Ecuador

That was so not what I expected.  (Sorry about the grammar). She didn't ask me any questions, I seem to have passed that side of things on the app. form.  We just talked about the logistics of getting there, and my side of things - money, holidays etc.  They do advise you to go on a 90 day visa and change up to 6 months later, then go to Peru for a work visa.  This...

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If you’ve got an internationally recognised TEFL certificate tucked in your back pocket, there’s a whole world of opportunity out there. But how do you decide where to go first? Here are our top tips for TEFL destinations: 1. China Did you know that there are more people learning English in China than the entire population of the United States? That adds up to a massive demand for teachers, so certified TEFLers (that’ll be you...

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My job has been brought forward now so I should be starting on June 25th - which means getting on a plane in early June I guess - time to see the family, get to Loja and do the week training first.  For a while I wished I hadn't booked the Pueblo Ingles week in May, but now I realise it will probably boost my confidence. Not that I'm not looking forward to it -...

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Can anyone advise me on the best way to take my money to Ecuador?  The PO recommend a Post Office Travel Money Card.  Are these usable in Ecuadorian cash machines?  Or, if I open a bank account there, will I be able to just transfer it over the internet?  The reason I want to do it now is that I am worried about the exchange rate against the dollar. Also - I wasn't going to...

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Well, my first few weeks here have been interesting and variable.  First I visited my family in the jungle near Tena.  They have recently suffered bad flooding and lost a bit of the cocao crop but now the waters have subsided and the main thing - the tilapia (a poular and delicious fish) have survived.  The house was about 2 feet deep in river at one point and lots of my dad´s old books were...

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This school is looking for new applicants for the September courses; some people they were expecting have dropped out so if anyone fancies Ecuador, why not apply?  It might not be perfect but its ok by me and the town is great.  The school is very casual and we have a lot of fun here - parties and games, its very relaxed.  You might get paid more in Asia and have more discipline etc, but...

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Well, this is my first blog entry and I'm still in Canada, trying to figure out the easiest way to stay in Ecuador without being booted out after three months! There is so much info on this via the internet, but unfortunately, I cannot find a website for the Ecuadorian embassy in Canada and the Consulate in Toronto was far less helpful than I had expected! Okay. Here's the situation. I was in Oaxaca, Mexico...

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Well, I feel alot better informed now. It's a shame the consulate of Ecuador in Toronto couldn't have explained things to me. Last year, when I needed to get my degree and TESL legalized by the consulate of Mexico, they gave me a written list of exactly what to do. I took the documents to a notary public to have the copies notarized, took them down the street to an Ontario government office to have...

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Things have really picked up for me work wise now.  At first I didn't have many hours as two of the teachers I came to replace didn't leave for a bit.  I didn't actually pay any rent for 4 weeks but it was ok because the school rents the apartment for us and I just owed the money to them.  It's only $65 a month anyway as it's a shared flat, 5 bedrooms, not much...

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In the west, we’ve gotten used to over-paying for things: car parking charges, expensive housing, rip-off public transport, beers that cost as much as your hourly wage, the list goes on… Thankfully, there are plenty of places where your hard-earned cash goes much further. They all share common characteristics: cheap housing, lots of activities to keep you occupied, and tropical climates that make food bountiful. Of course, the tropical climate also offers the benefit of...

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