What do you like the most in Ecuador?

Christine wrote:

What do you like the most in Ecuador?

What seduced you when settling and living here?

The highlands weather, right?

So mild nobody lives with an air conditioner.  You hardly ever have to turn on the space heaters at night.

Plenty of sun here at the Equator if you want it, but in the a.m. and after 2:30 p.m., plenty of shade available in Quito to walk outdoors in absolute comfort.

Dry enough that you're not schvitzing after a pleasant stroll.

Mild enough that you almost never need to have more than a thin nylon jacket in the evening for outer-wear.

I call it year-round springtime, the best weather in the world.

cccmedia in Quito

Now, if we could just get rid of that g--d--- bus "esmoke."

Runners-up, in no particular order ...

The fresh fruit... so sweet and juicy and delicious.  For over a year I've been making myself a fruit salad about an hour-and-a-half before bedtime.  Staples in that salad include pineapple, mango, banana, green or purple seedless grapes, melon and strawberries.

Massage... at $20 for an hour in Mariscal sector, I go once a week.

The people... Although some (mostly non-violent) malditos occasionally cause trouble, the EC natives as a rule are extremely friendly -- curious in a good way, extremely helpful and (once you learn Spanish) eager to converse.

Even the Gringos have been great in Quito.  I understand there might be place(s) in southern Ecuador where there are routine complaints that too many Ecuadorians don't speak English .. or that things are done differently in Ecuador.  But in Quito, none of the Expats ever bothers complaining to me about such porquería.  Except, of course, for the usual banter about the crazy bureaucracy.

cccmedia in Quito

There are so many things that I LOVE about Ecuador! Like ccmedia, the weather is superb! Previously to living here, I lived in Kuwait and in South Korea. Both had weather that was nothing close to the wonderful weather in Ecuador. No steaming humidity in the summer and no inferno summers. Every morning, I am greeted by a cool breeze, and, every night, I am lulled to sleep by the same.

Also, as a result of the wonderful weather in Ecuador, I like living in "green" all year round. The countryside is an emerald gift full of tropical plants, plowed field and trees filled with birdsong! As a gardener, I like how one can plant a cutting, and it thrives with little, if any, care. No weeding necessary!

And then, of course, there is are the fresh fruits and vegetables that are sold in all of the local markets along with the markets themselves that are bubbling with business and life every weekend! I used to eat frozen food regularly when I lived elsewhere, but fresh food is a given in Ecuador. My eating habits have greatly improved because of this, and that, in itself, feels like I have a new lease on life!

Most of all, however, I have to say that I like the Ecuadorians most of all. They are a kind,
hard-working, helpful and family-loving people who are never hesitant to lend a hand or share a joke. Having moved to Ecuador as a single, retired person, my Ecuadorian neighbors and friends have not only made me feel welcome, they also have become my "family", and this is, without a doubt, has made me realize that living in Ecuador is a gift I never dreamed it could ever be!

It was and still is the climate. It was once the cost of living as well. No more. They need a COSTCO here.

The chance of adventure!
Just get a 4x4 and one can go just anywhere, from coast to highlands to jungle! For the Islands, of course one needs a flight or a boat.
When driving by the highways one can see animals. One could see a cowboy taking the cows somewhere, a pack of pigs, goats, llamas, some other animals too! And they are so beautiful!
Oh the people! They will try to understand what you are saying if one don't speak the language and if you do they will advice you in all kind of things!
Once one gets use to how things are done around Ecuador, the enjoyment and relax is a everyday thing.

Life is good in Ecuador! Have a #goodlifeinecuador!

At 5'9" I am tall in Ecuador, a full foot taller than my Cuencana girlfriend!  Plus I can comfortably live on my $600 pension.  I have my paradise, a country home and small farm, with a 12-month growing season, and great weather at 9000 feet.  Plus, at 63, I am having my first child in February!  What's not to love about Ecuador!  Oh, did I mention free health care?

You must be originally from a much colder climate somewhere. I personally found Quito to be pretty cold and damp, especially at night, about half of the year. There is also a lot of crime, and the whole city smells of diesel fumes all the time. Just my personal xperience there.

Wow dude! You jumped into it with both feet didn`t you?

QUITO sucks, I agree....

Did six years of research first, but yes I am all in

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This is a question for CCmedia and the other helpful posters

Papayas? Are they common in Ecuador?

Several have noted the fruits available, with no mention of papaya.  I was hungry just at the thought of eating the fruit salad described in the posting! This may sound like a strange question, but I am hoping a friend joins me on my adventure to relocate to Ecuador. He has just paid $6.00 for a papaya in Canada (yes, this is true, and it was a small one!!)  He has some health issues and I offered to help him check out the availability of papayas in Ecuador and the possible price range. I have assumed all along that all tropical fruits would be readily available in Ecuador, so I am just fact-checking!

Thank you

I see papayas in the local Quito mercado where I fruit-shop.  The lady who sells me mangos typically has a good supply of papayas and makes a point of offering to sell me some.   I haven't taken her up on that so I don't have a price yet.

A while back the newspaper El Comercio there was a Spanish-language article about papayas.  It listed five Ecuadorian provinces where they are grown, including the coastal provinces of Manabí and Guayas.

The article in the newspaper said there are three types of papayas grown in Ecuador. 

Wikipedia says there is such a thing as a mountain papaya, but I don't know about its availability in EC.

cccmedia in Quito

Here's a good article in Spanish about the papaya industry in Ecuador, listing the three main types grown, "hawaiana, tainung 1 y la maradol":

http://www.revistalideres.ec/lideres/pa … njero.html

The prices apparently vary from 60 cents/kilogram on up to $1.30 to $1.70 per kilogram in Guayaquil:

"Lo atractivo de la variedad hawaiana, dice el productor, es que cada fruta puede pesar cerca de 500 gramos y tener un precio de USD 0,30 o 0,40, en el mercado. Asimismo, en autoservicios como Mi Comisariato, en Guayaquil, se puede encontrar la hawaiana por USD 1,30 el kg y otras variedades por 1,70."

Searching for 'papaya varieties ecuador' gets a lot of hits.  There are other named varieties for instance "Sunrise Solo" is exported.

OsageArcher wrote:

"Lo atractivo de la variedad hawaiana, dice el productor, es que cada fruta puede pesar cerca de 500 gramos y tener un precio de USD 0,30 o 0,40, en el mercado. Asimismo, en autoservicios como Mi Comisariato, en Guayaquil, se puede encontrar la hawaiana por USD 1,30 el kg y otras variedades por 1,70."

Translation....

The attractive thing about the Hawaiian type, according to the produce company, is that each piece of fruit can weigh about 500 grams and has a price of 30-40 centavos at market.  Along these lines, at self-service stores such as Mi Comisariato in Guayaquil, you can find Hawaiian papayas for $1.30 a kilo and other types for $1.70.

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For the metric-challenged, one kilo or kilogram equals 2.2 pounds (libras).
1,000 grams is one kilogram.

cccmedia in Quito

There are hundreds of Costco's in N. America.