Gday all

No guns in ecuador...but you can not roam around in any country with jewrely hanging or carrying cameras, tel exposed.  no.   i walk around hop in cabs in buses, and have no problem.  i go out at night but i dont walk at night alone and dont ask for trouble and i dont go to bars to drink.  so it depends what you are looking for and where hummm  with drugs and boozes come problems i dont have any.  now some people were speeding out front and 60 were arrested that shocked me in america you dont arrest people for speeding ha.  they put the in jail lawyers doctors nurses etc..they were out in a few days now you will obey their laws or dont come.
A lot come live three months in Palermo highest condo in cuenca ecuador and look for other living during that period.  a man that iwns in there is pepe he speaks sh and english not honest...sneaky...but in real estate careful of him....look all over city but certain parts you must be a little more csreful.  landlords are not the best so you have to hunt be picky it makes a difference you need to be in a populated area bus stops higher the better.  some people pay $800.00 furnished everything.  some without furniture 400.00 A month. Depending what you are looking for....johonny out front in white car speaks english  and spanish he will drive you arouund and  he is parked out front most of the front.
crime is not a problem we have been here two yrs...

The worldwide problem is always the same--visas.

What kind of visa would you apply for? Ecuador doesn't need more labor. Nor do most other countries. There is a global oversupply of labor.

Visas are THE biggest brick wall to international living for anyone of working age who are not the cream of the corporate crop. (mind you gas and oil execs do quite well almost everywhere)

The easiest ways to emigrate/immigrate worldwide are:

-financial investments (usually with a very high bar of qualification)

-real estate purchase (also normally rather high end)

-Pensioners visas (considerably more moderate qualifications as the immigrant comes with an income and no competition to the domestic workforce)

Outside of that, expatriating internationally is exceedingly difficult. You are in the Philippines now because you are married to a Fillippino. This is an immigration that you will not duplicate anywhere else.

That said--Canada is full of Ozzies. It's probably your best bet.

actually have not gotten to the stage of resident visa here as I am still unsure where to hang my hat.

I have enough money to cover myself and her for the rest of my life and i retired at 26.
Not to worried about crime or all that as i Have been living in the philippines for the last 6 years but fully the last 5 and I am about as battle savvy on the go as any other cowboy.

If i went there i would look at the business visa option if we were to become residents but I am only looking at visiting for the intial 6 months that u can get.
I have travelled quiet a bit and am under no idealism that i will visit somewhere for a month or two and call it home before getting the lay of the land.
I know the country I am in very well with all the corruption and hidden underworld that lies beneath all places.

Never been one for jewelery, nor acting like a tourist either.

Thanks for the input guys.
As I was saying it is more from my partners point of view as on one of the traveller sites it talks about a high level of rape there.
And believe u me my girl is prrreeeettty

Like you I too had the "women" fright issue. Like yours mine became paralyzed from over analysis. She is a 5'4' blond fair skinned from her Scandinavian heritage and did some TV work back in the states. So, to say the least she stood out as I did at 5'9' and 235 lbs. That ain't fat, 52' chest, 38' waist, body building.
Anyway, she found that she had to stop reading and researching because most of what she was reading seemed to me to be lets say "embelished" to the point of some of it being almost someones fantasy.
Your gal simply needs common sense as to where, with whom and why she goes somewhere. Is this approach any different than the Philippines which like you I am familiar with. Spent 3 months there in late 69 & early 70's.
Tell her to stop the blog exchange, pack the bags and meet you online at the ticket counter.
FYI, $1500 per month will get it done in almost any area of Ecuador.
I.E. 2 bdr-2 bath furnished mid level type of apartment can be had for $350-$600 dollars (Cuenca/Quito) depending on your tastes and it's location. I've seen some in the airport area in Cuenca which is fine and on all major bus routes for $425 NICELY APPOINTED and clean. On the bus you're at the Park Calderon the center of town in 15-20 minutes. I note your 6 month visa approach and that will be more then adequate to decide your future there.
Questions? let me know.

What is your time frame for a move?

I can't offer any first-hand info, since I'm not there yet, but like you I was in the Philippines (Cebu City) until recently; currently I'm in the States, but will head down to Quito after Christmas -- at that point I can give you some comparisons.

It's hard to imagine that Ecuador is more dangerous, but I can understand your Pinay's concerns -- she's familiar with Cebu's streets while Ecuador is an unknown to her. Probably she won't really be comfortable with moving until she's seen it first-hand.

My living costs in Cebu were about $1200/month on average without making any efforts to economize. I'm expecting Quito to be similar or maybe just a little higher, but I'll know when I get there.

I think I may know you from the LinC forum.

Ecuador is very different from town to town and province to province, so it's hard to give an overview of crime and safety here.

Quito feels pretty safe to me. I haven't had a problem here yet, and I tend to push my luck by venturing into bad neighborhoods and going out at night alone. In a small town on the south coast I had items stolen from my hotel while I was sleeping. The weirest encounter I've had in Ecuador was in the town of Palestinia last Sunday. Four women set up the most pathetic attempt at an illegal roadblock I'd ever seen. They were holding a rope across a busy road letting locals pass but demanding money from out of town folks. I just drove around them. They yelled at me, but when I stopped at the gas station 20 feet from their road block they ignored me. Just like any place, there are areas to avoid, and places that are totally friendly and safe. I've seen three places here that gave me the creeps, all near the Columbia border, Borbón, Lita, and Tulcan all felt dangerous, though nothing bad actually happened to me in any of these places. I chalk it up to survival insticts after spending too much time in Afghanistan.

that is all good... thanks yall