Ecuador: Some Etiquette Tips

huffingtonpost.com/kathleen peddicord reported First off, always start with “Buenos días” (Good morning).

People in this part of the world don’t jump right into the issue when addressing each other. When you get into a taxi, for example, don’t start with, “Take me to _____.” Start with “Good morning.” When entering a store, smile at everyone you pass and say good morning or how are you. Then say, “Do you have any ____?”

In more personal settings, handshakes and kisses when coming and going are essential. Your days of leaving a party by walking out the door saying “See you all later” are over. When leaving a party, go around to shake everyone’s hand and kiss all the women on the cheek. It’s the same thing when arriving somewhere.

That greeting is something you don’t want to bypass, because if you arrive or leave a place without saying hello and goodbye to someone, the assumption is that you’re mad at that person.

IF YOU LIKE THESE ETIQUETTE TIPS YOU WILL ENJOY THE BOOK 100 POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MOVING OR RETIRING IN ECUADOR..for a comprehensive listing of dos and don’t s while in Ecuador

Here are eight more points of etiquette to remember when traveling in Ecuador…

Ecuador Etiquette Point #2: Don’t come to parties on time.

The first time I was invited to a party in this country, my hostess told me to “Come at 7 o’clock.” I came at 7 o’clock. The husband was running down the steps, buckling his pants, and his wife was still in the shower. So 7 o’clock meant 9 o’clock. The second time this couple invited me over, they said, “Come at 9.” “Does that mean I come at 11?” I asked. “No, we tell you the “real time,” they told me. “Everyone else knows better.’

Ecuador Etiquette Point #3: Be courteous.

You get what you give. People who smile and approach others with courtesy get the same thing in return. In my experience, people were nicer to me than to a lot of their fellow Ecuadorians because I was nice to them. Read Article