The wife and I nearly moved to Costa Rica in 1996. Now, we are thinking of moving out of the U.S. to Ecuador. I like Cuenca and my wife wants to be near the ocean in a small town where there is cooler weather, something like the California coast. We have some questions, however, we've read a lot of blogs and a lot of posts on these forums and aren't finding answers. We can deal with toilets that you can't flush tissue in. We can avoid tipping and over-paying locals, so we don't disrupt the economy. We don't want to tell others why a McDonalds is evil. We will adjust to fireworks going off. We will learn Spanish. We will not start a business scamming other Americans. We merely want to live safely and comfortably near an urban trail, perhaps along a river, and near some restaurants and a park large enough to walk our small dogs. Some of the amenities we are seeking; high-speed internet, high-def television, a dishwasher.
Questions:
- What part of Cuenca do you live in and why?
- Are any of you under 50 and physically active?
- I run and ride. My wife runs, rides, plays tennis and volleyball. We are looking for others to work out with.
- We like (serious)mountain biking. Are there trails near town?
- What did you pay for a reliable car?
- We like to run 5-6 miles each morning. Are there paved urban trails we can run on where we don't have to cross busy intersections?
- What cuisines are available? Would Vietnamese be out of the question?
- Do gang-bangers exist in Ecuador? Can we do a ride-a-long with local police to hear accurate stories about crime rates?
- What is the level of litter, graffiti, decay?
- What level of concern do you have about banks, crime, law enforcement, a stable government, currency fluctuations?
- Is Cuenca at a tipping point where more Americans are no longer welcomed?
I know, I know. Don't come to Ecuador and try to make it like home. We feel certain we can live in harmony with local culture while still enjoying activities we enjoy in the U.S. We want to retire and live peacefully in Ecuador, be safe, stay active, learn Spanish, eat out often, explore cultural events, festivals, and relax at night while watching some American television, listening to my music collection, and using the internet to help us find our way.
Some difficult (somewhat insensitive) questions needing to be answered
Hello,
I can answer some of your questions.
I live close to 1o de Mayo, one of the places with large quantity of expats, but I live in the ecuadorian side of the street. I like because is close to the river, close to the mall, close to many of my expats clients and also is quiet ( if don't count the roosters),local and cheaper than the new condos along the river.
There's many expats under 50, but is difficult to find them :-)
Just kidding, if you meet with other expats you will find many in the 50's and active. There's also many in the 60's and very active too.
There's mountain biking, but is more popular, by far road bicycle, there's many bicycle stores in the city.
Cars in Ecuador are very expensive compare to the US. A regular car with no extras can cost 4 to 5 thousands more.
There's many places in the city to run, if fact there is an old running tradition in the city and there's many marathons along the year.
There's not a big offer or interest on international cuisine, in fact a couple of shushi restaurants closed in the last months.
There's only one thai restaurant run by an expat, a couple of indians, some chinese ( different flavor than in the states)fast food ones, italinas and many traditional ones.
In general, Cuenca is a safe city. More than Quito or Gauayaquil. I didn't hear of any gang related crime and statistics show crime is lower now. Of course, you have to follow the basic safety rules.
Litter is still a problem but the cleaning service is very good. Grafitti is visible but not that bad and decay is not visible at all. Many parts of the city are old but no decay or abandoned.
Well, your last question is complicated, I heard some complains but I think, in general, locals are happy with the fact foreigners are coming to the city and new business are blooming and the city is improving.
Good luck with your plans
Vinny
the wayfaring stranger wrote:We will adjust... We will learn Spanish...We merely want to live safely and comfortably near an urban trail, perhaps along a river, and near some restaurants and a park large enough to walk our small dogs. Some of the amenities we are seeking; high-speed internet, high-def television, a dishwasher.
OK,
Questions:
- I run and ride. My wife runs, rides, plays tennis and volleyball. We are looking for others to work out with.
- We like (serious)mountain biking. Are there trails near town?
My next door neighbor plays tennis and the neighbor in front of me is a die hard mountain bike rider. People in Cuenca are very active.
- What did you pay for a reliable car?
Will ask my neighbor who bought a Volkswagon sedan.
- We like to run 5-6 miles each morning. Are there paved urban trails we can run on where we don't have to cross busy intersections?
We live near the Rio Machangara. There is a dirt (well maintained) from Gonzalez Suarez to the Monay Shopping Center that is ± 3 miles each way with no traffic and no rads to cross. Lots of people use it to walk, run, bike..
- What cuisines are available? Would Vietnamese be out of the question?
Limited options. See Vinny's response.
- Do gang-bangers exist in Ecuador? Can we do a ride-a-long with local police to hear accurate stories about crime rates?
At this time Ecuador does not have a serious gang problem like in the US - MS 13, La Familia etc. The Ecuadorian National Police does not have an anti gang unit per se. Gangs here are small groups that do burglaries etc. Ride alongs are unheard of here. Police ride alongs are almost always non-consensual.
- What is the level of litter, graffiti, decay?
Cuenca makes a real effort to keep the city very clean. I recently had visitors from the US who were quite impressed with the cleanliness. Graffitti is present unfortunately, mostly in the historic center.
- What level of concern do you have about banks, crime, law enforcement, a stable government, currency fluctuations?
Banks...none. I keep my money in the States. Crime is a concern but not a fear. The police are taking active steps to respond to crime. I am much more afraid of the drivers. The government is stable and the currency is the US dollar.
- Is Cuenca at a tipping point where more Americans are no longer welcomed?
No clue. At the present time the national govenment is very open to retirees.
HTH
Mike
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