A Day in the Life in Cuenca Ecuador

Frank can't resist some of the locally grown fruits and vegetables in Cuenca. This time of year cherries are in season and they are so delicious. We walk by the vendors and they call out the price to us, and even though we have much more walking to do in Cuenca, we stop and fill our packs with some locally grown fruits and veggies. This is one reason why we always have our packs with us. Ya never know when you might see something delicious and buy it! This is a day in the life in Cuenca Ecuador for goodness sakes!



                

What to Expect When Taking Tour National Bus in Ecuador: Cuenca to Quito

The transportation system in Ecuador is quite efficient and organized.  You have to experience taking a tour/national bus at least once to see what its like. There are many short 1 and 2 hour bus trips one can take to get a feel for bus travel. This article is about taking the bus from Cuenca to Quito but it applies to any destination in Ecuador.



From Terminal Terrestre in Cuenca you grab one of the two bus lines that run from Cuenca to Quito. There are guys in the terminal yelling out different cities in Ecuador. Listen for them to call out “Quito” and they’ll show you where you can buy your ticket(s). It’s around $10 per person to travel to Quito by bus. The trip is about 9 to 10 hours...very long.



Update 2016: The price is almost $12 dollars now, still a good fare. 



Your tickets will show your assigned seat numbers. If you buy your ticket early enough, you can even ask for preferred seats on the bus, such as front row, window, etc. Your ticket will also have the number of the bus that you will need to get on. You will need to know this because once you go to the platform where all the buses are you’ll see about 25 buses all lined up waiting to load passengers for their destinations.



Update March 2016: We tried to buy are tickets from Cuenca to Quito in advance (the night before) and they do not do it anymore, unfortunately. They now say, "Just show up and buy your ticket(s). 



You will notice that in front of the buses there will be poles with a round sign that shows numbers (not the city names) to each destination city in Ecuador. However, we always ask where the bus is going, before getting on the bus just to make sure it is actually going to the city we want to go to…you never know…this is Ecuador and things can be miss communicated and misinterpreted easily here. On the front bumper of some buses it says a certain city but doesn’t even go to that city…so you can’t go by that either.



Hang on to your ticket because you will have to show it/give it to the bus attendant later on in your travels.



From Cuenca the bus goes directly to Quito. During the trip the bus stops in Azogues to pick up passengers and also at about two more small pit stops for bathroom breaks…maybe…it depends on the driver.



Update March 2016: Our sons just took a bus from Cuenca to Quito and they said the bus did not even stop for a bathroom break for the whole trip!!  Good thing they didn't drink any water, the toilet on the bus can be disgusting! Just giving you a heads up. 

 

If it is close to almuerzo hour the bus driver may get off and go eat lunch. This may take about 15 to 20 minutes and if you get off the bus during this time, stay aware of the bus at all times or they will take off without you.  One of the travelers on the bus to Quito almost missed the bus at one of the few stopping points the driver stops at. He had to scream and run after the bus! It was a close call.



Comfort



*The buses are fairly comfortable. We’ve taken the bus to the beaches several times and to Quito twice now and know pretty much what to expect. If there is anything to complain about it would be the lack of leg room; for tall people it can be uncomfortable.  Some of the buses have more leg room then others. The problem is you never know which buses those are. 



The seats do recline but on some of the buses if the person in front of you is reclined you might not have leg room for yourself like on one of our bus trips from Guayquil to Cuenca.

Bus from Guayquil to Cuenca - Tight fit

There is a restroom on the bus for urinating only.  You may or may not have to ask for the key.  Try the door first, if it's locked get the key from the attendant. On the restroom door it may say in Spanish “for ladies only” but they will allow men to use the restroom too...not sure why the sign is there but this is Ecuador. FYI: We’ve heard horror stories of people going number two in the restrooms and it was a dreadful trip for them.  We have not experienced this ourselves and we’ve taken a lot of tour buses throughout Ecuador...so hopfully you won't have to experience it either.



The bus plays Hollywood movies in Spanish (Seldom with English subtitles) for the whole trip. You might be able to hear it, or you might not, depends on how good the bus speaker system is. Sit back and enjoy the ride.It's a long trip to Quito.



If you are going to the beaches rather than Quito you'll notice that the closer you get to Guayaquil the warmer it will get and they turn the AC on and it can get a bit chilly on the bus; you might want to bring a light sweater.



Safety



We recommend NEVER place your backpack or other carry-on luggage on the top compartments of the bus or they may get stolen. We do put our food bag up there, however. We always put our backpacks next to our feet, but you still need to be careful and keep an eye on it. We’ve heard that you can get your pack stolen from the seat behind you. They simply grab for it from under your seat.



Suitcases and bigger luggage always goes under the bus. Before you get on the bus the man will give you a ticket with a number and will strap the number on your luggage. When you get off hand the man your number and he’ll give you your suitcase.



Arriving in Quito the bus takes you to the south-end terminal terrestre. Outside of the bus station there are numerous taxis waiting to pick up a fair.  Grab a cab and tell the driver where you need to go and you’re all set.



Depending on the taxi driver it will cost anywhere between $8 and $15.  Going to Colonial Quito it may cost around $8 or so. If you’re going to La Mariscal district it will cost you about $10 or so and if you are going to Quicentro, which is very northern part of Quito it can cost up to $15.  Quito is a very big city and it can take over an hour to get to La Mariscal if there is heavy traffic. 



March 2016 update: Our sons just took a taxi from this terminal to old town Quito for $8 so the price has not changed!! Don't let them gringo you! LOL...seriously. Paying higher taxi fares is what pushes fares up too fast! 



For the adventurous and budget traveler (If you’re going to La Mariscal) you can grab a trolley bus for .25 cents to Ejido Park and then grab a taxi from the park to your hostel or hotel for about $1.50.  If you’re going to be staying somewhere in Quicentro, take the trolley to Carolina Park and then take a taxi to your hotel. Taking the trolley is much cheaper and far more adventurous than grabbing a cab. Not recommended at night, especially for solo travelers.



Do’s and Don’ts for Bus Travel in Ecuador



1) Don’t drink too many liquids on the morning you leave

2) Don’t put valuables in the above compartments

3) Don’t leave your things unattended ever

4) Do bring snacks for those longer bus rides (more than 4 hours)

5) Do bring magazine, crosswords, books, etc for longer bus trips

6) Do bring your carry-ons with you if getting off the bus at pit stops. Don't leave your things on the bus or you will not see them again!

7) Don’t leave your things unattended ever (did we say that already? LOL)

9) Do bring your own toilet paper
10) Bring reading material, music (mp3), etc for longer bus trips

11) NEVER take the national bus at night or if the trip is going to be during the night. That means take the 6am bus if going to Quito and if going the Cuenca-Guayaquil route, take bus no later than 3:00pm. There have been a rash of violent robberies in Ecuador buses, been going on for years but it seems to be getting more prevalent.

 
 

Traveling by bus is not for everyone. few people get motion sickness (the further back you are seated the more dizzy you will get) and on the way to Quito there are many turns and bends. Traveling to Quito is a long 9 hour ride and for certain people it may prove to be a difficult and uncomfortable ride. 



Traveling to Salinas is a bit shorter bus ride, about 5 to 6 hours from Cuenca. You can travel by bus, van or plane from Cuenca to most major cities throughout Ecuador.  Stay tuned for our up and coming post on how to get special airfares on flights throughout Ecuador.

Searching for a Local Priced Rental in Cuenca Ecuador: A Day in the Life

We still rent this home for $250 monthly

All I want to do is rent an unfurnished house for the local price of $300 a month. That’s it.  Is that too much to ask?

It’s the threshold the local taxi driver said we should stay under when we first moved here. It’s the price the blogs were saying was the going rate at the time, only a few short months ago!  And it’s a whopping 75% of the average personal income, although it may be only 30%-40% of household income, which makes sense under the rule of 3 & 4.

Everybody knows we only pay $250 a month for a three year old house, but we’ve already pounded that nail all the way through.  So when a friend asked us to help him find a house for rent in Cuenca for the local price of under the now infamous figure of $300 a month. We agreed!

So when I called an ad in the local paper (spoken in Spanish) and asked the Ecuadorian lady the price on the vacant three bedroom house, and she said $500, of course my next question was – why?  “Why is it so high?” I wanted to know…”does it have a big yard?”. “No, it’s just average sized” she replied.  “Is the house very large?” I asked inquisitively. “Not particularly” she answered, as she described the average floor plan of kitchen living room, laundry room, downstairs, and three bedrooms upstairs w/2 baths.“Is it newly remodeled?” She finally got impatient with my questions and interrupted…”well you know, it’s by Supermaxi”.  Well lo and behold, that explains everything.  “Are you flexible on the price?” I ask.  “No”.  She says, “ok, have a nice day, good bye”.
 

Undaunted, I call another ad.

This one has the price clearly in the ad, it screams at me $300 DOLLARS.
Excellent.  Always looking to save money on my cell bill @ .25 cents a minute, I call that one next.  Here’s the conversation, in Spanish.

Me:  Hello? – I’m calling about the house for rent for $300 dollars.  How many bedrooms does it have?

Landlord: It has five bedrooms, but where are you from?

Me:  (a little skeptical at the question) err…I’m from here, I live here, why do you ask?

Landlord:  You sound like a gringo. For you the price will be higher.  Chuckle.

Me:  (Not laughing) uhm, oh, well, ok, have a nice day.  Good bye.

Ok, well, I’ve made a commitment to help my friend so, as if I am a glutton for punishment, I keep going.  I call the next ad:

(remember, Spanish paper, speaking in Spanish)

Me:  Hello?  I’m calling about the large house for rent.  How much is it?

Landlord:  It’s $800 a month. 

Me:   Uh, why is it so much?

Landlord:  It’s furnished and it’s for foreigners, plus it’s by Supermaxi.

Me:  Isn’t that a little high?

Landlord:  Yes, but, it’s for foreigners.

Me: Ok, thank you and have a nice day.  Good bye.

My Ecuadorian neighbor/friend decided to get in on the foreign rental action. She approached me with a super duper rental deal, I figured she got offered a commission.  Two “large” (her description) houses on one lot, with a pool for $600 a month. Sounds good so far right?
So I called the lady myself, and find out, it’s only one house, it’s only 2000 square feet, and the pool is empty.  I tell my friend, it’s too high.  She frustratingly says:  “is it for you?” as if to say, who cares if it’s too high, it’s not for you, it’s for the foreigners.

Somehow, I didn’t find it appropriate to explain to her, that I don’t appreciate gringo pricing, even if it’s not directed toward me exclusively.

When we were in Salinas, while walking the Malecon an Ecuadorian promoter approached us for boat rides, and condo rentals, etc. so we decided to talk with him and go look at a few.  All his rentals were for $1000 to $1200 a month, furnished two or three blocks back from the beach, and unfurnished waterfront, $1000-$2300.

I patiently explain I’m not a tourist; I want a long term, unfurnished rental at local prices, not tourist prices. “Ok, I’ll call you”, he says.  It’s been almost a year, still haven’t heard from him.  Apparently, there’s no money in it for him.Same thing happened when we walked in to the Spanish speaking Spanish Real Estate Company offices, again, in Salinas, because we saw some advertised houses in the $400 per month price range, on their website, in Salinas.  (We always avoid the gringo agencies as they told us themselves the prices are $800-$1200)

We find out the $400 houses have been gone for two years, and they haven’t updated their website!  But hey, we have some $800-$1200 houses over here.  “No thanks”. We practically beg them to call us when they get some more $400 dollar houses for rent. We even stretch our boundaries to $500.  Many, many moons later, we’re still waiting for the call. But without holding our breath!

This will be the last example.

The ad on Craig’s List had pictures of furniture, so it’s a furnished three bedroom right? $450, ok sounds reasonable so far.   I call the ad, and well, no, it’s not furnished.

Me:  “Why are the pictures of a furnished house then?” I ask.

Agent:  “I forgot to remove those pictures” says the Spanish Real Estate agent. The house is $450 a month.

Me: But that’s a furnished price, for that size of house.

Agent: yes, but it’s not furnished.

Me:  Yes, but that is an unfurnished house and at that price, it’s too high.

The very next day, we saw the same ad on Craig’s List and he had lowered the price by $50!  I still thought it was too high at $400.  Almost all the prices on Craig’s List are too high.  Very rarely do you see something priced properly to the local prices.  It is very skewed toward English speaking foreigners.

So why did I write all this?  Am I trying to discourage you? Absolutely not! To the contrary! We want to give you a feel for the real picture.  That is why the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide is a very necessary addition to your arsenal for living well on smaller means here in Cuenca Ecuador. Avoid the foreign hype, be ahead of the game, get the guide today.  Because you will need all the help you can get.  If you're interested in learning more about the local priced rental market click here.