What to Expect when you arrive in Ecuador

Ecuador is a beautiful country indeed! There's so much to do in such a small country. So much to see and new things to try. I love Ecuadorean food! All these beautiful things I have to counter measure with not so good things. I am going to tell you ten things you should and shouldn't expect when you live in Ecuador.

1. Expect to pay more specially if you look gringo and you don't know what you are doing. And when I mean "gringo", I mean blue eyed, tall and blond. Nothing in Ecuador has a set price. So, bargain as much as you can. You will earn some respect. And, if bargaining isn't working too well then, turn around and walk away. There's a 50% chance that you get chased down before you go out the door and paying your price!
2. When you go out to eat, do not expect free refills for your soft drink. They won't be free!
3. Don't expect great customer service. There's just a few places where you can get great customer service. And more likely if you are blond, blue eyed then, you might get treated better than the locals in some cases. 
4. When you dine out, don't expect for all the food to come out at the same time.  I can only say that there's only one place where I have been  where all the food for all my party came out at once.
5. Expect to pay more for local attractions or museums. Yes, unless you have a valid Ecuadorian ID you will be paying the foreigner's rate
6. Don't expect your appointments to be on time, and when I mean time is not just 1 or 2 hours. I am talking 1 or 2 days. And expect to hear the 1000 reasons why they couldn't be on time.
7. Expect to pay a pro rated tip of 10% or 12% added to your tab. There's just a handful of places where you tip according to the service you received. The pro-rated service charge is probably one of the reasons why  you don't get good service because the servers already know that they are going to make 10% or 12% percent of your tab. Always look at your tab and verify if the tip is already included.
8. Don't expect a straight answer if you are dealing with people working for any government entity, It just doesn't happen, learn to tolerate this issue, it's just part of the culture
9. Warranty policies? If you buy any kind of electronics or light fixtures for your home, the warranty is they test it in front of you to make sure it works, That's your warranty! Once you leave the store you are on your own.
10. Don't expect the locals to change... Think of it this way: It is not their fault, it's simply part of the culture, and the most important thing... Do not generalize or stereotype, you will find great people too... and maybe a friend for life... You don't need to change, we just need to adjust.

Have a great weekend!