The negatives about retiring in Ecuador

mugtech wrote:

Nards Barley wrote:

Someone needs to let wisewoman write an article about Ecuador for one of those travel magazines/websites that Mugtech is always talking about.

But how could she?  By her own admission she has nothing to promote or sell and no website.  Of course no one is completely useless, can always be used as a what NOT to do example.  (12 to 18 inches of rain in a day? really?)

For one so wise.... she confused inches with MM. Hmmmmm,, kinda the same, only waaaaaaaaay different! < Grin>

Cuenca:
Most rain per month = April @ 4.29 "
Total Annual Rainfall @ 34.5 " = aprx. 2.9 " per month

I was concerned about the rain as well, however after a little research I found that it rains less than the PNW of the US.  I found Neil's report to be consistent with my findings and realized that Portland averages 6-7" of rain three months out of the year (170mm for extremists).

Geez, dude, you need some new Ecuadorian friends. Our local acquaintances are the kindest people we have ever known. Regarding the wealth issue, the 90/10 ratio you quote is generous compared to the distribution of assets in the US, so I hate to think of what you said about your former neighbors there. It's a shame you have chosen to live in a country where you have such disdain for your compatriots.

Lenny, what I am curious about, is what prompted you to buy a house in Guayaquil?  While I know there are nice places to live in Guayaquil, it is not the first place an expat typically chooses to live when moving to Ecuador. The lack of blogs (none) on this website based out of Guayaquil is testament to that.

Joysounds have you ever looked into the possibility that your pain might be a symptom of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) or liver issues?  Please take a few minutes to go to Dr. Lam's website and look into it. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and many other things over the years. In the end it turned out that AFS was responsible for the long list of symptoms I have. If the liver is not functioning properly it cannot remove toxins and metabolites and those toxins end up settling in the joints and causing pain. There are easy ways to test the liver that do not need a doctors visit. Anyways I could go on but there is a VERY good chance that no matter where you live your pain will follow.  I hope this helps a bit. I know what it's like to live with chronic pain!

Wow Lenny. What's with the negative name calling?  Morons?? Liars and thieves???  My Mom always used to tell me that it takes one to know one!  Wink wink. On a more serious note what you say about Ecuadorians could be said about every culture.  For the most part I find that my Ecuadorian friends are honest, helpful, kind, have a sense of humour and so on. That is why I chose them as friends!  Now people I pass on the streets here in Cuenca, and this includes Gringos can be friendly and outgoing or just the opposite. Just like back home Lenny. LIARS AND THIEVES????  Ok Ecuadorian society does have liars and thieves, I'll give you that one BUT are there not liars and thieves back in NA?  Also isn't it preferable to have liars and thieves to MURDERERS AND RAPISTS of which there are few here and more of back home!  CLIMATE, CLIMATE, CLIMATE and oh yeah the mountains are nice!  There is so much more to Ecuador and Cuenca than that. It is a vibrant and colorful culture and a country filled with diversity for exploration.  However it's not for everyone. That much is clear. 😜

It seems I'm alone in getting under your skin or at least garnering a response. 😁

One cannot IMO give their opinions about the negatives of living in Ecuador without comparing it to NA. The fact is most people who come here do EXACTLY that. They are disillusioned and disappointed because they DO make comparisons. It's the only way for someone back home considering coming here to get some sort of perspective on these opinions.  Perspective is made almost impossible because each individuals life experience is unique making their opinions and views open to interpretation by people with an entirely different life experience. And so the cycle continues and can only be broken by stating facts. Calling people MORONS is your opinion of them. The fact that you have met Ecuadorians who agree with you only goes to prove that some share your opinion and nothing else.  You are making a emotional response to a subject that needs fact to be of any use to anyone considering coming here.

I feel it safe to say that my experience has been different than yours. Being female also makes my perspective on personal and home safety much different than yours. Whether back home or here in Ecuador  I have safety concerns like most women on thier own. I cannot honestly say that these concerns were more or less than they are here in Cuenca. Now Guayaquil was another story altogether and I was robbed day one in Panama.  Perhaps being a female is the difference in our perspectives. You felt a measure of safety back in NA that I did not. 

I agree that this society is not as fortunate as ours when it comes to information and education. We have been blessed in that regard and for those of us who want to learn and educate ourselves the information is there for the taking no matter what your economic background.

I have no problem with honesty. However when you are talking about assisting others with opinions and perspectives a LOT is lost in translation leading to discontent and disappointment. The only way to help is to stick to facts. Emotion and opinions are of no use. This is only my opinion. Hehe. 😝

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

I have routine liver tests because of the many meds that I have to take, and I have been to a fibromyalgia specialist and I do have fibromyalgia. You may be right that I may have pain anywhere I go.

I'm hoping that the whole foods, (no GMO), organic fruits and vegetables will help. We in the US have no idea what we're injesting. It's pretty scarry when the milk you buy has a 3 month expiration date on it.

My husband and I will be there for June and July and I will keep you posted if you like.

Thank you for your kindness.

Joysounds

There is a blogger who months after arriving to Cuenca posted that she would NOT recommend single women to move here and that it was unsafe to walk up the Escalinata (staircase up to El Centro) by yourself. It was based purely on emotion, although she would most likely deny that.

Unless I get mugged walking to the Supermaxi or El Centro midday from my apartment with 24hr security, I doubt I will have sufficient life experiences to weigh in on crime, apart from what I read in the newspapapers.

Yes I too hope the changes here will help.  Is been good for me in some regards and not so good in others.  Please make sure you bring enough meds to last the whole time you are here and honestly you may want to carry a Doctors script for each med just in case something happens.  It will make it so much easier should you needed to get meds here for some reason.

Yes there certainly is a much shorter time and distance here with regards to foods reaching us.  We do the Mercado here as much as possible.  I do find the meat isles take a bit of getting used to.

Admittedly I find the weather here nice.  To try to put it into prospective I am accustomed to cold, damp winters and hot, humid summers.  I actually find it a bit on the dry side here compared to what I am used to. 

Will this be your first visit?

Hey Nards. Wow it really is amazing how perspectives are so different.  I go out alone often here and feel just as safe as I did back home.  That means that I am aware of my surroundings without letting paranoia totally ruin my outing.  It's been a very long time since I have been able to go out at night either here or home so I cannot comment on that.

Yes I agree that without statistics it is impossible to come to an informed and accurate conclusion on the crime thing.  I've had Ecuadorians agree or support the impression I have that petty crime is common.  They tell me that murders and rapes do happen but it seems they are much fewer than back in NA.  Again none of this is based in fact or statistics.

Now I have been the victim or both personal injury and theft back home.  These crimes happened in my small hometown as well as a very large city.  I don't know.  On one hand you can't go around 'anywhere' being oblivious to things but on the other hand you can't be paranoid all the time either.

The one thing that was and still is a bit bizarre to me is the bars on windows and walls around the homes but I have seen that in several cities in the US as well.  It's just not something I am at all accustomed to. 

Frankly I think there is far more aggression in NA but again that is NOT based in fact and is  just an opinion.

All I am sure of is that crime is everywhere and seems to more prevailing where there are higher numbers of humans trying to co-exist.  Now that speaks volumes to me and is certainly another great topic for discussion!  😜

Lenny: It's good to have a variety of opinions. I'm sure that when I'm there I will find points on which I disagree with you, but I feel better informed if I hear both negatives and positives (and the positives are quite well-covered here).

I'm looking forward to coming there in the fall/winter -- I'm currently in Cebu (Philippines), where I've been for a year. Based on checking weather charts, such as Weather Underground, Guayaquil has weather almost identical to Cebu, and it's the heat/humidity combo that is forcing me out of here.

Quito is my probable next stop after a few months in the States.

We were there in Feb. for a LIve and Invest seminar and it was cold, damp and rainy.
We are going to check out the beach side and Cuenca. My husband and I need some dental work done and the estimates are sky high.
The computer tech just arrived to help us get rid of some viruses, so I'll write more later.

By "over and out," I hope that means you are done with this forum, Mugtech. It's obvious that you have no intention of moving to Ecuador, so you seem to enjoy sitting on the sidelines making smart alack remarks for your own amusement. This forum is for people seeking and sharing information, and as far as I've seen you've never done either.

Hey Joy!  Can I ask where you were that it was cold, damp and rainy?

I've seen a very good dentist here in Cuenca. He takes pride in his work and admittedly he does do a great job. Let me know if you want his info.

Where on the coast do you plan to visit?

Hey Mugtech,

You might be a little grouchy now and then, but at least you're not scamming anyone or selling get rich quick schemes.  Hang in there, buddy.

John

With baseball trivia being your best example of helping folks considering expatriation, nothing more needs to be said about this subject.

Keep it up, Mugtech -- we need a variety of viewpoints.

For any and all ageing or ailing American friends out there that are a bit hesitant.  If you haven't seen it yet, try to watch Micheal Moore's movie called "Sicko".  As a Canadian, I was shocked and horrified to see the state of the health care system in the USA. No wonder some of you folks have to leave your home country just to survive.  Bryan

I am going to come down for 2 or 3 months later this year or early next year, thanks of all the informed info that I have garnered from this blog site. Like Mugtech, I have avidly read all that I could on Cuenca but I would never venture an opinion until I went there myself.  Hope to meet and talk to as many locals, expats and touristas as possible.  Would like to talk to as many ladies (married, single or widowed) as well as my wife is hesitant to come and I would value their opinions.  Thanks

    Bryan

I guess all of us have different experiences about living in Ecuador.  I have lived and worked in both Quito and now, retired, live in Cuenca.  While I have been to Guayaquil for work related days, I personally do not like Guayaquil.  A friend of mine, stationed at the Consulate, thinks Guayaquil is the best city in Ecuador.  Incidentally, Ecuador is not my first rodeo overseas.

Tonight the family who lives across from us in our little community were over for brownies and coffee with their children.  Not a one time deal.  We are part of any family gathering.  Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will go the Cajas.

We belong to FotoClub Cuenca.  We are always welcomed and on trips they are solicitous for me...the old guy. Sometimes I want to smack them with my cane...

As a volunteer I am in charge of the websites for the Archdioceses of Cuenca.  I got that gig by simply volunteering for anything and lying through my teeth about my abilities.  Hey, I was bored.  I'm Catholic and that is why we have Confession, although the last time I went the priest did begin to weep... But I have the privilege of associating with really good people.  Not the kind of people I dealt with in a previous life.

I could go on and on.

While I have to adapt to Ecuador, the Ecuadoreans also have to adapt to me who is from another culture.  That's just part of any cross cultural exchange.  And they do. No question in my mind.

My wife and I speak Spanish.  My wife, from Panamá, obviously speaks better Spanish than I do.  But I can swear better - a sign of a misspent youth.  But language opens doors that are closed because the other person either does not speak English or does not feel very comfortable in English.  My wife had to learn English when we lived in the States.  It was hard, but opened a lot of doors.

Are there things here that drive me nuts?  Of course.  Rude and careless drivers and the fabled bureaucracy top my list. Do I miss my country sometimes? Sure.  Would I have as rich a life back in the States?  Absolutely not.

"Animales con ropa"...as a DARE officer long ago said to my son's class "you need to get new friends" 'cause the ones now are not doing you any good.

Longer than I meant it to be, but wanted to throw in my two cents...

Mistymeaner.  Could you share more info on the Dentist as I was going to look into when I come down but if you could shorten my search, it would be a great help. I am hoping to meet with people like you and all the others on this forum that have given so much in good tips and advice.   Thanks  Bryan

LOL, this is do true for many places, but does depend on how much of a TP user you are. I do find, being a male and "prudent" user, that I can usually discard without clogging. I just am careful, and flush when I think the limit is reached. So, two flushes may be necessary. I have also noticed it depends a lot on the toilet. One in the house is never a problem, another is a pain. Almost all of those in public areas are a problem.

Worse for me is there never seems to be toilet seats. Even in the theater here in Loja (a nice place), only one of the bathroom's toilets has a seat, none of the others do. In most of the parks that have bathrooms, none of the toilets have seats and TP can be very scarce. Always carry TP with you.

Having said all that, I do find that there is usually a wastebasket near each toilet and these must be emptied often because I have never been "offended" by one. You do get used to it. But, I do have to laugh: the only toilet I have actually clogged was in this really fancy hotel in Cuenca that I was just visiting. Felt really bad about that, but at least I was able to walk away without having a embarrassing conversation with management about my newby ignorance (which I had at the time, but learned by that experience).

Thank you for your frankness. It is great to read about the smaller things we take for granted here in the US. But having said that, I am on a mission to have my retirement income maximized. Might or might not be Ecuador.

Lenny. I read all your blogs on here and while you have some info and help to share, I can't decide whether you are prejudiced, elitist, biased or just never went out and a had a beer with the local people. I mean, morons, liars, thieves and all men that treat women as chattel. I have run across all of these types everwhere. Don't you think that is racial profiling. Please just give us facts and info.  Bryan

Thanks, Bryan.

Lenny: Noise bothers me, too, but there's no call for religious bigotry like your "house of Satan" comments; and certainly not for "the fact of life is that everyone is a thief."

(Aside: Do you include yourself in 'everyone' or is it everyone except you?)

In any case -- glad I don't live with that kind of attitude.

Bob

Lenny. Please just give us the benefit of 10 years in Ecuador, based facts and solid info.  For instance, have you ever been robbed or mugged? Has your wife or child been accosted or harrassed while in Cuenca?
As a point of interest, Uneducated does not mean stupid or moronic. Also, Bob, excellent point about thieves. Guess you and I are as well.  Bryan

TOILET PAPER VS LIVING IN ECUADODR..hmmmmm

No, No, it isn't toilet paper vs living in Ecuador. Heavens Forbid. It's just BYOTP, that's all. Unless you have a heavy predilection towards corn cobs.

Ahhh, to be serious. Simply put: there have been times when I was very glad to have a little TP in my backback, in the same way I have been happy at times that I had a small flashlight in there too. This is from a person who's motto is: never hurts to be prepared (unless that backpack is just too darn heavy to carry).

I just left this morning to go up to Cisne (a little more than an hour's trip). It is bit like a place of pilgrimage, famous for the Virgin Mary's visit in the 1500s. The virgin Mary Icon, normally resides in Cisne, but travels once a year to my town for display and for celebration. People carry the icon and travel the 60 kilometers by walking. The celebration is one of the most holy and festive times of the year here in Loja. Today, I and the family I live with, just went there for mass and then returned. The members of the family I live with are among the most devout and humble people I have ever know.

Perhaps I have misunderstood what you are saying. It is well know that people from all over South American come to Cisne with the greatest of intentions and the highest of devotion toward the principles of christianity. The mass was electrifying and the Basilica was packed. There was a long line for placing an offering to the Virgin Mary. The atmosphere was joyful and full of strangers hugging and smiling. To suggest this is a godless place defies what I witnessed. When I left, I noticed there were two cars parked and several people were assembling beautiful flower arrangements on the sidewalk. I spoke to them, and they said they were from Cuenca. I asked about the price of the arrangements and they explained that they were not for sale. They were putting them together as an offering to the Virgin Mary. This was said with humility and joy for the opportunity to serve the community in this way.

How you see things and how I see them is quite different. I am not suggesting there is no basis for your view, but I certainly don't see things the same way. It is if you and I live in different countries. I hear you clearly when you say you could care less so it is not my intention to argue with you. But there is opposite side to what you have suggested and everyone should hear both sides.

lennyledoux wrote:

I take it you are applying a very literal interpretation to "everyone." So be it, a majority instance is sufficient to use the term, especially when the precautions are taken by an equally great majority. I have only been assaulted, maced and robbed here once and it was the police who did the robbing.

I wish you all the best. I have no interest in encouraging or discouraging anyone from visiting, living or leaving Ecuador. I could not care less. I will be here for the remainder of my days. I have no idea who you are, what you look like. If I encounter you on the street you will undoubtedly be greeted with a smile, a hello and an extended hand. It is up to you to refuse to shake my hand and ignore me. I don't care, you aren't going to hurt my feelings. The first question I asked my landlord regarding the urbanization where the house is was "How many gringos are living there?" When the answer was zero I signed the lease. Adios.

So the words of wisdom are:
When searching for a place to live, don't ask how many gringos live there, ask how close is the nearest church.  When you find that church take some nighttime decibel readings before signing any lease.  Thanks Lenny.

toilet paper vs living in Cuenca....hmmmmmm

Hi Tony,

I would like to ask you some contracting / business questions if you wouldn't mind?  My email is [email protected]. 

Thank you in advance
Aimee

someone asked about the coast...

...there can be the occasssional scorpion or snake and sand get in the bed and couch -- go with ceramic floors if possible, yes a  tsunami can occur, mosquitoes sometimes but not always , rainier where it is greener, less rain is less bugs and therefore less green...

other than that ...temps are awesome ...folks layed back mostly ... stay about 15 minutes out from areas where others live for highest convenience to privacy "ratio"....

..no I don't sell real estate

...yes I did write that article about not needing a tour

...yes I run a casual B&B hostal near Salinas...

You said it just right. I am not a reglious man but I would love to see what you saw and experienced then. Faith is in a persons heart, not in a book.

Are you in a big city or rural area? Thanks.  Hal

Hi Byron,
Sounds like you and I are on the same path for climate and privacy. My bride and I are about to spend a couple of months there searching  for the "right spot". Let's stay in Touch and exchange our findings. Good luck!  Hal

Hal..not sure if you meant that for me or for BryonDavis who also post here but I plan on sharing anything I can on here when I get back. I have picked up a lot of useful info from a lot of people on this blog site and if I can add to it, I certainly will.
         Bryan

ZenSPIKE wrote:

I just honestly can not understand a dollar to dollar comparitive and come away thinking it's cheaper to live in the US.

Zen Spike, exactly.  For all the reasons you mentioned and so many more.  Ecuador is infinitely less expensive and offers significantly greater value than the USA.

Hector G. Quintana
[email protected]