Foriegners to Ecuador pay a lot more for certain services, such as transportation and hotels, than the locals do because of Ecuador's two-tier pricing range. This is also known as the gringo tax. You can avoid this by staying in mid-range hotels and by taking buses instead of trains, or planes. Travelers to Ecuador should be able to get by with 10 U.S. dollars a day and that's including periodic indulgences, but with a kess fugak approach it might be 50-80 U.S. dollars which would allow more comfort and a more interesting diet. Living like royalty in Ecuador could set you back about 150 U.S. dollars.
Banks are probably the best way of changing money.
Cheaper hotels, restaurants, and stores don't normally accept credit cards. Every country has it's risks, but this country is amoung the most rewarding travel destinations, with it's many vibrant cultures, well perserved colonial architecture and history, otherworldly volcanic landforms, and dense forests, you have to overlook the risks, but of course just be prepared for them. A yellow fever vaccination is highly recommended for visiters of the rain forests in the Oriente. Ecuador's warning is that a national state of emergency was declared on January 6, 2000. So, just remember the good parts and prepare for the bad.