I keep reading how great Ecuador is! Is the Manta Area an Option?

Hi,

I posted in the Belize forum as well since both Belize and Ecuador are on my radar as places to potentially move to, at least temporarily. I'd rent first and explore to determine if it's ultimately for me for not.

I've been reading a lot of the forum posts and International Living (that obviously paints just the rosy picture). Ecuador keeps popping up as a great country and great place for US expats.

I am not retired (I'm 48). I work for myself and just need a good internet connection (is internet reliable in Ecuador?) and cell phone.

The low cost of living is appealing. I have a son going off to college and am looking to make a change. From the research I've done, probably the Manta area would be the most appealing to me since it's on the coast and has a more tropical climate. I live in NY and am looking for a drastic weather change (in addition to lower cost of living). FLorida's on my list as well but the thought of living outside the US sounds very exciting to me.

Would love to hear current feedback on the Manta area (some of these posts are older). Everybody seems to love Cuenca so I guess that should be an option as well. Are there many rental options? What's the average rental per month? How easy is it to get dsl or cable internet in a rental if I was just going to initially rent for a month or 2?

I'm not sure what my budget should be? I'd say $800 per month would work if that's a possibility (I pay twice that now).

Thanks for your responses and for contributing to such a valuable forum!

Steve