Why love Vilcabamba, Ecuador? How about the clean air, nature and lower elevation? Three big draws for expats to love Vilcabamba. However, it's certainly not for everyone since it's sort of out without much going on, but Loja is only 45 minutes away by car. Beautiful country valley with Andes Mountains surrounding.
Hello Friends,
We have posted something new, several times per week for the last 5 plus years about crucial insights and every day life experiences that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
April 06, 2017
April 04, 2017
BEST WEDDING PARTY in CUENCA ECUADOR
Someone loves to dance! This was the best wedding party in Ecuador. We got the wedding photos and they are beautiful. The photographer did a wonderful job!
Hello Friends, We have posted something new, several times per week for the last 5 plus years about crucial insights and every day life experiences that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, We have posted something new, several times per week for the last 5 plus years about crucial insights and every day life experiences that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
April 02, 2017
SALINAS WEATHER: We LOVE When it Rains!
Folks, this is wet season in Salinas Ecuador. We absolutely love it when it rains because when the sun does come out, it's hot! We don't like the mud too much though. LOL
Hello Friends, we have posted something new, several times per week for the last 5 plus years about crucial insights and every day life experiences that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life abroad in a developing country, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we have posted something new, several times per week for the last 5 plus years about crucial insights and every day life experiences that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life abroad in a developing country, you've found it!
March 31, 2017
My Best Investment in Ecuador
This video will provide a different perspective about how some of our experiences have been since living in a developing country. This can easily happen in any developing country, we just so happen to be living in Ecuador.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 29, 2017
What's there to do in Salinas Ecuador?
What to do in Salinas? We're being lazy today (it's so hot!) but we did do these five things and so can you at the beach in Salinas Ecuador!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 27, 2017
Are You Ready to Smoke It in Ecuador?!
Look what we found being used for wiring in our ceiling! Electricity in Ecuador and probably in other developing countries can be a potential fire hazard. The whole town of La Libertad/Salinas does not have wire nuts...little caps to ensure safety when bundling two wires together...we finally got some from Cuenca.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 25, 2017
Goofin Off in the New Florida
Some people like to call this area the new Florida; They call Salinas the "new Miami". It has a ways to go before it's anything like Florida but it's beginning to sport Florida prices!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 plus years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 plus years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 24, 2017
RAM - Retired Abroad Magazine: We Know What They Won’t Say about Ecuador But What Are They Going to Talk About?
They refer to Ecuador as a “paradise” and with “perfect weather” all year round and easy this and easy that, etc. Reading just the first few lines of their sales chatter made our alarm bells go off. We know that if we were thinking of moving to Ecuador or Panama, we’d want the real skinny, not the sugar-coating stuff. See for yourself.
We used to soak all this stuff in like sponges when we were in our 20s and before we moved to a “paradise” (No place is perfect as we all know). We were young and didn’t know any better. In our younger days there was no Internet and we were subscribers to their snail-mail, travel newsletter about living in cheap paradises around the world. They were called something different then and they only had a few writers. Today they hire perfectly talented writers around the globe that whitewash how it really is.
For You Resentful Ecuadorians: Be on the Lookout, ‘Rams’ Pumping Ecuador, Again
In June of 2017 (RAM) Retire Abroad Magazine is going to have “another” conference pumping Ecuador. Ok, ok, we know what they won’t say about Ecuador but what are they going to talk about? We wonder what has changed from 2015 in Ecuador that deserves such a big splash (conference) in 2017. What are they going to say that they haven’t already said last year, or the year before, or the year before…? ….?...?
They even brag on their sales page that they have named Ecuador as the “best place to retire” for 6 years in a row. Wow! So then we have to say it again, we know what they won’t say about Ecuador, but what are they going to talk about?
Well, according to their sales spiel and getting through the white-wash, they will have their usual “experts” on banking, consulting, real estate and investments, speaking at the conference to help you make your move to Ecuador. They already have their own built-in experts picked out for you; isn’t that nice of them?
Next, they select a retired couple already living in Cuenca that will tell you how wonderful everything is and how they live so cheap and how good the medical system is, how cheap it is to eat out and how good the food is, and how great the weather is and how nice every single local is and how safe it is and blah, blah, blah. Most of you know the rigmarole.
But watch out, if the couple they provide for the Ecuador conference is anything like the couple they used as role models to the last Panama conference, then it’s time to start worrying folks. We meant to write about this back then and we wish we would have, but we never got around to it; so here it is now, we think it fits in perfectly with the Retire in Ecuador conference.
Role Model Couple NOT Your Average Retiree
When they had their last conference for Panama they used this couple as an example for retirees to see how cheap it is to live in Panama. They’re basically saying, “Look at how cheaply they live; you can do this too”. Below is a snippet about this couple that moved to Santa Fe, Panama.
“The 60-something couple bought a small farm out in the country… they garden organically, growing most of their food so they don’t need to be near grocery stores; they have chickens for eggs, and they grow herbs for medicinal purposes instead of relying on healthcare. They even call themselves “self sufficient”. They are basically living in “their” paradise in a small town community on some acreage out in the country of Panama”.
Sounds good, right? There’s nothing wrong with being self sufficient, in fact it’s great. But let’s be real guys. How many 60ish something retirees are going to grow their own food and medicine? Is this for real? They are not your “average retirees”. Guys, what were they thinking!?
How many people are going to move abroad and actually live like that? Does this sound like something you would do? Would you grow your own food, medicines and herbs instead of relying on grocery stores, health care and hospitals?
All of the retirees we meet want to be near a major grocery store and at least 15 minutes of a hospital! And that is the reality. What do you think, is this a fair assessment of how you are going to live when you move abroad? Is using this self sufficient couple helping you decide appropriately if Panama or Ecuador is right for you?
And incidentally has anyone actually shopped for land around Cuenca or in Panama? Good luck trying to find anything at a reasonable price. Clearly, the prices are similar to u.s. prices, and do not at all reflect developing world prices that are thrown around when reading about how ‘cheap’ it is to live abroad. Check out our Ecuador guides for more detail on that.
Not to mention that living out in the country in a Latin American country can be dangerous, especially for a retired foreign couple. But we will not go there today. That’s a whole other article we’ll save for another day.
Whiner’s signing off, until we write again…
If you would like to have a more balanced view of what’s it’s really like to live in a developing country then please rummage through the 1500 posts we have written (many of them updated!) on this blog to help you make a more informed decision about your move abroad.
Source: InternationalLiving.com
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
 |
| ...yes, miles of unspoiled beaches that are still trying to recover from a devastating earthquake |
For You Resentful Ecuadorians: Be on the Lookout, ‘Rams’ Pumping Ecuador, Again
In June of 2017 (RAM) Retire Abroad Magazine is going to have “another” conference pumping Ecuador. Ok, ok, we know what they won’t say about Ecuador but what are they going to talk about? We wonder what has changed from 2015 in Ecuador that deserves such a big splash (conference) in 2017. What are they going to say that they haven’t already said last year, or the year before, or the year before…? ….?...?
They even brag on their sales page that they have named Ecuador as the “best place to retire” for 6 years in a row. Wow! So then we have to say it again, we know what they won’t say about Ecuador, but what are they going to talk about?
Well, according to their sales spiel and getting through the white-wash, they will have their usual “experts” on banking, consulting, real estate and investments, speaking at the conference to help you make your move to Ecuador. They already have their own built-in experts picked out for you; isn’t that nice of them?
Next, they select a retired couple already living in Cuenca that will tell you how wonderful everything is and how they live so cheap and how good the medical system is, how cheap it is to eat out and how good the food is, and how great the weather is and how nice every single local is and how safe it is and blah, blah, blah. Most of you know the rigmarole.
But watch out, if the couple they provide for the Ecuador conference is anything like the couple they used as role models to the last Panama conference, then it’s time to start worrying folks. We meant to write about this back then and we wish we would have, but we never got around to it; so here it is now, we think it fits in perfectly with the Retire in Ecuador conference.
Role Model Couple NOT Your Average Retiree
When they had their last conference for Panama they used this couple as an example for retirees to see how cheap it is to live in Panama. They’re basically saying, “Look at how cheaply they live; you can do this too”. Below is a snippet about this couple that moved to Santa Fe, Panama.
“The 60-something couple bought a small farm out in the country… they garden organically, growing most of their food so they don’t need to be near grocery stores; they have chickens for eggs, and they grow herbs for medicinal purposes instead of relying on healthcare. They even call themselves “self sufficient”. They are basically living in “their” paradise in a small town community on some acreage out in the country of Panama”.
Sounds good, right? There’s nothing wrong with being self sufficient, in fact it’s great. But let’s be real guys. How many 60ish something retirees are going to grow their own food and medicine? Is this for real? They are not your “average retirees”. Guys, what were they thinking!?
How many people are going to move abroad and actually live like that? Does this sound like something you would do? Would you grow your own food, medicines and herbs instead of relying on grocery stores, health care and hospitals?
All of the retirees we meet want to be near a major grocery store and at least 15 minutes of a hospital! And that is the reality. What do you think, is this a fair assessment of how you are going to live when you move abroad? Is using this self sufficient couple helping you decide appropriately if Panama or Ecuador is right for you?
And incidentally has anyone actually shopped for land around Cuenca or in Panama? Good luck trying to find anything at a reasonable price. Clearly, the prices are similar to u.s. prices, and do not at all reflect developing world prices that are thrown around when reading about how ‘cheap’ it is to live abroad. Check out our Ecuador guides for more detail on that.
Not to mention that living out in the country in a Latin American country can be dangerous, especially for a retired foreign couple. But we will not go there today. That’s a whole other article we’ll save for another day.
Whiner’s signing off, until we write again…
If you would like to have a more balanced view of what’s it’s really like to live in a developing country then please rummage through the 1500 posts we have written (many of them updated!) on this blog to help you make a more informed decision about your move abroad.
Source: InternationalLiving.com
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 23, 2017
Why Do Ecuadorians Love the United States?
Eight out of 10 Ecuadorians will tell us they love the United States. Many that say they “love” the U.S have never been there but want to go visit. Of those that have, most that we have talked to, have only been to New York or not too far from it. So how do they know they love it if they’ve never been there? And what experiences have they had outside of living in New York?
Many tell us they watch Hollywood movies, listen to the English music and read gossip about the stars and think everybody is rich because that’s what they see and hear in the movies. Ecuadorians idolize the U.S in a superficial way because of the entertainment aspect of it but many seem oblivious or unwilling to talk about the deeper issues that are entrenched within the society.
US is the Land of Opportunity
When we equate “love” with (making) money, sure, there’s a lot to love about the U.S. In general, an Ecuadorian can go to the U.S and make more money working there than in Ecuador. And that is exactly what many have done and will continue to do. Although we’ve met at least one Ecuadorian lady that says she makes just as much if not more, here in Ecuador.
Many of the Ecuadorians, especially from Cuenca and Quito felt compelled to flee to the U.S during economic hardship during the 1980’s and 1990’s; most of them sending monies back to their families here in Ecuador.
However, just like anywhere else in the world, it is not always what it seems. In fact when we share things with Ecuadorians about the good ole USA that are not so good they can’t believe what they are hearing. “Really"? they ask. “Really”, we reply.
Does Milk and Honey Come out of the Kitchen Faucet?
Of course we’re being facetious but the way some of these Ecuadorians talk, you would think they thought that milk and honey come right out of the kitchen tap. They don’t realize that the US has hundreds of thousands of people on welfare and food stamps. We told them about the soup lines too and they are like, “really”? “Really”, we say.
And then there is Carlos
A few Ecuadorians that have moved back to their homeland of Cuenca from the US have told us some distressing stories about their life while living in the U.S.
We recently had the benefit of talking with a gregarious Ecuadorian taxi driver who was pleasantly surprised that we were speaking Spanish with him. He began telling us (all in Spanish as he did not speak English) how he went to the U.S for awhile only to find himself having negative encounters with the police on a recurring basis.
Carlos told us of the many unprovoked instances of personal confrontations with the police, and their aggressive posture.
Carlos told us it would be okay if it was just a one-time thing, but it happened to him quite frequently and the police were not nice about it either. Very intimidating and Nazi style law enforcement, who are supposed to protect and serve the people, not harass them.
Now understand, we rode in a taxi with Carlos and he is not a scary looking person, he has short hair, very well groomed, decent clothing, no holey jeans, no body rings or tattoos and yet he explains rather emphatically how he was continually harassed by the American cops.
Not wanting to endure this behavior any longer, even though he was making more money in the US than in Ecuador, Carlos decided to move back to his hometown of Cuenca, Ecuador. He told us rather emphatically, “I’ll never go back to the U.S! I am happy to be home", he said, "I’m never harassed or intimidated by the Ecuadorian police and the weather is much better here,” he grinned.
On another plane, our Ecuadorian next door neighbors, whom have never set foot in the U.S don’t realize all the problems happening over there. They idolize figures such as Justine Bieber and Miley Cyrus and watch all the Hollywood movies but do not know much else. They always talk about the U.S as a great place to “go make money”, and don’t see the flaws and negative things that go on. It’s funny how money makes some of us lose ourselves in emotional greed so that we actually can’t see how something actually appears.
Some Ecuadorians don’t seem to open up on the deeper issues that affect many Americans personally. In fact, when they experienced it for themselves, they flee for their lives. TRADITIONAL personal / family liberties like here in Ecuador seem to take a back seat or collect dust in the closet in the U.S.
The reality is some of the Ecuadorians see what appears to be something better than what they have now because they only see what they see, Hollywood movies, music, etc. Money does not make happiness and can actually stifle our liberties even more.
It is much the same line of thinking when discontented retirees leave the U.S and fall for a hyped up Eden somewhere. They soon find out it is not all as it is portrayed and many become disappointed and leave, especially after they have been robbed, conned, scammed, or shocked by under reported events from the Eden they moved to.
If you liked this article then you will really enjoy these ones too.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Many tell us they watch Hollywood movies, listen to the English music and read gossip about the stars and think everybody is rich because that’s what they see and hear in the movies. Ecuadorians idolize the U.S in a superficial way because of the entertainment aspect of it but many seem oblivious or unwilling to talk about the deeper issues that are entrenched within the society.
US is the Land of Opportunity
When we equate “love” with (making) money, sure, there’s a lot to love about the U.S. In general, an Ecuadorian can go to the U.S and make more money working there than in Ecuador. And that is exactly what many have done and will continue to do. Although we’ve met at least one Ecuadorian lady that says she makes just as much if not more, here in Ecuador.
Many of the Ecuadorians, especially from Cuenca and Quito felt compelled to flee to the U.S during economic hardship during the 1980’s and 1990’s; most of them sending monies back to their families here in Ecuador.
However, just like anywhere else in the world, it is not always what it seems. In fact when we share things with Ecuadorians about the good ole USA that are not so good they can’t believe what they are hearing. “Really"? they ask. “Really”, we reply.
Does Milk and Honey Come out of the Kitchen Faucet?
Of course we’re being facetious but the way some of these Ecuadorians talk, you would think they thought that milk and honey come right out of the kitchen tap. They don’t realize that the US has hundreds of thousands of people on welfare and food stamps. We told them about the soup lines too and they are like, “really”? “Really”, we say.
And then there is Carlos
A few Ecuadorians that have moved back to their homeland of Cuenca from the US have told us some distressing stories about their life while living in the U.S.
We recently had the benefit of talking with a gregarious Ecuadorian taxi driver who was pleasantly surprised that we were speaking Spanish with him. He began telling us (all in Spanish as he did not speak English) how he went to the U.S for awhile only to find himself having negative encounters with the police on a recurring basis.
Carlos told us of the many unprovoked instances of personal confrontations with the police, and their aggressive posture.
Carlos told us it would be okay if it was just a one-time thing, but it happened to him quite frequently and the police were not nice about it either. Very intimidating and Nazi style law enforcement, who are supposed to protect and serve the people, not harass them.
Now understand, we rode in a taxi with Carlos and he is not a scary looking person, he has short hair, very well groomed, decent clothing, no holey jeans, no body rings or tattoos and yet he explains rather emphatically how he was continually harassed by the American cops.
Not wanting to endure this behavior any longer, even though he was making more money in the US than in Ecuador, Carlos decided to move back to his hometown of Cuenca, Ecuador. He told us rather emphatically, “I’ll never go back to the U.S! I am happy to be home", he said, "I’m never harassed or intimidated by the Ecuadorian police and the weather is much better here,” he grinned.
On another plane, our Ecuadorian next door neighbors, whom have never set foot in the U.S don’t realize all the problems happening over there. They idolize figures such as Justine Bieber and Miley Cyrus and watch all the Hollywood movies but do not know much else. They always talk about the U.S as a great place to “go make money”, and don’t see the flaws and negative things that go on. It’s funny how money makes some of us lose ourselves in emotional greed so that we actually can’t see how something actually appears.
Some Ecuadorians don’t seem to open up on the deeper issues that affect many Americans personally. In fact, when they experienced it for themselves, they flee for their lives. TRADITIONAL personal / family liberties like here in Ecuador seem to take a back seat or collect dust in the closet in the U.S.
The reality is some of the Ecuadorians see what appears to be something better than what they have now because they only see what they see, Hollywood movies, music, etc. Money does not make happiness and can actually stifle our liberties even more.
It is much the same line of thinking when discontented retirees leave the U.S and fall for a hyped up Eden somewhere. They soon find out it is not all as it is portrayed and many become disappointed and leave, especially after they have been robbed, conned, scammed, or shocked by under reported events from the Eden they moved to.
If you liked this article then you will really enjoy these ones too.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 21, 2017
Why Do People Leave Their Dream, Living Like It’s 1953 Again in Ecuador?
It’s not surprising that some people would become overly occupied with the reasons why retirees would leave a life of living like it's 1953 again in Ecuador. We say 1953 because a lot of expats say Ecuador is like the 1950's in the USA. But it's only a few things not everything.
It just doesn’t make much sense to guide our lives according to what others do or not do. None of us would be who we are or where we are at today if we followed what everyone else is doing. And yet people are fixated with “reasons” why people leave Ecuador and go back home because they think it will somehow apply to them.
It has gotten so bad that some people say that expats fib about why they left because they don’t want to say anything negative about living in the best place to retire on a budget, Ecuador. Travelers (expats) come and go like the wind for reasons that are personal to them of course, and has nothing to do with your reasons for moving or leaving or staying in Ecuador.
Why does it seem strange that people come here and then leave after one or two years? It may seem odd to folks who have never lived in another country on a permanent basis but it’s actually quite normal to move around and travel to new lands if someone has the money, desire and health to do so. And it is quite normal for people to move back to their roots after the honeymoon phase wears off, it happens all the time.
People want to see Cuenca Ecuador for themselves just to see if they can live like it’s 1953 again. Many call it a “discovery trip”. We think there is a lot to discover, and to truly get a feel for expat life a full year (4 seasons) or more is necessary. However many folks come for a few weeks or two months and decide they like it and later move here, only to move again after a year or two, and that is their reality.
Really, “all reasons are good reasons why people leave Ecuador and move back home or somewhere else” and that’s because each reason is personal to that person or family and their situation and circumstances. For example, if someone said “I moved from Cuenca Ecuador because I did not like the weather” how does that affect you?
If You Move Back Home, Look at the Positive NOT the Negative
People want to take a person’s reasons for leaving Ecuador and dissect it to death amongst themselves and some people even scoff at the reasons and maybe that’s why expats feel the need to fib a little as to why they are going back home. Simple peer pressure. Just like in 1953 and beyond.
Just remember there is so much positive about traveling abroad, even if later you decide not to stay. Traveling and exploring new lands, no matter how long you stay are simply wonderful learning experiences for people of all ages; there is so much to see, do and learn in a foreign culture. Children will learn so much more being in a country and learning the history and culture than they would reading about it in a boring history book. They’ll also have the opportunity to learn the language, make friends, and become experienced about the world around them.
Families that have had the chance to travel with their children abroad and live for a year or two really provide their children with a wonderful experience they will remember and cherish for the rest of their lives. And the same goes for any individual or couple who travels abroad.
So instead of dissecting all the reasons why expats leave and move back home, put away the tweezers and take a moment to realize that it really has nothing to do with you and your travels abroad. We know expats that have moved to Ecuador and love it, while others are looking to move or have already moved back home. I’m guessing they figured out they really don’t want to know how to live like it’s 1953 again.
Reality check. Do what you want, make your decisions based on your own research, enjoy your visit and if you want to stay for awhile, then stay for awhile and if you want to leave, then leave.
If you liked this article, here’s a couple more you might like.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5.5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
It just doesn’t make much sense to guide our lives according to what others do or not do. None of us would be who we are or where we are at today if we followed what everyone else is doing. And yet people are fixated with “reasons” why people leave Ecuador and go back home because they think it will somehow apply to them.
It has gotten so bad that some people say that expats fib about why they left because they don’t want to say anything negative about living in the best place to retire on a budget, Ecuador. Travelers (expats) come and go like the wind for reasons that are personal to them of course, and has nothing to do with your reasons for moving or leaving or staying in Ecuador.
Why does it seem strange that people come here and then leave after one or two years? It may seem odd to folks who have never lived in another country on a permanent basis but it’s actually quite normal to move around and travel to new lands if someone has the money, desire and health to do so. And it is quite normal for people to move back to their roots after the honeymoon phase wears off, it happens all the time.
People want to see Cuenca Ecuador for themselves just to see if they can live like it’s 1953 again. Many call it a “discovery trip”. We think there is a lot to discover, and to truly get a feel for expat life a full year (4 seasons) or more is necessary. However many folks come for a few weeks or two months and decide they like it and later move here, only to move again after a year or two, and that is their reality.
Really, “all reasons are good reasons why people leave Ecuador and move back home or somewhere else” and that’s because each reason is personal to that person or family and their situation and circumstances. For example, if someone said “I moved from Cuenca Ecuador because I did not like the weather” how does that affect you?
If You Move Back Home, Look at the Positive NOT the Negative
People want to take a person’s reasons for leaving Ecuador and dissect it to death amongst themselves and some people even scoff at the reasons and maybe that’s why expats feel the need to fib a little as to why they are going back home. Simple peer pressure. Just like in 1953 and beyond.
Just remember there is so much positive about traveling abroad, even if later you decide not to stay. Traveling and exploring new lands, no matter how long you stay are simply wonderful learning experiences for people of all ages; there is so much to see, do and learn in a foreign culture. Children will learn so much more being in a country and learning the history and culture than they would reading about it in a boring history book. They’ll also have the opportunity to learn the language, make friends, and become experienced about the world around them.
Families that have had the chance to travel with their children abroad and live for a year or two really provide their children with a wonderful experience they will remember and cherish for the rest of their lives. And the same goes for any individual or couple who travels abroad.
So instead of dissecting all the reasons why expats leave and move back home, put away the tweezers and take a moment to realize that it really has nothing to do with you and your travels abroad. We know expats that have moved to Ecuador and love it, while others are looking to move or have already moved back home. I’m guessing they figured out they really don’t want to know how to live like it’s 1953 again.
Reality check. Do what you want, make your decisions based on your own research, enjoy your visit and if you want to stay for awhile, then stay for awhile and if you want to leave, then leave.
If you liked this article, here’s a couple more you might like.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5.5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 20, 2017
Ecuadorian Says Americans Destroying Cuenca Ecuador
Frank/Angie, you are well aware that the concentration of americans here has raised in the last 5 years. Cuenca is not same as 2-3 years ago. Thanks to you and your kind of promotional activities, we are today in trouble. We (locals) do not want you to do with our country as same as you did with Panama or Costa Rica. It is not fair that you spend all your life doing the best in USA and bringing the worst of you to Ecuador. Locals are tired of your people taking pictures and demanding us to speak your language. Sorry, I do not mean to sound rude. You know well you are destroying our city. If you have any questions, please contact me ASAP. This matter is critical.
Our reply
Dear Sir: We’re sorry that you are feeling resentment of “North Americans” coming to your city. We do not have any questions for you. But we do want to share something with you and here it is.
When we first moved to Ecuador in 2011 we were told by a wise Ecuadorian that resentment of the foreigner would eventually set in. However, did you realize you and anyone else that feels the same way as you are actually categorizing ALL North Americans into one box? What nonsense. Let me explain.
1. Most expats we meet and know would never expect the local people to speak English. There may be a certain amount of foreigners that would expect this and we are sorry you ran into him or her. But most expats would never expect as such and are at least trying to learn Spanish. Please bear with us as we fumble with the Spanish language.
Solution: When you meet an expat that expects the locals to speak English, remember it is a small percentage of North Americans that think like this, not all of them!
If we suffer mistreatment from an Ecuadorian *untypical* Just curious, how would you like it if we categorized all Ecuadorians into one group and said in a blog article “Ecuadorians mistreat Americans?
Let us tell you a little secret. The small minority of “North Americans” that expect locals to speak English are actually embarrassed and really self-conscious about the fact that they can’t speak the local language; and is the reason why they feel the need to blame the locals for not speaking English. It takes some of the awkwardness off of themselves. Later on down the road, they will think about it and realize how silly it was to think such a notion, even if they never express it aloud. This type of person will end up leaving Ecuador sooner or later, and that’s the reality of it.
Anyone that would expect a turtle to quack like a duck is truly wrapped up within themselves and they will not last long where their silly ideas are not entertained 24/7.
Solution: Learn to detach from things that are outside of your control. It’s really his problem unless you make it yours.
2. Sure, there are gringos that promote Ecuador in the wrong light. Did you happen to also contact the two online travel magazines that tout Cuenca every chance they get, making it sound perfect and nothing negative ever? We agree, this kind of behavior is inappropriate because the “way” they promote Ecuador is misleading. It's misleading people because it does not provide a balanced view. A more balanced view could filter out some of the foreigners with inappropriate expectations and consequential bad behaviors.
We always provide the balanced view, holding nothing back, sacrificing popularity and we’re called whiners for it and told “if you don’t like it here, why don’t you move back to the USA”? Uh, who said anything about not liking it here?
The travel abroad touters have agendas with huge followings and they bring folks here just like them, with agendas…BUT NOT ALL EXPATS HAVE AGENDAS. The ones that really love your country and are happy here do not have an agenda except for wanting to live a peaceful life for themselves and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.
Let us ask you a question: Don’t you think it would be more appropriate for you to go to your own ministry of tourism board and raise your concerns there? Maybe you haven’t done that because you know that contacting your local people may not be the solution since they are the ones that have promoted Ecuador in the last 2 to 3 years (the time you specified in your email to us above when Cuenca changed for the worse) by making television commercials, hiring tourist companies and the travel media to promote Ecuador to the world with “ALL YOU NEED IS ECUADOR”.
Do you think perhaps, you should stop blaming the North Americans and start looking at the source of where the traffic originates from? It was your own people that have brought much of this foreign traffic to Cuenca Ecuador through the “ALL YOU NEED IS ECUADOR” promotions.
Between the “Ecuador Ministry of Tourism” promoting Ecuador all over the Internet, radio and on websites and YouTube, plus the travel abroad magazines with huge followings begging people to move here to this “cheap paradise”, and House Hunters International in Cuenca, again for the third time, you better believe Ecuador is going to have a lot of foreigner traffic; and as we have already agreed and said, it does ruin a place overtime because you cannot control people and what they do.
People become what they decide and choose for themselves to be, not what others tell them they have to be or should be.
Trying to integrate one culture into a completely different culture doesn’t really work. As much as people like to say they have integrated here, they really have not. No matter how you slice it, adding the color blue to red will always make purple and you may not like the color purple but it is what it is.
It’s inevitable and that’s the bottom line. Ecuador may become another Panama and Costa Rica because a group of people high up in your country wanted the tourism traffic and most of that traffic comes from North Americans, now your country must deal with the consequences of their actions because they didn’t think about the cultural costs (changes in the landscape) in the long run.
You say that you do not mean to be rude but in the same sentence you tell us that we are destroying your city. Separating the wheat from the chaff takes effort and diligence. Those of us putting our efforts into giving a more balanced view, and there aren’t many of us, are not the ones you should be venting your frustrations at.
Dear subscribers, thanks for reading. Please let us know if you would like to see more articles or do you prefer videos or a mixture of both. If you found this article helpful, take a look at the related articles below.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5.5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Our reply
Dear Sir: We’re sorry that you are feeling resentment of “North Americans” coming to your city. We do not have any questions for you. But we do want to share something with you and here it is.
When we first moved to Ecuador in 2011 we were told by a wise Ecuadorian that resentment of the foreigner would eventually set in. However, did you realize you and anyone else that feels the same way as you are actually categorizing ALL North Americans into one box? What nonsense. Let me explain.
1. Most expats we meet and know would never expect the local people to speak English. There may be a certain amount of foreigners that would expect this and we are sorry you ran into him or her. But most expats would never expect as such and are at least trying to learn Spanish. Please bear with us as we fumble with the Spanish language.
Solution: When you meet an expat that expects the locals to speak English, remember it is a small percentage of North Americans that think like this, not all of them!
If we suffer mistreatment from an Ecuadorian *untypical* Just curious, how would you like it if we categorized all Ecuadorians into one group and said in a blog article “Ecuadorians mistreat Americans?
Let us tell you a little secret. The small minority of “North Americans” that expect locals to speak English are actually embarrassed and really self-conscious about the fact that they can’t speak the local language; and is the reason why they feel the need to blame the locals for not speaking English. It takes some of the awkwardness off of themselves. Later on down the road, they will think about it and realize how silly it was to think such a notion, even if they never express it aloud. This type of person will end up leaving Ecuador sooner or later, and that’s the reality of it.
Anyone that would expect a turtle to quack like a duck is truly wrapped up within themselves and they will not last long where their silly ideas are not entertained 24/7.
Solution: Learn to detach from things that are outside of your control. It’s really his problem unless you make it yours.
2. Sure, there are gringos that promote Ecuador in the wrong light. Did you happen to also contact the two online travel magazines that tout Cuenca every chance they get, making it sound perfect and nothing negative ever? We agree, this kind of behavior is inappropriate because the “way” they promote Ecuador is misleading. It's misleading people because it does not provide a balanced view. A more balanced view could filter out some of the foreigners with inappropriate expectations and consequential bad behaviors.
We always provide the balanced view, holding nothing back, sacrificing popularity and we’re called whiners for it and told “if you don’t like it here, why don’t you move back to the USA”? Uh, who said anything about not liking it here?
The travel abroad touters have agendas with huge followings and they bring folks here just like them, with agendas…BUT NOT ALL EXPATS HAVE AGENDAS. The ones that really love your country and are happy here do not have an agenda except for wanting to live a peaceful life for themselves and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.
Let us ask you a question: Don’t you think it would be more appropriate for you to go to your own ministry of tourism board and raise your concerns there? Maybe you haven’t done that because you know that contacting your local people may not be the solution since they are the ones that have promoted Ecuador in the last 2 to 3 years (the time you specified in your email to us above when Cuenca changed for the worse) by making television commercials, hiring tourist companies and the travel media to promote Ecuador to the world with “ALL YOU NEED IS ECUADOR”.
Do you think perhaps, you should stop blaming the North Americans and start looking at the source of where the traffic originates from? It was your own people that have brought much of this foreign traffic to Cuenca Ecuador through the “ALL YOU NEED IS ECUADOR” promotions.
Between the “Ecuador Ministry of Tourism” promoting Ecuador all over the Internet, radio and on websites and YouTube, plus the travel abroad magazines with huge followings begging people to move here to this “cheap paradise”, and House Hunters International in Cuenca, again for the third time, you better believe Ecuador is going to have a lot of foreigner traffic; and as we have already agreed and said, it does ruin a place overtime because you cannot control people and what they do.
People become what they decide and choose for themselves to be, not what others tell them they have to be or should be.
Trying to integrate one culture into a completely different culture doesn’t really work. As much as people like to say they have integrated here, they really have not. No matter how you slice it, adding the color blue to red will always make purple and you may not like the color purple but it is what it is.
It’s inevitable and that’s the bottom line. Ecuador may become another Panama and Costa Rica because a group of people high up in your country wanted the tourism traffic and most of that traffic comes from North Americans, now your country must deal with the consequences of their actions because they didn’t think about the cultural costs (changes in the landscape) in the long run.
You say that you do not mean to be rude but in the same sentence you tell us that we are destroying your city. Separating the wheat from the chaff takes effort and diligence. Those of us putting our efforts into giving a more balanced view, and there aren’t many of us, are not the ones you should be venting your frustrations at.
***
Dear subscribers, thanks for reading. Please let us know if you would like to see more articles or do you prefer videos or a mixture of both. If you found this article helpful, take a look at the related articles below.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5.5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 17, 2017
Retire Abroad Couple LIVING IT UP in CUENCA Ecuador
We're talking with a retired expat couple to Cuenca after the one year honeymoon mark. Do they still love Cuenca? Watch the video to see what their experience has been living abroad.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 15, 2017
Guayaquil Ecuador TOURIST ZONE & MALECON Pleasant & Diverse
We usually skip right through Guayaquil on our way to Cuenca but this time we didn't and we were pleasantly surprised. If you stay in the tourist zones and remain watchful, travelers should have a safe visit in Guayaquil.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 13, 2017
Hungry cat catches bird and then......[Salinas Ecuador]
Salinas has a lot of cats and this cat is a street cat, obviously hungry. We felt sorry for the poor bird but this is the nature of animals. Just another day in Salinas Ecuador.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 11, 2017
The Most BEAUTIFUL WEDDING in Cuenca Ecuador
Our son is now a married man! We are excited to bring you the most beautiful wedding ceremony in Cuenca Ecuador. We didn't want to leave anything out of this special event but for our English speaking subscribers we did take out most of the Spanish if it was feasible, otherwise this video would have been over an hour long. So, grab yourself your favorite beverage and enjoy this special time with us. Blessings Frank and Angie.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 09, 2017
Do we look like tourists in Cuenca Ecuador?
Yes, we're back in Cuenca for a very important event but isn't it too cold for shorts and flip flops? Only gringo's wear shorts in the Andes. LOL
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 07, 2017
EZ PZ GUAYAQUIL Ecuador
EZ PZ Guayaquil Ecuador in the tourist areas.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 plus years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 plus years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 05, 2017
BEST Little Park in GUAYAQUIL ECUADOR
We were pleasantly surprised with this neat park in the center of the city in tourist area of Guayaquil Ecuador.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 03, 2017
Busiest Time of Year CARNAVAL in Salinas Ecuador 2017
This is Carnaval weekend, busiest time of the year in Salinas Ecuador.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
March 01, 2017
Big City Life - GUAYAQUIL ECUADOR - South America
We decided to checkout big city life in Guayaquil Ecuador and we were pleasantly surprised.
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video or article. We have posted something new several times per week for the past 5 years and there are a lot of crucial insights and every day life experiences to help others on this blog. If you're looking for straight forward answers and honest reporting about life here, you've found it!
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