Hello friends. I'm from Ecuador. I enjoy your videos. Thanks for your comments. I hope this difficult situation ends soon. Stay safe and let's hope this bad noment ends soo . Bye.
Mike and Kris Buenos Dias! Another great video. Thanks for sharing. We just arrived in Olon after spending 3 days in Guayaquil. We have to say that we did not feel threatened at all in the city. Yes there was military at the airport and yes there was additional police and military on the Malecon however, I believe that is the reason we felt comfortable. This helps to deter gang activity and there was someone to turn to in case we felt like we were in any kind of danger. The locals were smiling and greeting us as we passed by. It did not appear to us that much has changed since Jan 8 as the locals appear to be carrying on with everyday life. We’ve seen civil unrest in the UK, Germany and Venezuela and can appreciate the need to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Caution is always necessary no matter where you travel in the world. Heck, even in Alberta, CA We have watched so many of your videos, made notes, and were preparing to get in touch with a local realtor in the Olon area ( forgot the realtor you recommended). Can you give us a name of a contact or post a link to the video that would allow us to reach out to a local realtor? Thanks again. Always nice to tune into your channel. K and J
Hi. Thanks for being a regular watcher!! And its great to hear your positive experience in GYE. You can reach Gabi from Inti Luz Properties at +593 098 588 9132. Also if you do a google search of Olon Ecuador Real Estate you will get her site as well as the mls site already showing rentals and for sales in the area. Enjoy!
You have to compare what is comparable, you're talking about private healthcare, we don't have private HC in Canada (except from some small surgeries in some provinces) now compare it to the IESS and that is what you have to compare the Canadian system to and I can tell you it's not better. When we got here we were on the private system (Equasanitas) and that to was a big let down as I went to a dermatologist to have two suspect moles removed and they refused to reimburse the money claiming moles are a pre existing condition. So yeah! IESS is slow, they lack equipment, and medication, the ideal is a mix of both, IESS + a small private coverage. As for the crime issue I totally agree with your data, 7592 murder for 2023 which is 8 times more than when we came in 2016 (+/- 950 murder). By looking at the backdrop it looks like the northern Sta Elena province which is "quieter" therefore safer for you however places like Guayaquil, Quevedo, Dúran, Machala, Esmeraldas and even Quito are now very unsafe, my wife and I we traveled within 22 of the 24 provinces of the country and I can assure you some are way safer than others. Sorry but i'm gonna have to disagree with your assessment, everything will return to the old ways by mid April as you know the constitution prevent Noboa to keep the state of emergency for more that 90 days and as we've seen it in the past as soon as the " estado de excepción" is removed they'll go back to the old ways. There's an estimated 20.000 gang members in the country, they arrested +/- 2000 so far 18.000 remaining, that's an awful lot, it is gonna be really hard to get rid of the violence, this country needs a constitution change like Bukele did in El Salvador unfortunately as you've probably seen in the last election, people gave Lasso a resounding no to the 8 points of the last referendum including the 2 most important one, the extradition of Ecuadorian criminals regardless of the crime committed and the complete removal of the Fiscalia general from the Consejo de la Judicatura to avoid corruption and speed up court cases. I think Ecuador is slowly sliding towards a manageable narcostate similar to Mexico. I might be wrong in my predictions but we have now prepared for a plan B.
Hey first thanks for watching and thanks for writing this well thought out comment. It is becoming more difficult in this day of social media to have civil discussions about complex subjects without insults, judgements, name calling etc. So thanks for that. First on the healthcare piece. I was only trying to make an overall example of how you need to look at your overall quality of life - NOT just looking at crime as a standalone item. At the end of the day I think that is how most of us make decisions - on the big picture. Naturally if crime is so bad that it causes people to have a low quality of life then its time for Plan B. The healthcare example I use is part of the overall picture. Thats why I think its fair to compare. Anyway if you were closer we could have a beer and chat. lol. On the other piece with what is going to happen, I agree I am more optimistic than you are. You have history on your side and I won't argue with that. I think there are good reasons to be optimistic. Noboa is all in. These aren't half measures. Results have been very encouraging so far and the stats are showing it. So short term I think is very good, The real issues are what you bring up, medium and long term. I think Lasso lost those question more for political reasons than the actual questions. Noboa has huge support now and hopefully will get the results he needs. If the does not than I would agree with you that the possiblility of falling back is greatly increased. Anyway take care of yourselves and hopefully you won't need to execute your plan B.
Thanks for the video, always entertaining and informative. And here in Canada, we have to wait for weeks or even months to see a specialist.... and you're comment about the quality of life, so true. Enjoy Ecuador and stay safe
Stay safe you two! Keep up the great reports. It’s quiet over here too (for now). Hopefully it stays that way. Christmas #2 in the history books for us, but all of our children were able to be here with us! They all fell in love with 🇪🇨. And you are so right about how great it is to use social media to stay connected. What would we do without it😢. Take Care.
Hi Mike and Kris, fellow ex-Ontarioan here. Thanks for your post. I shared it with some friends and family back home to help alleviate them of their fears for me living here too. Hope to hook up some time. Cheers, eh!
Deaths per day is not remotely the same as deaths per year--the time period is immensely important. I haven't checked the math, but did you account for that when comparing?
Hi neighbors, Thanks for the video about Tipti and Tiendamia. I tried both and they delivered to my door! I went to a private Dr recently without an appointment, was seen immediately, and then bought antibiotics for $40 total. And that was the more expensive doctor in town! I'm happy to never drive again :) Your doggies are super cute!
Did you heard the news this week ..military found a storage with 22 tons of drug..they think in the streets of Usa and Europe worth 1 Billon aprox. Drug made in Colombia.
I am born, raised and currently living in Louisville, Ky, Metro area, #17 on the list of most dangerous US cities in one of your recent videos. My first job was working in a 24/7 restaurant in the city proper. There were a lot of cops, they ate free so that when there was trouble, they would show up post haste. I saw a lot of corruption but, I also got an inside scoop on crime. Somebody would get killed and the cops would on the down low say, we know the who,why and how their demise could be a good thing. IOW the general public has nothing to worry about. Now I hear there are people killed and the police say they're random killings. If somebody kills a person they have no connection to, there's little chance they'll be suspected. I think a good number to look at is what rate of homicides go unsolved. Another thing to look at is how many different numbers you can find for how many homicides there have been. I don't think all homicides get counted. IMHO the general public here has a lot more to worry about now.
Thanks Jerry for your comment. Yes its very hard to get reliable crime data. Any non homicide crime data is not reliable as many many people don't report it. For example most people here would not report a stolen phone. So the best we can do (which is not perfect) is to only compare homicides per 100K as that is the most reliable. Cheers
Let's hope Ecuador never ends up like Mexico where the cartels are a spreading cancer throughout the country, and not merely a local annoyance as some people believe.
@dovygoodguy1296 The situation here in Ecuador can only go three ways, 1) The El Salvador way, Noboa acts like Bukele, change the constitution in order to change the penal code and give the army and police full power for as long as it takes to get rid of the gangrene ( I don't think knowing Ecuadorians they'll ever accept that situation therefore it's a non starter) it's also already too late for that IMO. 2) It turns into a second Venezuela, even though the violence and crime rate is getting similar the situation was quite different there, the political context of extreme socialism of Chavez first and Maduro next brought so much poverty that people had no choice other than turn to crime to survive. 3) A slow descent to the same kind of "manageable" narco state like Mexico where crime will stay relatively high but with a low count of civilian victims only letting the gangs kill each others which is the situation I personally think is going to happen here. Keep in mind that the state of exception will be over in March Noboa will have the possibility to extend it for another 30 days max after that that's it, Noboa already removed the Toque de queda (curfew) in some areas (like ours here in Manabi) because people were complaining that it was bad for business. People want safety but not at any price so I don't foresee people welcoming another estado de conflicto armado contra la pandillera for another 3 month after this one ends.
@@thierryminet9682 Interesting analysis. I don't think anyone in Mexico tried being like Bukele. And no one realizes that Mexico's cancer will spread into the US big-time.
Hola, my suggestion. Dogs are full carnivores. Menudencias are super cheap in meat town markets or supermarket. $1 , 2 or less a bag which will give all nutrients to your pets. Dont waste time with veggies or starch arroz etc..they will be healthier 100%..graciaa por sus videos estan muy buenos y sigan disfrutando de nuestra tierra. Saludos.
You forget how large the USA is ,so violence is not felt as it is in Ecuador. Besides Ecuador is a third world country and the people have their head in the sand when it comes to reality. Infrastructure is poor, Education is non existent unless you pay.But we are planning on living P/T in Ecuador when we retire our SS will be combined $6,000 a month.so we will take advantage of rhis poor country as you are. We are the new colonist
Thanks for taking the time to share your views and experiences in Ecuador online for folks like me to watch. I do wonder about having to endure the 2 minute prelude to many of your videos. I have learned to just fast forward to the two minute mark and voila. Yet I can't help but wonder if the extraordinary length of the "introduction" might actually drive away folks who could otherwise benefit from the content you share here. I know a lot of effort must have gone into creating it. It looks very professional. But for every 30 views that amounts to an hour lost viewing material that, I believe, doesn't materially contribute all that much to the content of your videos. And after all, isn't time is our most valuable resource? Perhaps you could accomplish the same goal in just a fraction of that time? My intention here is to simply share my viewing experience and not otherwise detract from all the effort you put into these videos. I often find your content to be relevant and informative. Best of luck to you both!
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Originally the intro was a way to introduce ourselves as most of our viewers were new each time. Now we have a solid regular following I agree it is time to stop the intro. Done thanks to you. Take care.
I am glad you're enjoying life. Greetings from Guayaquil!
Thanks 👍 Take care.
Love his shirt!
Barcelona!
Thanks 🙏
Love your Dachsie pooches❤
Ya we love them.
Hello friends. I'm from Ecuador. I enjoy your videos. Thanks for your comments. I hope this difficult situation ends soon. Stay safe and let's hope this bad noment ends soo . Bye.
Thanks so much for your support 🙏
Mike and Kris Buenos Dias! Another great video. Thanks for sharing. We just arrived in Olon after spending 3 days in Guayaquil. We have to say that we did not feel threatened at all in the city. Yes there was military at the airport and yes there was additional police and military on the Malecon however, I believe that is the reason we felt comfortable. This helps to deter gang activity and there was someone to turn to in case we felt like we were in any kind of danger. The locals were smiling and greeting us as we passed by. It did not appear to us that much has changed since Jan 8 as the locals appear to be carrying on with everyday life. We’ve seen civil unrest in the UK, Germany and Venezuela and can appreciate the need to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Caution is always necessary no matter where you travel in the world. Heck, even in Alberta, CA
We have watched so many of your videos, made notes, and were preparing to get in touch with a local realtor in the Olon area ( forgot the realtor you recommended). Can you give us a name of a contact or post a link to the video that would allow us to reach out to a local realtor? Thanks again. Always nice to tune into your channel. K and J
Hi. Thanks for being a regular watcher!! And its great to hear your positive experience in GYE. You can reach Gabi from Inti Luz Properties at +593 098 588 9132. Also if you do a google search of Olon Ecuador Real Estate you will get her site as well as the mls site already showing rentals and for sales in the area. Enjoy!
Awesome Thank you for your help! Cheers
Viva the soccer shirts 😊!!
👍
I agree!!
Vive*
Thanks for sharing i came grom Argentina and agree totally with you, blessings dear friends i am in Manglaralto!
Thanks so much. Stop us and say hello if you see us around.
What a little bit of Humidity
Beautiful here for us Canadians
You have to compare what is comparable, you're talking about private healthcare, we don't have private HC in Canada (except from some small surgeries in some provinces) now compare it to the IESS and that is what you have to compare the Canadian system to and I can tell you it's not better. When we got here we were on the private system (Equasanitas) and that to was a big let down as I went to a dermatologist to have two suspect moles removed and they refused to reimburse the money claiming moles are a pre existing condition. So yeah! IESS is slow, they lack equipment, and medication, the ideal is a mix of both, IESS + a small private coverage. As for the crime issue I totally agree with your data, 7592 murder for 2023 which is 8 times more than when we came in 2016 (+/- 950 murder). By looking at the backdrop it looks like the northern Sta Elena province which is "quieter" therefore safer for you however places like Guayaquil, Quevedo, Dúran, Machala, Esmeraldas and even Quito are now very unsafe, my wife and I we traveled within 22 of the 24 provinces of the country and I can assure you some are way safer than others. Sorry but i'm gonna have to disagree with your assessment, everything will return to the old ways by mid April as you know the constitution prevent Noboa to keep the state of emergency for more that 90 days and as we've seen it in the past as soon as the " estado de excepción" is removed they'll go back to the old ways. There's an estimated 20.000 gang members in the country, they arrested +/- 2000 so far 18.000 remaining, that's an awful lot, it is gonna be really hard to get rid of the violence, this country needs a constitution change like Bukele did in El Salvador unfortunately as you've probably seen in the last election, people gave Lasso a resounding no to the 8 points of the last referendum including the 2 most important one, the extradition of Ecuadorian criminals regardless of the crime committed and the complete removal of the Fiscalia general from the Consejo de la Judicatura to avoid corruption and speed up court cases. I think Ecuador is slowly sliding towards a manageable narcostate similar to Mexico. I might be wrong in my predictions but we have now prepared for a plan B.
Hey first thanks for watching and thanks for writing this well thought out comment. It is becoming more difficult in this day of social media to have civil discussions about complex subjects without insults, judgements, name calling etc. So thanks for that. First on the healthcare piece. I was only trying to make an overall example of how you need to look at your overall quality of life - NOT just looking at crime as a standalone item. At the end of the day I think that is how most of us make decisions - on the big picture. Naturally if crime is so bad that it causes people to have a low quality of life then its time for Plan B. The healthcare example I use is part of the overall picture. Thats why I think its fair to compare. Anyway if you were closer we could have a beer and chat. lol.
On the other piece with what is going to happen, I agree I am more optimistic than you are. You have history on your side and I won't argue with that. I think there are good reasons to be optimistic. Noboa is all in. These aren't half measures. Results have been very encouraging so far and the stats are showing it. So short term I think is very good, The real issues are what you bring up, medium and long term. I think Lasso lost those question more for political reasons than the actual questions. Noboa has huge support now and hopefully will get the results he needs. If the does not than I would agree with you that the possiblility of falling back is greatly increased. Anyway take care of yourselves and hopefully you won't need to execute your plan B.
Quality of life!
It is all about that!
Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely
Thanks for the video, always entertaining and informative. And here in Canada, we have to wait for weeks or even months to see a specialist.... and you're comment about the quality of life, so true. Enjoy Ecuador and stay safe
Thanks for your support. I love Canada but truth is truth. It's the whole picture that matters.
Can you make a video about your personal health care in ecuador. Cost and type of coverage.
Something we are not experts on but we can talk about our own coverage and what we pay and why we picked that. Thanks for watching
Stay safe you two! Keep up the great reports. It’s quiet over here too (for now). Hopefully it stays that way. Christmas #2 in the history books for us, but all of our children were able to be here with us! They all fell in love with 🇪🇨. And you are so right about how great it is to use social media to stay connected. What would we do without it😢.
Take Care.
Thanks for all your support 🙏 Stay safe.
Hi Mike and Kris, fellow ex-Ontarioan here. Thanks for your post. I shared it with some friends and family back home to help alleviate them of their fears for me living here too. Hope to hook up some time. Cheers, eh!
Thanks 👍. Yes it's very easy to lose perspective when you don't live in the country and only have news to go by. If you see us stop us and say hello.
Deaths per day is not remotely the same as deaths per year--the time period is immensely important. I haven't checked the math, but did you account for that when comparing?
I misspoke. It's all deaths per year per 100,000. I did not do any math conversions myself. Everything was quoted.
@@KrisandMike thank you for clarifying--the rate did sound incredibly high were it daily
Hi neighbors, Thanks for the video about Tipti and Tiendamia. I tried both and they delivered to my door! I went to a private Dr recently without an appointment, was seen immediately, and then bought antibiotics for $40 total. And that was the more expensive doctor in town! I'm happy to never drive again :) Your doggies are super cute!
Lol thanks 👍. We have to meet you some day.
Why did you guys choose Ecuador over say, Costa Rica, Panama, Barbados or Uruguay?
Hi thanks for watching. We do have a few videos talking about that. Check out the channel.
Excellent Q&A Kris and Mike!!
Thanks, when are you coming back?
@@KrisandMike greetings, I’m planning by November.
Did you heard the news this week ..military found a storage with 22 tons of drug..they think in the streets of Usa and Europe worth 1 Billon aprox. Drug made in Colombia.
Yes we did. Huge amount of cocaine. How are things going in Manta?
Drugs from Ecuador supply Europe not the USA.
I am born, raised and currently living in Louisville, Ky, Metro area, #17 on the list of most dangerous US cities in one of your recent videos. My first job was working in a 24/7 restaurant in the city proper. There were a lot of cops, they ate free so that when there was trouble, they would show up post haste. I saw a lot of corruption but, I also got an inside scoop on crime. Somebody would get killed and the cops would on the down low say, we know the who,why and how their demise could be a good thing. IOW the general public has nothing to worry about. Now I hear there are people killed and the police say they're random killings. If somebody kills a person they have no connection to, there's little chance they'll be suspected. I think a good number to look at is what rate of homicides go unsolved. Another thing to look at is how many different numbers you can find for how many homicides there have been. I don't think all homicides get counted. IMHO the general public here has a lot more to worry about now.
Thanks Jerry for your comment. Yes its very hard to get reliable crime data. Any non homicide crime data is not reliable as many many people don't report it. For example most people here would not report a stolen phone. So the best we can do (which is not perfect) is to only compare homicides per 100K as that is the most reliable. Cheers
That speaker!! i hate those things!! Reggaeton blasters 🙉.
I agree, when i'm in Ecuador i feel free and somehow relaxed.
All the best.
Lol thanks 👍
Let's hope Ecuador never ends up like Mexico where the cartels are a spreading cancer throughout the country, and not merely a local annoyance as some people believe.
The problem is organized crime is the cancer across the world. Mafia, and cartels are everywhere.
@@KrisandMike Except that in Mexico the cartels constitute a state within a state.
@dovygoodguy1296 The situation here in Ecuador can only go three ways, 1) The El Salvador way, Noboa acts like Bukele, change the constitution in order to change the penal code and give the army and police full power for as long as it takes to get rid of the gangrene ( I don't think knowing Ecuadorians they'll ever accept that situation therefore it's a non starter) it's also already too late for that IMO. 2) It turns into a second Venezuela, even though the violence and crime rate is getting similar the situation was quite different there, the political context of extreme socialism of Chavez first and Maduro next brought so much poverty that people had no choice other than turn to crime to survive. 3) A slow descent to the same kind of "manageable" narco state like Mexico where crime will stay relatively high but with a low count of civilian victims only letting the gangs kill each others which is the situation I personally think is going to happen here. Keep in mind that the state of exception will be over in March Noboa will have the possibility to extend it for another 30 days max after that that's it, Noboa already removed the Toque de queda (curfew) in some areas (like ours here in Manabi) because people were complaining that it was bad for business. People want safety but not at any price so I don't foresee people welcoming another estado de conflicto armado contra la pandillera for another 3 month after this one ends.
@@thierryminet9682 Interesting analysis. I don't think anyone in Mexico tried being like Bukele. And no one realizes that Mexico's cancer will spread into the US big-time.
Hola, my suggestion. Dogs are full carnivores. Menudencias are super cheap in meat town markets or supermarket. $1 , 2 or less a bag which will give all nutrients to your pets. Dont waste time with veggies or starch arroz etc..they will be healthier 100%..graciaa por sus videos estan muy buenos y sigan disfrutando de nuestra tierra. Saludos.
Thanks. Always good to research more. Never hurts.
Is that a virtual background or is that your place in Ecuador?
That's our place. Normally we would do an ocean view but too much backlight.
You forget how large the USA is ,so violence is not felt as it is in Ecuador. Besides Ecuador is a third world country and the people have their head in the sand when it comes to reality. Infrastructure is poor, Education is non existent unless you pay.But we are planning on living P/T in Ecuador when we retire our SS will be combined $6,000 a month.so we will take advantage of rhis poor country as you are. We are the new colonist
Sorry can't agree but thanks for your perspective and watching.
Thanks for taking the time to share your views and experiences in Ecuador online for folks like me to watch. I do wonder about having to endure the 2 minute prelude to many of your videos. I have learned to just fast forward to the two minute mark and voila. Yet I can't help but wonder if the extraordinary length of the "introduction" might actually drive away folks who could otherwise benefit from the content you share here. I know a lot of effort must have gone into creating it. It looks very professional. But for every 30 views that amounts to an hour lost viewing material that, I believe, doesn't materially contribute all that much to the content of your videos. And after all, isn't time is our most valuable resource? Perhaps you could accomplish the same goal in just a fraction of that time? My intention here is to simply share my viewing experience and not otherwise detract from all the effort you put into these videos. I often find your content to be relevant and informative. Best of luck to you both!
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Originally the intro was a way to introduce ourselves as most of our viewers were new each time. Now we have a solid regular following I agree it is time to stop the intro. Done thanks to you. Take care.