ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Knowledge of Spanish is essential. Appointments are usually made, but appointments are often changed at short notice. This is especially true of ministers and government officials. Negotiations require a great deal of sensitivity. Business trips are best placed in the months of October to mid-December and mid-January to June.
Business hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-4.30 p.m.
Economy
Trade department of the Embassy of Ecuador
Goldschmiedgasse 10 / II / 24, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 535 32 08/18.
Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland
c / o DPS Communications, Gessnerallee 28, CH-8001 Zurich
Tel: (044) 699 54 47.
Internet: www.latcam.ch
Federacíon Nacional de Cámaras de Comercio del Ecuador (National Association of Chambers of Commerce)
Francisco de Orellana y Miguel Alcivas, Ciudadela Kennedy Norte, Edificio Las Cámaras, piso 6, Guayaquil
Tel: (4) 268 27 72.
Business contacts
Trade department of the Embassy of Ecuador
Goldschmiedgasse 10 / II / 24, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 535 32 08/18.
Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland
c / o DPS Communications, Gessnerallee 28, CH-8001 Zurich
Tel: (044) 699 54 47.
Internet: www.latcam.ch
Federacíon Nacional de Cámaras de Comercio del Ecuador (National Association of Chambers of Commerce)
Francisco de Orellana y Miguel Alcivas, Ciudadela Kennedy Norte, Edificio Las Cámaras, piso 6, Guayaquil
Tel: (4) 268 27 72.
COMMUNICATION
Phone
International direct dialing. The national telephone company is called Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT) (Internet: www.cnt.gob.ec). There are card phones and a few payphones in the larger cities.
Cellphone
GSM network. The network operator is Movistar (Internet: www.movistar.com.ec). Roaming contracts exist with Europe. Prepaid cards for international calls can be bought at the airport for mobile phones. AMPS network from network operator Otecel and AMPS TDMA network from network operator Conecel.
Internet
Internet provider is Interactive (Internet: www.interactive.net.ec). There are internet cafes all over Ecuador. There are internet cafes all over Ecuador. Internet connection is also available in some travel agencies, language schools and hotels.
Post Office
Post offices are called Correos. Airmail to Europe takes between 10 days and 2 weeks. You should definitely write “POR AVION” on the show. Post storage is possible at the embassy, some travel agencies, language schools and hotels.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
CULINARY
Regional specialities
Local specialties are ceviche (seafood with lemon and onions), lenteja (lentil stew), lechón (suckling pig), llapingachos (cheese and potato pancakes) and locro (potato and corn soup with avocado and cheese). The name Cuy hides an old Inca specialty that is not for everyone: roast guinea pigs.
Useful information
There is a statutory curfew, so alcohol cannot be sold after 2:00 a.m.
Tip
Larger hotels and restaurants usually charge 10% service. Tips are not expected in simple restaurants, but they are welcome. You shouldn’t just leave the tip on the table, but give it directly to the staff. Other service personnel such as guides, porters, etc. should also be rewarded. Taxi drivers do not expect tips.
Regional drinks
Even today, Colada Morada, a hot, blood-red-colored drink made from fruits and cornmeal, is still prepared according to ancient Indian tradition for All Souls’ Day in memory of the dead. But Ecuador also has some of the best beers in South America. International spirits such as B. Whiskey are available but expensive. A specialty of Ecuador is the unique fruit juice Naranjilla, which is pressed from the fruit of the same name and tastes very refreshing. Good Chilean wine is available and not overly expensive.
Minimum age for consuming alcoholic beverages
In Ecuador, a country located in South America according to ehealthfacts, you can drink alcohol from the age of 18.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
Hotel rooms should be booked at least a week in advance during the high season. Hotels and residenciales are also available outside the big cities. Compared to European standards, staying overnight is quite cheap. In top and middle class hotels 5% tax and 10% service are charged, in inexpensive hotels i. General only 5% tax. There are few hotels on the Galápagos Islands. Information from the Hotel Association: Asociacíon Hotelera del Ecuador (AHOTEC), Avenida América N38-80 y Diguja, Quito. Tel: (02) 244 34 25. (Internet: http://www.hotelesecuador.com/)
Camping
The few tent sites are run by European and American companies. There are two campsites on the Galápagos Islands.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Warm, tropical or subtropical climate with great differences between the Andean region and the coast.
In the mountain valleys of the highlands there are strong temperature fluctuations during the day. On the coast, the rainfall decreases from north to south, from June to November is the driest time, the best bathing weather is from December to May. It is hot and humid in the Amazon basin and in the northern coastal lowlands. Ocean currents are responsible for the two seasons in the Galápagos Islands; In the first half of the year it is mostly sunny, the water temperature is around 23 degrees, but heavy tropical rain showers occasionally come down. It is hazy during the dry season in the second half of the year, the water temperature is colder due to the Humboldt Current.
