If you just wander in you may be ignored. One of the biggest dilemmas for foreigners when traveling in Ecuador is whether to shake hands or to kiss when meeting people. Here's a basic guideline to avoid those awkward moments. If you are introduced to someone in a business or formal you should shake hands and again when you say good-bye. When you meet even a casual acquaintance again it's good for you to shake hands both on greeting and parting.
Women kiss on the right cheek only.
If you are quick to hold out your right hand you can avoid kissing. Kissing is used to show a personal relationship and is given as a sign of trust. When kissing someone as a greeting is usually done by making a kissing sound near the right cheek rather than actually kissing the cheek. Packing for any trip is difficult and traveling to an area with a different culture compounds the matter. Ecuador tends to be much more conservative than its Latin neighbors are.