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To learn more about Bueno, entonces, go to General Linguistics.

Things Seen at the Market

Just about any public place in Ecuador is a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells and experiences. Loja’s central market, where we buy most of our fruits, vegetables and coffee, is one public place with it’s share of activity. There is so much happening that it is too much to take in all at once, but here are a few things I noticed during a recent shopping trip:

Women huddled together on the sidewalk outside of the market selling socks from baskets, their children playing nearby.

An old, skinny man standing at the entrance to the market holding up a large, bright red towel, and yelling, "Towels for sale, get your towel here!"

An even older, skinnier man selling little foam alphabet puzzles. His cry was, "Puzzles, puzzles, buy yourself a puzzle today!"

A seemingly endless number of stalls within the market, all of them overflowing with a colorful jumble of goods. The market has two floors. Downstairs are the produce, meat, cheese, flowers and household goods sections. Upstairs you’ll find coffee, dried goods, sweets, clothes, barber shops, fresh juice bars, and a few restaurants.

A young guy selling little frog toys that paddle their legs when you wind them up. He has a small tub of water next to him which he uses to demonstrate how the frogs work.

Finish reading the article at Living in Loja

WORK PERMIT IN ECUADOR

The work visa category 12-VI is issued to highly qualified professionals, technicians, contracted personnel for industrial training and specialized workers, to perform temporary works. The validity of this visa depends upon the length of the assignment or contract and it covers direct family members.

(Comment: Generally, Presidents, General Managers, Legal Representatives and General Trustees do not apply for this 12-VI Visa, because they do not have an "Employment Relationship" with the Company, pursuant to the Labour Law. Instead they request, and are given, a 10-IV Visa, which is an Immigrant visa to take over top level administrative functions in an Ecuadorian Company. This visa can be easily obtained in Ecuador, without having to leave the country, while the individual is covered by the 12-IX Visa)

Requirements

The application for a work visa 12-VI must be made at the Ecuadorian Consulate with jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence. The applicant must present an employment contract that has been legalized by Ecuador's Court of Labour, the certification issued by the National Direction of Employment and Human Resources or the appointment letter of Power of Attorney, when applicable.

Finish reading the requirements at Allo' Expat

GET IN

By express provision of the Lord President of the Republic, from Friday June 20, 2008, citizens of any nationality may enter Ecuador without a visa and stay for a period of ninety days, principle of free movement of persons and to strengthen relations between Ecuador and all countries of the world, and promote tourism, however, Colombian citizens must present their valid passport in addition to the last court order to enter Ecuador. Chinese citizens need to approach the consulate for incorporation of a stamp in the passport before entry to Ecuador.

By plane

Quito's airport has an executive lounge shared by all the airlines with drinks, snacks, and seating areas. The view is not of the airplanes and runway, but there is a view of the airport entrance and the surrounding mountains. Business class travelers get a free invitation.

Another port of entry is Guayaquil, which has a modern airport that includes the typical amenities such as restaurants and duty-free shopping. The airport is located north from downtown.

The Galapagos Island are one of the Ecuadorian provinces and have two airports, one of which is on Baltra and the other is on San Cristobal. Aerogal is the name of the airline which flies to Galapagos. All the flights are through the mainland

The Quito airport charges an international departure tax of $40.80. The tax is $26 from Guayaquil. This tax usually is not included in the cost of the flight.

By train

There are no international train services into Ecuador.

By car

Driving into Ecuador is discouraged. It is preferable to enter the country by airplane or boat because of the frontier issues with neighboring countries.

By bus

If you enter Ecuador by bus you usually have to switch buses at the border. If come from Colombia you have to cross the border at Rumichaca near Tulcan and Ipiales (Colombia). There are several places to cross the border with Peru. As of December 2007, the Ecuador/Colombia border crossing is reguarded as a safe and hassle free while the Ecuador/Peru border crossing is much more dangerous with the likelihood of being scammed out of hundreds of dollars.

To know more about transportation in Ecuador visit Wikitravel.

Take a look at the map!

More maps at Media News