Friendship, Samba, and Late Nights in Salvador

Picture it, Brazil 2025… If you got the reference to that intro, you’re our type of person. If not, no worries—there will be plenty of Golden Girls references to go around.

Towards the end of our trip in Lima, one of our friends—who we met while living in Guadalajara, Mexico, and who now lives in Costa Rica—sent us a very cryptic message. And we say cryptic because “Where will you guys be next week?” can easily cause anxiety depending on who’s asking.

Luckily for us, she’s our type of party and always brings a different kind of energy when we link up…

👉 Read [How two texts turned into a month of fun in Brazil]

Know Before You Go:

We’re travelers—like true travelers, the kind that maps out everything and tries to account for any hiccups along the way (even the inevitable ones). Before heading to Ecuador, we did all the usual prep: location scouting, currency research, and planning strategies to make the most of our trip.

The thing is, we didn’t have any strong feelings about Ecuador beforehand. We planned to stay for a few weeks… which, of course, turned into months. Once we settled in and decided we wanted to stick around, we ran into an unexpected complication.

We knew about the standard 90-day visa and that it could be extended for another 90 days. What we didn’t know was that Ecuador counts the 180-day limit from your original entry date, not the calendar year.

For example, if you arrive on January 10, 2025, the longest you can stay is until July 2025 (assuming you take a 90-day extension). After that, you must leave—and you can’t re-enter until January 10, 2026, when your new “year” begins.

Of course, there are options, like applying for various temporary visas—but these can be expensive when you factor in lawyer fees and mandatory application costs. And as travelers, it’s easy to assume, “Of course they’ll let me stay as long as I want.” Not the case here. Unlike some countries, Ecuador doesn’t allow traditional “visa runs.”

Our advice? Even if you don’t plan to stay long, or if a country isn’t high on your agenda, plan carefully and map out your days. Just because you get 90 or 180 days doesn’t mean you can extend with a quick visa run. Overstaying can lead to fines—or worse, a ban for several years.

✨ Planning a trip to Ecuador soon? Check out the travel requirements here.

Necessary Travel tools

• Health Insurance

As we’ve gotten more experienced—and maybe a little more senior—in our travels, we’ve become increasingly conscious of our mortality and how important it is to make sure we’re covering ourselves and each other on the road. There are countless stories of people getting sick, injured, or even dying abroad without travel insurance, and then facing enormous costs for international hospitals or medical transportation home.

It’s not a thought most of us want to dwell on while exploring the world and enjoying all these incredible experiences—but it’s a reality we have a responsibility to prepare for.

We currently have Nomad Insurance through SafetyWing, which runs us $112 per month ($56 per person). The policy comes with a $250,000 limit and can be used across multiple countries, making it a flexible option for long-term travelers.

• Carbon Monoxide Detector

How many stories have you read about people dying while traveling because their accommodations didn’t have carbon monoxide detectors? Countless, I’m sure. A few years ago, several people died in Mexico from carbon monoxide poisoning, and there was also a young boy who tragically died in Costa Rica from the same cause.

For us, it’s easier to cover our bases—whether we’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb, there’s no guarantee that detectors are installed, or that they’re even working. We’re currently using IQYEF’s 4-in-1 devices, which detect carbon monoxide, natural gas, temperature, and humidity. We paid $34 for a set of two on Amazon.

The reality is that our safety is our responsibility. We plug one in the living area and the other in the bedroom. If you’re traveling without one, it’s a smart idea to stay at a location that has a detector and ask when it was last checked. Remember, you're traveling not experiencing immortality. Getting back home to your loved ones should be your top priority. (None of these suggestions are apart of a paid promotion.. just items we use in our personal lives.)

Travel Guides

Planning an upcoming trip? Whether it’s long-term or just a brief stay, we may have a guide for one of your destinations. We only create guides for places we’ve actually visited and explored extensively, so you get insights based on real experience.

Until next time,
Keep roaming,
​Maurice & Albion

Traveling Rebelz