll not only receive quality Spanish instruction, you'll also have the opportunity to live with an Ecuadorian family, learn about the various Ecuadorian cultures through innovative lesson plans and embark on excursions that emphasize the richness of the diverse Ecuadorian environment and its people.

To read more visit Vida Verde.

Where is my Embassy?

The embassies and consulates listed below will be able to provide detailed information about Ecuador:

Embassy of Ecuador in Canada, 50 O'Connor St., Ottawa, Suite 1311, ON K1P 6L2, Canada; Tel: (613) 563-8206; Fax: 613-235-5776.

Embassy of Ecuador to the United Kingdom, 3 Hans Crescent, London , SW1X 0LS, U.K.; Tel: 020 7584 8084.

Embassies in Ecuador:

United States Embassy in Ecuador, www.usembassy.org.ec. Patria and 12 de Octubre Avenues, Quito, Ecuador; Tel: (593) 2-256-2890; Fax: (593) 2-250-2052.

Canadian Embassy in Ecuador, www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/ecuador/menu-en.asp. Av. 6 de Diciembre 2816 y Paul Rivet, Edificio Josueth González, 4th Floor, P.O. Box 17-11-6512, Quito - Ecuador; Tel: (011 593 2) 2232-114 and 2506-162; Fax: (011 593 2) 2503-108; quito@dfait-maeci.gc.ca.

British Embassy in Ecuador, www.britishembassy.gov.uk. Citiplaza Building, Naciones Unidas Ave. and Republica de El Salvador, 14th Floor, PO Box 17-17-830, Quito; Tel: (593) (2) 2970 800 / 801.

See where your embassy is at Transitions Abroad Ecuador.

EMPLOYMENT IN ECUADOR

Ecuador has seen as explosion in ‘voluntourism’ in recent years, and there is a huge choice of organizations, both in and out of the country, that can set you up with voluntary work. The most popular options are working with children (generally teaching English at a school or helping out at an orphanage) or ecology-based projects such as reforestation, research or bear-tracking. Some offer free accommodation and food in return for your labour, while others charge a small fee (up to $15 per day). If you’re planning to stay for a while (generally a month or longer) the price goes down.

If you are in Quito, go along to the South American Explorers Club, which can give you up-to-date information on organizations that offer volunteer work.

There are also numerous possibilities for working in Ecuador, although this is more difficult to arrange from home. Your best bet is to turn up and see what you can find.

There are vacancies year round for English teachers in Quito (less so in other cities) and most of the teachers had no problems finding a job. The best way is to print off a few copies of your resume/CV and visit a few language schools in person. Chances are you’ll get hired on the spot. Pay ranges from $3 to $7.50 per hour. Schools that teach business English pay the best, but tend to require certification such as CELTA or International TESOL. Some bilingual high schools require native English speakers (with the relevant experience and qualifications) to teach English as well as other subjects. They generally hire in September and the pay is probably the best you will find as a foreign teacher in Ecuador.

Your second best bet is to get a job in the tourism industry, such as travel agency or hotel work. Pay isn’t as good as the top-end English schools but employment often includes accommodation and food so you can live fairly cheaply. For these jobs you need a good level of Spanish.

If you have computer or web skills, it may be worth checking out the notice boards in the Mariscal as there are often vacancies for jobs designing websites or web-support. Again, your chances will be far better if you have a good level of Spanish and English.

More tips on employment, visit Allo' Expat Ecuador.

DOING BUSINESS IN ECUADOR

STARTING A BUSINESS

STANDARDIZED COMPANY
Legal Form: Compana Limitada
Minimum Capital Requirement: 800
City: Guayaquil

Registration Requirements:

Procedure 1. Hire a lawyer to prepare the minutes of incorporation

Time to complete: 1 day

Cost to complete: USD 500

Comment: The minutes include the constituting contract, articles of incorporation and the bylaws of the company and the formation of capital. A lawyer has to prepare the minutes containing the contract for the incorporation of the company, and sign them. Those minutes have to be notarized by a Notary Public. The lawyer cannot notarize those documents. The cost includes all the operative expenses and the lawyer's fees.

Procedure 2. Register company name at the Superintendent of Companies

Time to complete: 1 day

Cost to complete: no charge

Procedure 3. Deposit 25% of paid-in capital in a special account of "Completion of Capital" (Integración de Capital )in the name of the company in formation

Time to complete: 1 day

Cost to complete: no charge

Comment: The minimum deposit for opening the "Completion of Capital" account is 25% of the share capital. Proof of approved company name has to be presented.

Procedure 4. Notarize the charter of incorporation and bylaws

Time to complete: 2 days

Cost to complete: USD 75 (varies)

Procedure 5. The lawyer presents the documents (attached with three certified copies of charter and bylaws) to the Superintendent of Companies for the approval of the constitution of the company

Time to complete: 5 days

Cost to complete: no charge

Comment: Registration fee is paid annually to the Superintendent. Cost of contribution is 1% of total assets.

The Superintendent of Companies cut the time of processing company applications as it has eliminated internal proceedings, increased the number of staff and used a better computer system. The entrepreneur can verify the stage of the registration procedure online.

Read all requirements on Allo' Expat Ecuador.

Day 3 in Buenos Aires. Vibe's Experience with Bueno Entonces

I’ve had an AHA moment today. My teacher is very cute. His name is Martin and he’s 're-argentino'. That means REALLY Argentino in Argentino. He spent a year in Ireland teaching Spanish last year and he missed Buenos Aires a lot.. We talk a lot about Argentina and about the culture, about the crazy chaos of it all, the subversive attitude of the Argentines towards politics, finance, all that jazz. The Bulgarian likes to talk a lot about the Argentine girls, I don’t blame him. They mainly have very very long hair and are very pretty.

Martin says Bien, Entonces.. a lot. Or Muy Bien, entonces... I ask him why doesn’t he say Bueno, entonces (like the name of the course of course) and he explains that “Bueno,” often is something you say when you’ve had a enough of talking, or have had enough of talking about a particular subject. He explains that when somebody starts going, bueno bueno bueno on the phone, basically they are telling you that the conversation is over and they’ve had enough.

Read more about Vibe's experience in Buenos Aires, visiting beadventuresinba.blogspot.

Review: Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish

I stumbled across B.E. about a month and a half ago, I watched one episode and was hooked…David is an absolute riot…Jimena is a doll…and together, they are the perfect teacher/student combo…my husband gets annoyed bc I will not put my phone away…

Because you are hearing conversations and not sitting in front of the computer or with your nose in a book, each time you listen to an episode you learn both vocab and grammar without even knowing it.

Yes, it is fast paced but if you are truly dedicated to learning the beautiful language that is Spanish, and you want to do it quickly, it doesn’t matter….I listened to each lesson twice before moving on to the next…I had to make myself do this because not only are you learning Spanish quickly but at the same time you are dying to know what is going to happen btw David and Jimena…

B.E. is a new and engaging, revolutionary and hilarious approach to learning Spanish that I believe (and hope) will end up making history!

-Shelley, Birmingham Alabama, USA

Read more about Bueno, entonces and its reviews on buenoentonces.com/blog.

Map of Ecuador

More maps at Media News

take a look at this Bueno Entonces video. Fun and dynamic Spanish classes

You can watch more on Youtube

Work in Ecuador. Both Paid and Volunteer Opportunities Abound

By Christopher Sacco

Ecuador offers English-speaking job seekers abundant work and volunteer opportunities.

If you are already in Ecuador, you should start your job search with the notice boards frequently found in coffee shops, Internet cafes, laundromats, and hostels. In Quito, the myriad travelers’ haunts in La Mariscal, the city’s main tourist district, often have extensive notice boards aimed specifically at travelers. The South American Explorers Club, on Jorge Washington, a few blocks east of Avenida 6 de Diciembre, also posts job listings. Bartending, hospitality, teaching, and volunteer positions are regularly advertised here, especially from May through September, tourism’s high season.

Teaching English

There is a great demand for English teachers across Ecuador. In Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca, the three largest cities, as well as other principal population centers in the highlands and on the coast, there are literally hundreds of academies, colleges, and institutes that offer English classes.

The top language institutes pay between $5 and $8 per hour. This may not seem like much coming from North America or Europe, but it's enough to live on in Ecuador. Many of the better schools prefer candidates with college degrees and a TEFL or TESL certificate, but because the number of jobs greatly exceeds the number of qualified teachers many schools will take a well-spoken native speaker with a neat appearance and no other qualifications. The pay, however, may be much less: between $3 and $5 per hour.

If you have arranged no job before arriving, don’t despair. Just turn up at the right time: September or January, just before the semesters begin. Teachers inevitably bail at the last minute and schools chronically underhire.

Bilingual High Schools

Teachers with credentials or experience may find long-term work at a bilingual high school. A few of the more prestigious ones recruit their teachers from job fairs in North America; others rely on the Internet or hire from among the local gringo community. Because their curriculums are bilingual, these schools hire English speakers to teach most all subjects, not just language classes.

Bilingual high schools typically begin their search for teachers in April and May, the months when their current hires must decide whether or not they will stay on for another year. However, it’s not uncommon for high schools to need immediate hires at other times throughout the year.

While work as an English teacher is the easiest to find, it’s by no means the only gainful employment to be had. The tourism and exporting industries are other places where job seekers, especially bilingual ones, can often find work.

Read complete text at Transitions Abroad

Ecuador's rating raised by Moody's

By Deborah Levine NEW YORK (MarketWatch) --

Moody's Investors Service upgraded its ratings on Ecuador, while still reflecting deep concerns about the country's willingness to pay its debt. The rating on Ecuador's outstanding global bonds was raised to Caa3 with a stable outlook from Ca, the rating agency said late Thursday. That's the third-lowest rating given by the agency. The rating on its defaulted bonds was moved to C, reflecting recovery rates of about 35% for investors. "The risk of default on the remaining bonds still remains high," Moody's analyst Alessandra Alecci said in a release. The rating had been cut in December when the country defaulted on its debt for the second time in a decade.

Read more news at Market Watch

Ecuador Indian group protests water, mining laws

QUITO, Ecuador — Hundreds of Indians blocked Ecuador's Pan American highway in several provinces Monday with rocks, tree trunks and burning tires to protest new water, mining and oil laws.

Their leaders suspended the protest late Monday, saying the government had promised to talk about their objections.

The Indians contend the proposed the laws threaten their lands and will privatize water resources. Leftist President Rafael Correa disputes that view, and the ruling party-controlled legislature has been expected to approve the laws.

The leading Indian group, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, split with Correa in 2008 when he refused to grant Indians the right to veto concessions to exploit natural resources on their lands under a constitution approved last year.

Read complete article at Google News

Ecuador's top-notch medical and dental care

By Gary Scott

On the most recent International Living Discovery Tour to Ecuador we were joined by a 93-year-old reader. The guy was unstoppable, para-sailing, mountain climbing... seemingly indestructible... until he simply stepped off the bus and banged his head on the door.

The reason I'm telling you all this? Believe it or not, in all the years that I've been involved in Discovery Tours to Ecuador, we've never really had a medical emergency. So in the way that sometimes mishaps can be fortuitous, this minor accident allowed me a birds eye view of Ecuadorian medical care... and I liked what I found.

We rushed Paul to the emergency room where we happily discovered the cut was far less severe than it looked. Quite a few stitches later and with some medicine, our near centenarian was comfortably back in his hotel room.

Then I looked at the bill. $15 for the visit and the stitches, and another five bucks for the medication. "That's all?," I questioned? In the U.S. we aren't even allowed to think the word hospital for 20 bucks! Just how good is the medical care? The whole experience prompted me to explore just how good and inexpensive are medical services in Ecuador?

I had spotted a new hospital near the U.S. military base in Manta. One of the other IL readers on the tour is an old-timer M.D. with 40 years of general surgery under his belt so I decided to take him along for his professional opinion.

Read more at Expat Exchange