I do not intend for this blog post to discourage anyone from moving to Ecuador. In fact, I encourage you to come here (there are a lots of sights to see). Rather, I hope this post will inform you on what to expect.
Ecuador is a beautiful country and it definitely has its advantages. But nothing is all "lillies and roses". All Ecuadorians are not like this but there are a large portion that are (about 70% of them). I have been living in La Costa for the past 6 months and have visited the La Sierra for several weekends. So, these observations are based on that. It is not a full list but rather a partial list (after all I do not want to depreciate the beauty of this country):
My Observations:
Ecuadorians are friendly people but they lack manners, courteousy, and etiquette (they will bump into you without a problem and will rarely excuse themselves).
Ecuadorians are so quick to boast about what they have but they are not appreciative of those things (if there are no cops or security guards to police the area, then that place will become a filth pit).
Ecuadorians are always late and they do not see it as a problem.
Ecuadorian bus drivers do not like to come to a full stop. They expect people to jump on and off while the bus is moving. If you are over 50 or have kids, they seem to make an exception.
Ecuadorians will schedule and make plans with you to do something. And they always sound very convincing. But on the day of, they usually never show up.
Two phrases that you will hear Ecuadorians often say: "No es mi culpa (it's not my fault) & Manana (tomorrow)
Ecuadorians will feel offended if you don't accept the food/drink that they offer you. I have told my Ecuadorian friends countless times that it is normal for foreigners (especially Americans) to say no. A number of them don't seem to be culturally sensitive.
Ecuadorians are not very attentive to their children. Often, their children will run into you, fall and cry and then the parents start yelling at you as if it was your fault.
Ecuadorians are the worst drivers (they are worse than drivers in New York). Car insurance is almost non-existent in Ecuador so there is a higher tendency of car accidents. At night time, it is common to see cars drive through red lights.
Ecuadorians are very good at exaggerating. Whatever they tell you is not always as they say it is. Keep this in mind. This will save you from disappointments.
All restaurants are not as sanitary as it probably is in your home country. So, please be careful. Do not ever buy food from street vendors (unless you personally know them). They do not care if you get sick. They care much more about making money.
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Yeah lots of that is true although i do buy food from street vendors and meat from markets often. When i first came here my sister said to me that Ecuadorians are compulsive liars! What she meant is that they will tell you what they think you want to hear. This is true in a lot of countries I have been to: they just have a different cultural attitude to the truth than I do. What I want to hear is the truth, not "yes teacher we'll come tomorrow for your carefully prepared lesson because we really want to pass our exam next week" (often a bare face lie) or other arrangements they make that they just forget all about the next minute. I'm used to it now: I wait a bit and if they don't show up I just go elsewhere, it's only what they'd do to you; they don't see it as being rude. They are also incredibly hospitable and if you stay with them they will be so generous it makes you feel guilty and don't offer to do the washing up! They are tactile, friendly and affectionate. They aren't embarrassed to dance and sing at any time and in fact they love it. They are full of life. But also there are some very conservative people: hardly any women in Ecuador have tattoos and I often get funny looks. Men will beep at you from cars all the time - I even get chatted up by men considerably younger than myself, but this might well be because women over 40 here don't go nightclubbing, so they just assume i'm younger.
All countries are different, and as you say Kallen, this one is beautiful and agree with you that people should visit as it certainly is a worthwhile experience.
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