Things to consider before moving to Ecuador

Very good post. It's the reality of South America not just Ecuador. Corruption exists everywhere. And moving outside a developed nation is not for everyone. That is exactly why you need to visit MULTIPLE times before moving. It's kind of a big deal.




Matt V. - Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil
Visit my Personal Blog - brazilbs.blogspot.com

Excellent post Michele. Reminds me of the song from Ruben Blades called Pablo Pueblo of which you may be familiar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpSEV4-- … e=youtu.be


Translated for anyone who doesn't understand the lyrics.

A man walks home silently
tired from work
Not in any hurry
his shadow never catches up with him,
waiting for him is the same old neighborhood
with the lamppost in the corner,
the trash in front
and the noisy bar.
Pablo Pueblo
gets to the dark alley
and stares again at the walls
covered with campaign posters
that promised futures
in political contests
And in his face shows
the disappointment of waiting, is drawn.

Pablo Pueblo
son of screams and streets
of misery and hunger
of alleys and sadness
Pablo Pueblo
hope is his nourishment
his steps are slow
his shadow never reaches him

He gets to the patio
thoughtful and crestfallen,
with the silence of the poor,
with screams under it.
Clothes hang from the balconies
the wind blows them dry,
there is thunder in the sky,
rain is coming.
He goes into the room
and stares
at his wife and kids
and asks himself: “how much longer?”
Takes his torn dreams
and glues them with hope
uses his hunger as a pillow
and sadly goes to sleep.
Pablo Pueblo
son of screams and streets
of misery and hunger
of alleys and sadness
Pablo Pueblo
hope is his nourishment
his steps are slow
his shadow never reaches him
Soneos:
He worked until retirement
and never had an extra penny.
Voted in every election
and ended- up with nothing
Praying in front of a crucifix
and waiting for a change to happen, oh God!
He gets back to the same old neighborhood
tired from working at the factory
trying his luck on horses
and buying the lottery
His steps are slow
his shadow never catches up
His sweat stained shirt
dragging hope.

Michele,

I see you have already started the new post.

BTW, I won't be transferring my reply to your original post as it was intended primarily for your eyes.

   Carlos

From all I've heard and read Guayaquil is the absolute worst place to live in Ecuador (the armpit of Ecuador) Of course you miss that small town in North Carolina in autumn. Why did you go back if you don't mind me asking?

Michelle

This is my first post on this forum.

Thank you Michelle for your post. It sums up many of my concerns and it is the first time I've read a post about Ecuador that gives such a reality check.

My wife is originally from Quito and would love to move back to be closer to her family. Having been to Ecuador a number of times (most recently, 4 weeks over July 2013) I need a lot more convincing.

My situation is that I currently work as a paramedic, we have two young children (5 and 2 years of age) and we live in a small, quiet town in Wales, UK.

I find Quito (and Ecuador generally), dirty, noisy and dangerous. As you say Michelle, if you have the money you could have a decent life there (as with everywhere else!) but starting again at 40 years of age with 2 kids is very daunting. The cost of healthcare, education, property and everyday items are not as cheap as it's written in many articles about Ecuador. You use the figure of $3000 for a decent way of life. There are not many jobs in Quito for a 40 year old paramedic that provide that kind of figure.

I keep being told that money is now being spent on Ecuador and it will be a different country by the time my kids will have grown up. But for how long will the money be there for? Is it only a matter of time before another corrupt politician bankrupts the country? And I find it hard to ignore the increasingly left-wing views of Latin politicians.

I apologise if this reads more like a rant than a productive post but, it was good to get it off my chest. 

Feel free to let me know how incorrect my views are, my wife will appreciate it.

BlaenauBoy

BlaenauBoy wrote:

I keep being told that money is now being spent on Ecuador and it will be a different country by the time my kids will have grown up. But for how long will the money be there for? Is it only a matter of time before another corrupt politician bankrupts the country? And I find it hard to ignore the increasingly left-wing views of Latin politicians.



BlaenauBoy

http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2 … -to-china/http://qz.com/116321/ecuador-terminates … -drilling/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-2 … udget.html

Kind of sums up where Ecuador stands economically. In all fairness, and by all accounts the current administration is upgrading the country, and trying to build a better future, but the question is at what cost? All that money doesn't come with no strings attached.

Thanks for the perspective JR! Really interesting.
Judy

Judee wrote:

Thanks for the perspective JR! Really interesting.
Judy

Oh hey Judee,
Let me state for the record am not trying to get into an economic or political discussion, as it's not allowed, and for good reason. I have no idea what the future holds for Ecuador. My main concern is am just not that convinced that Ecuador is in a good economic position, and am worried could be a case of party now, and pay later.

I would like to thank all of you for your comments on this post, it's very enriching for me to get to know your views and feelings on this matter and also your personal experiences.

I'm not a happy camper living in Ecuador, as you can tell. And yes, calling Guayaquil "Ecuador's armpit" is indeed a great metaphor! People spit on the streets, most streets downtown smell like garbage and urine, people can be friendly or rude and intimidating depending on which neighborhood you find yourself in, and believe me, a lot of Ecuadorians will try to take advantage of you if they get the chance. That I've learned from my own experience, which led me to the decision of never making any type of business with anyone from Ecuador unless they have very good references from reliable sources. Always, ALWAYS have legal backup for everything you do here, contracts of any kind, transactions, rentals. People will try to rip you off and believe me, I'm not that paranoid, it's just that I've learned my lesson. I've heard horror stories from expats who have seeked help from so called lawyers that later dissapear with their money. At least now you can search for lawyers by name to see if they are certified and licensed to work in Ecuador, please check out this link from "Función Judicial" in case you need to verify a lawyer's credentials:

http://app.funcionjudicial.gob.ec/ForoA … erales.jsp

Always ask for a personal warranty before getting into any type of commercial lease, don't trust people just because they seem nice. You need to have all possible legal documentation to back you up and support you in case everything goes wrong, so you'll be protected in the event of default.

If you are planning to come to Guayaquil, Samborondón and Los Ceibos are the two best neighborhoods. Malecón 2000 close to the Guayas river is also a safe place and a tourist atraction, but as it is close to downtown Guayaquil, it can be a little noisy during the day.

suefrankdahl, you asked me a good question. Why on earth I came back to Ecuador if I was so happy in the States? To make a long story short, I was married back then, and my husband (which I divorced a few years later) decided he wanted to come back here to start a business. I refused to do so because for me, coming back here meant the beginning of the end for everything I have fought so much to achieve. I had to sell my home, my car, my furniture, everything had to go because he was stuborn and when his mind is set on something, he will do whatever it takes until he gets his way. There was no way back. I accepted his decision to come back to Ecuador because I didn't want to split my family, giving we have a child that back then was about 10 years old. After one year in Ecuador, it wasn't hard to realize that one doesn't need to be related to Nostradamus to anticipate the grim endind this story had. Not only my former husband business partners didn't live up to his expectations, but the business didn't last for more than a year and we ended up looking for a job after having invested all of our life long savings. With no money in our pockets and a grumpy and frustrated husband at home who made Torquemada look like Hello Kitty, I decided it was time to end the relationship.

So this is my story, and now I'm back here wishing I was over there, crying every time I listen to "Carolina in my mind" by James Taylor, which I have set as my cel phone ringtone because I guess I'm a masochist.

Thank you again for all of your warm comments, which I enjoyed very much reading.