Money, "It's a Gas" - What to Bring, When to Tip, How it Works

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The Ecuadorian money train!

Money.  The thing on everyone's mind all of the time when traveling.  Transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, excursions, culinary indulgences, communication, souvenirs - you get the picture.  There are some that say that it is the root of all evil.  Not necessarily.

Here in Ecuador, it is not how much you have, it is how you spend it.  Having money is required, just not as much as what you may be used to at many other destinations.

Ecuador is on the U.S. Dollar.  For citizens of the U.S. that means no exchange rate, which is very convenient for me.  As you know I am a U.S. citizen.  For other countries it means you need only follow the U.S. exchange rate.  I do not know if that is a good thing for you, but it is what it is.  In Ecuador money is important but not so important as to count the pennies.


As a matter of fact, pennies seem to be worthless here.  To the other extreme, unless you are spending a lot of money on something (for example, real estate, automobiles, furniture) $50 and $100 dollar bills are almost never accepted.

Street vendors can't generally change that $20.

If you come here to visit do not bring bills larger than $20's.  Bring a lot of $10's, $5's and $1's. More $1's and $5's than anything.  Even at the malls you will sometimes have issues changing a $20 bill. Do not expect to break out your credit card unless you are at a mall, high end hotel, or a restaurant in a larger city.  Even travelers checks are (allegedly) practically useless.

There are a very few restaurants and hotels that take credit cards in the smaller villages along the coast.  You might find a place or two, but do not count on it. Even some ATM or check cards will not work, depending on where you visit.  If you are a U.S. citizen, you generally need to find ATM's that do not require the new "chip" technology.  They do exist, but you may have to travel to a mall or large shopping district to find one that accepts your ATM/Credit Card.

As I have said before cash is king.  In Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil, Manta and other larger cities you may be fine.

There are major banks that will change large bills and allow cash advance withdrawals from your credit card.  If you want to venture out and get the real experience, without frustration, carry small bills.

Why a mall or supermarket?  It gets no better than the farmer's market!

Street vendors cannot and sometimes will not even change a $20.  A cab ride in Portoviejo might cost $2.  Try and give them a $20 and you will end up paying exactly that for a $2 trip.  The tiendas might change a $20 if you spend at least $10 or more.  Just be prepared. Things are not expensive here. Food, shopping, and public transportation are all very affordable. Well, the malls are the exception when it comes to clothes and shoes.

The good news?  You do not have to go to the malls.

I am talking about what I know from experience, not from what I have heard.  Credit cards are for high end stuff which is really irrelevant here.  Why?  Because the real experience is outside of the credit card world.  My advice?  Keep your credit cards for extreme emergencies, and just bring cash. Get a money belt if you are worried. In larger cities I am told theft and muggings can be a problem just as in any large city, in any country.  Just watch yourself as you would anywhere.  You will be okay.  Do not advertise your wealth (i.e., expensive watches, jewelry, clothing, flashing your wad of cash).  Just be careful.

Well, if you prefer a mall-

When you get change expect coins.  The U.S. Liberty dollar coins are prevalent.  You will also get back $0.50 pieces (Ecuadorian), $0.25, $0.10, and $0.05 coins (Ecuadorian and U.S.) but no pennies. No pennies unless you are at the malls which also generally means big supermarkets.  You see, Ecuadorian store owners and street vendors tend to round down to avoid pennies.  We tried to spend pennies on the bus.  NOT happening!

Cab fares are a little different.  Discuss fare up front with the driver.  Most taxis will not "meter" if you decide on price up front.  For those of you visiting Crucita, a cab ride to Portoviejo should be no more that $12. Same going back. Manta?  $20.  No tip required.  If they say it is more, say no.  The price will come down.  If it does not take the next cab.  If you do not speak Spanish (or much Spanish) here is what you say to the driver.

"Cuanto cuesta a Portoviejo (or Crucita, or Manta, etc)."  How much to Portoviejo.....


In street markets you should haggle.  It is not impolite.  It is expected.  You may get a resounding no.  Sometimes they will not come down in price. Do not be embarrassed, say "gracias" and walk away.  They may call you back.  They may not.  It is a safe assumption that there is a vendor 10 feet away selling the same thing.  They might deal especially if they were paying attention.  Trust me, they were.

Anything you need in El Centro, Portoviejo.

Case in point, I was trying to purchase fresh tuna (atun).  Beautiful, fresh fish. The vendor said "ocho! ($8)".  I said "ocho? ummm...". He said, "Siete." ($7).  I just shook my head.  "Seis ($6)!  Seis!"  He said.  "Si, bueno." I said.  A 10 pound tuna, filleted in front of me for $6.  

Now, a handshake, sort of.  He puts out a fist, I grab his arm just below the elbow and shake.  No fish hands!  This is how it is done.

Notice there was no $6.14?  They round down.  It is easier and you don't have to carry around those pesky pennies.  More important, THEY do not have to.  At the same time my wife bought 70 limes (limons) for a $1 from a different vendor.  Going to outdoor markets and vendors is better for another reason.  No tax.  If you are not Ecuadorian you pay more for everything taxable in a supermarket. Not so on the street.

You might want to take one home.  Credit cards not accepted.

You can have quite a day in the Manabi province for under $20, meals and all. You can have quite a day for under $10 if you are so inclined.

Tipping is a bit tricky.  U.S. citizens are used to tipping for all kinds of services. Taxis, skycaps, waiters and waitresses, stylists, parking attendants, bag boys, gas station attendants.  Okay, not gas station attendants.  They went the way of the dodo in the U.S. No so here.  Full service.

So what should you tip for these services here?  Believe me when I say you will want to tip too much. It is ingrained.  Do not do it.  To begin with it may be considered insulting.  You also contribute to driving up the economy.  That will not help the people of Ecuador in the long run.  Respect the economy.  If someone sees you giving a big tip you could become a target for a pickpockets or muggers.  It does not endear you to anyone.  You are just being flashy and uncouth.

Coco vendors.  No credit.  Cash only!

These rules of thumb have been confirmed by our local Ecuadorian friends and work for us very well:

Taxis - No tip is required or expected. If they help you with bags or something $0.50 to $1.00 is considered generous.  If they tried to make you pay more than you should have and you had to haggle, no tip at all.

Skycaps - $0.25 per bag. Let them load or unload everything.

Wait staff - No tip is required or expected.  There is no gratuity percentage.  If you receive great service it is OK.  Give it directly to the server. No more than $1.00.  $2.00 if you received exceptional service.

Stylists, Barbers, manicure/pedicurists - It depends. Manicure/pedicurist will come to you for $10.  I should think no more than $1.00.

Parking attendants - No tip.

Bag boys - $0.25 per cart.  Let them load and unload everything.

Private drivers - They are available here and very convenient.  We used one for about twelve hours when we first arrived.  He drove to Guayaquil from Crucita to pick us up and bring us back to Crucita.  He waited for over two hours at the airport for us because our flight was delayed three times.  Our cost was $150.  We tipped him $25 and were told it was appropriate.

$15 for new feet on the street!  Kick it!

Pretty easy after all right?  It is hard.  Do not give in to the temptation.  You are not helping by giving any more.  I think most other Ex Pats would agree, not to put words in anyone else's mouths.

One last thing.  I spoke about muggers and pickpockets. It is no different than travelling anywhere else or even being careful in your own town.  Do just that. Be careful and protect yourself as if you were home.

There is nothing to be scared of here.  The country and its people are wonderful and amazing. Tonight marks the beginning of a four day long holiday. Carnival.  We are looking forward to a very wonderful and crazy time.  Do not worry.  You will be part of it too.  Stay tuned. Chao!

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Transitions - The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Sanduches in El Centro.  No choice,  Sanduches.

There is a TV show I like.  No Reservations.  It is not a cooking show but rather, a kind of hybrid video travel blog.  The host takes you on adventures all around the world.  He exposes you to all the cuisine, culture, and people that make up this Mundo Viejo Loco.  He takes you to places you might fear to tread because the establishment may appear dirty, is off the beaten path, or is not the typical tourist trap.  He eats things you might fear to eat because it looks "gross" or it is something your culture says is wrong to eat.  As my wife referenced in a previous post, do not mistake worn for dirty.  You will definitely miss out.

(Glossary at the bottom,  Google is too hard right?)

The host of No Reservations is Anthony Bourdain, a renowned Chef, TV personality, and now, movie star.  He is not out for shock value though I suppose he might be shocking at times.  He is as I said, an accomplished chef but no prude.  He provides me with a great deal of inspiration.  He has great taste in music, is not afraid of a drink, and is what I would call a plain speaker.  He enjoys fine food. He showed me fine food is like rhythm.  It is where you find it.

In any event, I often find myself calling on my "AB" spirit guide when it comes to exploration.  That being said, lets talk about food.

If you find yourself in Ecuador you are one lucky person.  The diversity of cultures can and will make your head spin.  Fifteen kilometers can mean the difference in the way rompope is made.  One kilometer can mean the difference in how strong the aguardiente is, whether a shot is comforting or will melt your eyeballs in their sockets.  Ten feet can mean the difference in your ceviche.  Is it precooked on the stove/baked, has the Chef let the citrus cure the raw seafood as it marinades, is it spicy or mild, is salsa de tomate involved?  Five feet can mean the difference in leche de coco being delicious or being this side of well, sickening.

Rompope at the Dulceria Bam Bam, Roqueforte.

My wife and I are resolute in the idea that we will try whatever we can.  My wife is a pescatarian. She used to be vegetarian (AB has few kind words for vegetarians) but she now eats fish because her health demands more protein. This was a compromise on her part.  I will eat the carne, pollo, cerdo and yes, cuy dishes. Hell, I will eat every dish. Apparently, iguana is a dish served here, and yes, I will eat that too.  Wall of Voodoo should be proud.  My wife will concentrate on vegetables, fruit, and pescado.

As most of you know, we live in Crucita.  A seaside fishing village which is a parish of the city of Portoviejo.  Portoviejo is the capital of the Manabi province.  One of the twenty four provinces of Ecuador.  It is known for its seafood, arroz, ceviches, and viches.  Bolones are fantastic in all their different forms.  Plantanos are a staple, rivaling arroz.  Both come with just about every meal.

Mango con limon y sal.

These things are extremely important to know. Why? Because the food here is representative of the cultures in all provinces as well as influences from the rest of the world.  Everyone makes the journey to la playa at some point.  We have neighbors from Cuenca, Guayaquil, Quito, Banos, Montecito, and Manta.  There are Germans, Canadians, Brazilians, English, Americans, French, and Italians.  The food is influenced by all.

We have been to many restaurants already and will talk about them all in due time.  You do not need to go to a restaurant for a great meal though. There are all kinds of street foods here. Fried banana, plantanos, salted green mango in limon juice, pan de yucca y queso, mamey mata serrano (a hard to find fruit only available in Manabi for a short time each year) and the list goes on.

Then of course you can cook for yourself.  Plentiful fresh produce, butchers, fish markets, and herb merchants are literally everywhere.

Vendors come by your home.  Tiendas have things that make your local convenience store look inadequate, only because they are. If you are lucky your neighbors will cook you a meal or twenty. Forget luck.  Show them you respect them.  Learn their customs so as not to offend.  Speak to them. They love their country and their familia. They love people and are so generous it is amazing. Reciprocate and you will experience some of the best food, familia, and fun of your life.

Home baked Sea Trout

As you may have guessed, my wife and I are transforming.  Our blog is as well.  The tools you need to move or visit here have been given.  There are a few loose ends perhaps.  Write us and we can help.  We are moving on to an actual life here.  This is the first step in that transformation.  You can now look forward as we are, to cuisine, culture, education, and fun.  Below is a simple food glossary to help you understand what we now know.

Rompope (rum-poe-pay):  A popular dessert drink made with egg yolk, vanilla, milk and aguardiente

Aguardiente (ah-gwar-dee-in-tay) Sugar cane spirits, made commercially but often distilled at home.  Homemade is the best kind

Ceviche (say-bee-chay) - A seafood dish generally served with chips de plantanos.  There are many variations on this dish (fish, shrimp, mussels, crab) but just think seafood salsa.  Some is made from precooked fish, Some is raw fish cured in citrus juices.  I have only had it served cold, just like salsa

Viche - (bee-chay) - A hot, peanut based seafood soup.  Primary ingredients may be fish, shrimp, or shellfish.  Mixta is my favorite meaning all seafood.  It will also have vegetables including plantanos.

Salsa de tomate (sal-sah day tow-mah-tay) tomato sauce

Pan de Yucca y Queso

Limon (lai-mon) - Lime

Leche de coco (lay-chay day coco) - Milk of the coconut.  Delicious

Bolones (bow-low-nays) Plantain dumplings that resemble hush puppies.  They come in a variety of flavors and can be stuffed with cheese or cheese and ham.

Carne (car-nay) - Beef


Pollo (po-yo) Chicken

Best chips ever.  Tostitos are dead.

Cerdo (ser-doh) Pork

Cuy (Kai) - Roasted guinea pig

Arroz (ah-roz) - Rice

Mundo Viejo Loco (mon-doh vee-a-ho low-co)  Crazy world

Plantanos (plan-tan-yos) Plantains. A vegetable that looks like a banana

Pan de Yucca y Queso (Pan-day-yuck-ah e kay-so)  Bread of yucca root and cheese

Mamey Mata Serrano (Mam-eh mat-ah ser-ra-no) - A fruit I cannot describe well.  It is like having a sweet apple, cantelope, and pear in one bite.  There really are no words but it may be the best fruit I have ever eaten.

Tiendas - (tee-en-dahs) - Small family owned shops that are like a mini grocery store. Do not be fooled by the size.  They carry an amazing variety of goods and you can even recharge your prepaid cell phone or DTV.  Chao!  Adios is not a word used here.  We are learning.

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