Michael, a new friend and Cotacachi resident, sends me this note hot off the press!

I  want to get the word out to as many people as possible that Villa Paradiso (near Plaza del Sol in Cotacachi) is hosting an all you can eat Indian buffet this Sunday from 10am until 8pm for $5.  It is being put on by the famous hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant Raj Tandoori, located near Plaza Foch in Quito.  I don’t know if you have ever eaten there, but it is fabulous food.  It is their first time doing this, so many of us would like it to be a success so they will keep coming back, and possibly have other restaurants (Thai, Japanese, etc…) do the same to introduce even more variety to Cotacachi cuisine.  If you can, please let people know about this and let’s make it a success.  Talk to you soon.

  Well, I’m in Birmingham, England,  Michael so even though I can’t make this event in Cotacachi, and you could bet your last dollar I’d be attending if I was in Cotacachi, I’m sure I won’t lack the opportunity to try an Indian dish or two in Birmingham. Buen provecho!!

Steve

Ecuador’s new refinery means even cheaper gas prices in Ecuador. One of the things that new visitors to Ecuador have always noted is the cheap gas prices in Ecuador. Super gas is at $1.80 per gallon whilst regular is at just $1.20 and diesel is at an incredible $1.03 per gallon.
How can this be?
Aren’t gasoline [...]

Don’t get me wrong there are no parades and fireworks just yet but enough of us got together yesterday (and yes we Brits bear no grudges especially when the American hospitality is so good) that we certainly felt a sense of community here in Cotacachi.

Corinne Forsner hosted a barbeque spread at her house that had us all licking our chops as soon as we walked in the front door of her delightful house in the San Miguel community. We drank red wine from Chile and feasted on barbequed chicken breasts, home made tacos with numerous dips, all kinds of salads and of course no one, especially including my son Luke, could resist trying the chocolate cookies and brownies.

San Miguel is a gated community on the edge of Cotacachi and at latest count there are 4 lots available out of the original 30+ lots. Bob Lofgren, one of the first homeowners in San Miguel is fielding enquiries regards San Miguel and myself, Gary or Merri would be happy to pass them on to Bob.

This area and the fact that there are Americans and other nationalities (Australians, Canadians, Brits ) settling in Cotacachi is having an impact locally and is even catching the attention of the movers and shakers in Ecuadorian society. Bob tells me that Señor Dillard, the owner of the SuperMaxi chain of supermarkets (Ecuador’s equivalent of Walmart) stopped by Cotacachi and spoke with him for half an hour about San Miguel and the international community here.

The development is not restricted to just San Miguel. Right opposite the entrance to San Miguel local lady Diana Carrasco, she of the carved and gold-leaf-painted faberge egg renown, is developing 18 rustic Spanish style villas; the two already built have been sold to the two latest members of this growing international community.

We’ll be showing these two developments and many other types of property on our Imbabura Real Estate Tours in September and November of this year.

September 17-20 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
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Sept 23-27 Ecuador Spanish Course
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Sept 28-29 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
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See discounts for attending more than one Sept. course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-tours-savings

Oct 14-18 Ecuador Import Export Course
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Nov 7-9 International Investing and Business Made EZ Ecuador
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Nov 10-11 Imbabura Real Estate tour
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November 12-15, 2008 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

Cotacachi shopping somtimes involves a trip to a nearby town such as Otavalo or even malls near Cotacachi such as the mall in Ibarra.
  Cotacachi shopping is great for all the basics such as most food and fresh produce and especially for leather boutiques. But what about if you want a really good [...]

Where to Breakfast in Quito?
Breakfast in Quito is often part and parcel of a room rate, and that can sometimes be disappointing; a coffee, a small juice, a slice of toast and one scrambled egg – admittedly the price is normally right but if you want a bigger, quality breakfast it can leave you [...]

Ecuadorian food is really very varied but just not known overseas – even a small village like Cotacachi has recognized traditional dishes.
The most famous is ‘Carne Colorado’ , literally colored meat is the most famous Cotacachi traditional dish. The meat is most often pork but can be beef as well. It is colored with [...]

The market is open everyday in a purpose built building kept scrupulously clean.

The photo above was taken on a Saturday but the market really comes to life on a Sunday when every booth is occupied by a trader with a bounty of quality, fresh produce.

The freshness, quality always surprises, not to mention the quantity too – I sometimes wonder who buys it all! There are only 6,000 people in village but Cotacachi market seems to be set up to serve many more.

One reason fresh juice is served as a matter of course in Meson de las Flores and good hotels throughout the country is because quality fruit is so available at a cheap cost. These passion fruit, the yellow fruit in the foreground of this picture cost 12 cents each. They are not at all like the scrunched up small prune-like passion fruit I remember seeing in the supermarkets of Europe. At El Meson we use them to make fresh juice and also sorbet ice-cream.

The red/orange fruit in the background are tree tomatoes. They are renowned for their ability to lower cholesterol levels. The Japanese are onto this and sent a delegation to Ecuador to investigate how to rulp and powderise the fruit to produce all-natural cholesterol lowering pills for their elderly population. In Meson de las Flores we regularly serve the juice of this fruit and also serve a compote as a desert.

I asked Franklin, our administrator at the hotel, to note down some of the prices we pay for fruit and veg here in Cotacachi.

A large head of cauliflower or broccoli costs 50 cents.
Apples cost 50 cents a pound
Potatoes have really gone up a lot recently and now cost 25 cents a pound.
A medium sized ripe and tasty pineapple costs 80 cents.
Ditto a large papaya.
Large ripe blackberries cost 50 cents a pound

Runner beans are at 80 cents a pound
A head of lettuce costs 35 cents
Tomatoes like potatoes have gone up recently and are costing a $1 a pound at this time
Cucumbers are 10 cents each
A huge papaya costs 80 cents
strawberries cost $1/lb
Bananas cost 1 cent each!!!

Large mangoes cost 50 cents each
You can get 7 pears for a dollar
A cantaloupe melon costs 80 cents – or you can by a box of them where they are priced at 31 cents each.
Coconuts are 50 cents each.
Grapes fluctuate seasonally but large juicy black grapes currently cost $1/lb and green seedless grapes are at $1,50/lb

and flowers are so cheap you can have a flower arrangement in each room,

The biggest complaint that new residents have when they shop at Cotacachi market is their arms ache trying to carry it all. Even that has a solution though. Taxis run between a $1 and $1,50 and there are even local guys with cargo tricycles waiting to ride you and your fruit and veg home for 50 cents (Cotacachi itself is largely on flat land).

Shopping in Cotacachi market or any of the hundreds of other fresh produce markets in Ecuador means those quality living at cheap prices.

A visit to Ecuador is a must to really appreciate the contrasts, diversity and opportunity in this fascinating country. During our seminars there´s always a chance to sample a good slice of Ecuadorian life. Between us we have more than 50 years of experience living in Ecuador so we can show you how to get the most out of Ecuador and your trip

Return to Ecuador Car Rental Review Here

Gary

Join Merri me and Thomas Fischer of JGAM and our webmaster David Cross in North Carolina this October.

Learn more about global investing, how to have an international business and early retirement in Ecuador at the course.

Oct. 9-11 IBEZ North Carolina

Or join us in Ecuador and learn more about living and retiring in Ecuador.

Sept. 17-21 Ecuador Spanish Course
Sept. 23-24 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Sept. 25-28 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour

Oct. 21-24 Ecuador Import Export Tour

Nov. 6-8 IBEZ Ecuador
Nov. 9-10 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Nov. 11-14 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour

Attend any two Ecuador courses or tours in a calendar month…$949 for one.  $1,349 for two.

Attend any three Ecuador courses or tours in a calendar month…$1,199 for one.  $1,799 for two.

There are plenty of small Cotacachi stores – bakeries are some of my favorites.
When I first settle in a new town or village one of the first things I do is look for a decent bakery; I wasn’t disappointed in Cotacachi. Just around the corner from Meson de las Flores are two good bakeries.

La [...]

Sometimes you might be wondering what on earth could be for sale in Cotacachi stores or even the main supermarket.
Yesterday I was on my way into the supermarket but got waylaid by the aloe vera sales man who has his drink stand right outside the main supermarket in Cotacachi. http://www.ecuadorliving.com/2008/05/21/cotacachi-health-information-aloe-vera-drink.html
The small square in front of [...]

Cotacachi stores reflect a variety of food prices but the main supermarket probably has the most competitive prices for dried goods in any store.
It always pays to check around even when the prices seem cheap. They could be cheaper at the local market where they sell fresh produce and dried products.
In Cotacachi’s main [...]