Totally Lost and Scared to Death

Hello,
My name is Diane. Don't feel alone in your goal of moving to Ecuador, as many people have accomplished this and you can too.  I will be moving there in July of 2012 and I am a single woman living on the Gulf Coast.  My suggestion is to do as much online research as possible because information is your best friend.  Many people will advise you to visit first so that you can obtain a personal experience before making this decision.  But you must make your own decision on what is best for you.  You can visit Ecuador on your passport for up to 90 days.  Some people choose to extend this 90 days while visiting, some people return home to gather belongings, say goodbye and then return if that becomes their personal choice.  Residency requirements are based on monthly income, CD bank deposit, or real estate purchase; unless you qualify for other residency requirements such as student, corporate, etc.  Check the Ecuadorian Embassy website or call your closest Ecuadorian Consulate Office; for me that was in New Orleans.

I am sure you will gather some other good advise on this great Expat forum, I know I have!
Good luck,
Diane

Thank you Diane. I have done tons of research, just not on Ecuador. I was thinking more of Costa Rica and Panama, but didn't know that Ecuador was so fantastic until recently. I would rather visit first, but I am on disability and the money is tight so I don't know if that is going to be possible. I'm a little leary about renting a place long distance. I would already be there if I were in better shape financially. I make enough to live comfortably. Its just getting there and getting settled in. I will probably have around $1,600 to $1,800 a month to live on. From what I hear, that should be plenty. I would love to stay in touch and meet up after we both get there. Do you already have things set up for yourself, like a place to live and that sort of thing? Thank you for your encourage.

Mary

just saw your last post 1600/ month is plenty to live on down there! in addition to this forum, there are a few ecuador expat forums on yahoo groups that have great information. please check out those also.

Hello.  Maybe this could help. Cotacachi and Cuenca were the best places for retirement, but you can find a lot of places for living.  If you have question don't hesitate in contact me.

http://internationalliving.com/countries/ecuador/http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/On- … ment-havenhttp://www.cotacachiliving.com/

beware of international living- they are notorious for giving out info that is not quite accurate, and they charge an arm and a leg for their seminars. please pm me and i'll give you more detailed info.
  i am currently in the states now, but i own a house in quito, purchased 5 years ago. when i pay off the loan i took out here to buy the house, i plan on retiring in quito.
  cuenca is now the new hot spot for american and canadian expats, but i prefer quito.
  also, vickie, lady i mentioned before has a blog; "Smiles Away, we're not in Texas anymore", that you might want to check out. she lives in vilcabamba.

Thank you all for the info. I really appreciate it. I will check it all out.

Hi there--I am single, retired, and moved to Cotacachi 4 days ago. Obviously I don't have much experience here yet, but I love what I've seen so far.

It's difficult for me to type very much right now--I have a broken wrist and it makes typing a bit of a challenge.  As soon as it starts to hurt, I have to stop.  Oh, I broke it in the States before I came down--didn't break it here,

I have a blog at cynthiaecuador.blogspot.com which will give you a better idea of what my process was.

Very briefly, I rented my apartment online.  Actually, it's a sublet and that's really great because between now and when the current renter returns, I have tons of time to find the perfect one.  Actually, the one I'm in is pretty perfect already--with just a few adjustments.

Feel free to email me.  Perhaps we can set up a Skype call if you're interested.

Hi,

Thank for getting in touch. I read your blog and really enjoyed it. I admire you for having the time for doing that. I think I would be so frazzled, I wouldn't even think about it..and I'm a writer.

I can't wait to move there. I have to admit, I'm a big coward about it. I should already be there. I worry that I don't have enought money yet and I worry about bringing my little dog there and you name it, I worry about it. I'm not usually such a worrier and I'm definitely usually a lot braver. I guess I'm becoming wimpy in my old age. I think the biggest thing is being so far away from my children. Yes they are grown.

I will be living on my disability which is more than a lot of people receive and I do make a little extra with my writing. I know that will be plenty to live on, but it just doesn't give me a lot of security as I don't have extra money put aside.  I know the money will go a lot further once I'm there. I'm sure I will be better off there financially. So worrying about that is dumb.

I have so many question to ask you, but I will try not to be a nusance. One was about not being able to speak Spanish, but you have answered that. I want to learn a little before I come and would like to take a course when I get there. I think that would be fun.

I am anxious to find out about your doctor and dentist visit. That is one very important thing to me. I also have fibromyalgia and also other problems that cause a lot of pain. I have heard it will be impossible to get the medicine I take (Morphine) in Ecuador. I would be fine with taking something different if it will work for me. It would be great if I feel so much better when I get there that I won't need to take anything anymore.

I was planning on mainly just bringing my clothes and renting a place that furnishes everything. Can I ask you how much you are paying for rent? If its too nosy, don't worry. I actully have low rent here in the US., only $550 a month, but I bet I can even beat that when I get there. Its just me and my little 4 lb. dog, so I just need a small place. I don't care about living on the beach, I would rather live in a more mountainous areas.

I have rambled too long. I hope to hear from you again. Thank you for letting us in on your adventure.

Mary

Hello, Scared Lady.
Well, I am not single but my husband and I just move to Cuenca from Dallas. Your questions and concerns are typical to anyone moving to a foreign country, single or otherwise.
I would be glad to share information with you and set your mind at ease. Please contact me at my direct e-mail at [email protected]
Manonne

@Manonne- you could share your experience on the forum so that other members can benefit from it.

Ps: you should avoid putting your email address on a public forum (for spam reason)

Greetings.  I live in a Coastal town called Puerto Lopez.  South of Manta and north of Montanita.  I meet single women travelers everyday.  In big cities you want to be careful as in any other big city.  My small town you can walk around anytime day or night and never be bothered by anyone.  feel free to contact me at anytime.

Bill

Wow, thanks so much to everyone. I will be asking questions. My son was asking me today if I had changed my mind about going. I need someone to get behind me and push I guess. There are so many things to think about. I will be bringing my little dog. I will need to find a doctor for medication I have to take. I don't want to buy, I just want to rent a place to live. So many question like that. So thanks to everyone again. You will probably get sick of me.

Hello to all,

I've just discovered this forum and I'd just like to say I was very impressed with the replies and generosity displayed.  We are planning on moving to Ecuador this Fall, but are going down for a few weeks in early April. 

Looking forward to reading all of you.  Oh, and for mcowser, we are a couple in this together and I am pretty much the same position that you are (meaning scared) but we need to go where our heart calls us!  So if I have to I'll close my eyes and get on that plane.  :-) My wife is much better at this than I am. 

good luck in your research.  I'm looking forward to reading all these posts on Ecuador.

My brother in the states was worried about my safety in Ecuador.. I just told him, "Well I have lived in Houston for many years without getting killed, Ecuador is probably less dangerous." And so I was right. I returned to Houston to visit my "neighbor" in the condo below the one I sold before I left there. The very next day she told me there was a carjacking at the front gates of my former home... so it's all a matter of perspective. Here, like anywhere in the world, there are probably places you should not go. If you hang out where "trouble" is likely then "trouble" probably will come to you. Just take the usual precautions you would anywhere. I have found the local people to be wonderful, kind, compassionate, helpful and protective.

I know, my friends worry about that for me too. That's not really a concern for me. You hear about things happening to Americans every now and then over there, but you hear about it happening 20 times a day in the US. I worry more about things such as how I'm going to get my dog over there and finding a doctor.

Mary

I just use the base clinic here in Salinas, the care there is fine. As for pets, I can't help you with that. I don't have any so that subject is above my skill set. We did use the hospital in Guayaquil twice.  Good luck.

Quick question, from what I have read, I was lead to believe you had to pay cash 100% of the buy price for homes.  Can you get loans for homes?

I recently read that new builders will finance for you. I believe it was on this site below, but I don't know where on the site. If I get a chance, I will try to find it. I would have to go that route also. I have just about decided to rent though. Imay not want to stay in one place .Mary

http://www.pathfinderinternational.net

READ READ READ. You are very smart in thinking you need to visit before you move. It will actually save you money in the long run.

Everyone has different tastes and are accostumed to different necessities. Like did you know that unless you live in a newer condo building here in EC you will not be able to flush your toilet paper?  Every six months it is recommended that you get a 3 day pill cure for parasites.

Or that Cuenca is the only city that you can safely drink the tap water. Some hotels in Quito say you can but I just dont try it.

We are in a time where it is raining alot here in Cuenca, %50 more than usual. So if Rain gets you down, that is something to consider. The coast actually is usually dry, they got flooded in certain areas and had no water unless it was trucked in to them. Then there is the heat and humidity in some of the coastal areas as well

All that said, I love it here, but for some just the TP issue is a deal breaker.

On Facebook there is a group called Ecuador Expats. You have to ask to join. It is a great chatty group who do well with alot of questions. Also there are Yahoo Forums about EC. Research them and ask your questions.

Do not ask.. will I like it. Or is the weather nice.. way too open ended. 1600 a month will do you real well in Ec. depending on how you live. Most of that can be eaten up in a highrise penthouse condo. But Usually most folks do real well on that amount.

Good Luck.. its a big step.. oh and Yes, in Cuenca there are alot of single expats!

Dear Ms. Mcowser, my heart goes out to you!
Don't be scared. I am a single great grandmother and moved to Ecuador 10 month ago. I live in Cuenca and just love it here. There is a great ex-pat Comunity and life is interesting and the prices are are  reasonable. But don't pay the gringo prices you have to learn to haggle pricewise for most things. The weather is springlike in the mountains, much warmer at the coast.
Where do you start? First of all have a positive attidude and read all about Ecuador on Blogs. Then the next thing is get a passport and make connections to an Ecuadoria lawyer for you Residency paperwork. Gabriella Espinosa in Quito is a good one.
She is very busy and does not answer her e-mails, but phone her between 4 and 6 pm on her cell phone and you should reach her. She will tell you what papers you need and bring them with you so she can start the process of getting you residency here.
Another good idea is to come here to visit first, to make sure you like the country and the people. You can get here on a visitors visa good for 90 days, or get a 180 days visa at you ecuadorian Consulate. It is easy to rent here, but be here in person to do it. You can easy get a short term rental for your first visit between 120 $ and up per month. Food is cheap and good. There are lots of rental properties available.
Wish you good luck and a positive attidude
The Gemini lady

Mary,
If you have nothing count your blessings. I am wanting to do exactly what you are talking about but I have everything. And I expect it will take me at least a year to get rid of everything... So here is my story in a nutshell.
We visited last year and stayed at Casa Ordonez in Cuenca. Alberto, the owner, is a fixture in the community and is also very helpful. He is the friendliest person I met and speaks perfect English... He is honest and a class act.
As a person alone he could be your go to guy. His sister is also very helpful. Your fears would be put to rest as you become a part of the family...
You must visit before you decide anything. Once you love it, pack 2 suitcases and get going. They rent nice places for $400 per month and you can get furnished places for a $100 more per month.
Have a "NO FEAR" attitude. Ecuadorians are a warm and friendly people. Just ask them. Oh, brush up on a little Spanish.
Follow me at my blog and I will teach you all the Spanish that you will need to get started... No Charge! You sound like a very sweet lady.
http://www.ecuadorgeorge.com/

Hi, "Lost and Scared to Death". My name is Neda. I am 61 yrs old and on disability. I moved to Ecuador in January of 2012. I have been blessed to find a 3 bedroom , new, apartment in Cumbaya (bedroom of Quito). My total expenses for the month are about $650-$700. I had put money aside to furnish my apartment and am just finishing (2 1/2 months). My electric is under $15/mth, water is under $10/mth, gas $8.25/3 months, cable and phone is $50/mth. I can eat out 4-5 times a week and not dent my budget.

You cannot "Google" "furniture stores in Quito/Cumbaya) like in the states. You will get no list. It's in knowing people that you will learn where to go to buy what you need.

I can take a bus to Quito, to downtown Cumbaya or Tumbaco for 25 cents. Or I can take a Taxi to Quito for $8.00, which I do occasionally. If you decide on the Quito area, I can teach you all you want to know. I can be at your disposal.  Someone has been doing that for me.

Do you know Spanish, at all? If not, you need to begin. The best program that I have found (I've tried 8) is "Visual Link Spanish". You can download the programs at a very reasonable price. You run it off of your computer. I will start lessons at Las-Lengua School in a couple months, after I've learned my basics.

Yes, do call Gabriela Espinosa. She is awesome (and bi-lingual).
I had to get my permanent income, criminal background check through the Sheriff's dept., notarized, apostilled by the state of California, and legalized through the Ecuadorian consulate. She took care of the rest. I paid $350 (for the Ecuadorian Government and $1,000 to Gabriela. My residency will come through about April 1st.

You can call me at(818) 392-8003. This is my Vonage number. I can call the states or be called from the states for $9.99/mth. I keep in contact with all my friends and family.

I really like it here. It's a much easier going culture. It is different. A lot of things that you have to get used to. It is NOT the states, for sure. The people are very warm.

I have a bi-lingual friend, here, that is a realtor and can find you a place to rent.

Call, if you'd like, and I'll give you whatever info I can.

Neda

Greetings,
My name is GayleMarie, i will be leaving California, and going to Ecuador June 10th. If you want to stay in touch, i will do what i can to help, as i will be there learning my way around before you get there.

I don't know how i am going to make this all happen, but  am putting it in God's hands, and trusting my intuition.

GayleMarie

hi gaylemarie - well you seemed to have a good amount of support here on this site - i include myself!  you are not alone in your aloneness.  i will be sending positive energy that you meet the right people and everything goes even better than you imagine.

i prayed to virgin guadalupe on my travels......she never let me down!

i'm on FB; pia louise or here on this site - cheers!  pia

i like ecaudorgeorge's attitude.....i've already downsized i mean i am rid of everything from my past 25 yrs! as he suggested i have everything i need to fit in 2 small suitcases.  i feel light and light hearted.  of course everyone thinks i'm crazy so that's a good sign. 

ecuadorgeorge and piaxlou are right, downsizing is a good thing. We did that too. Makes everything easier.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

I love this quote....

I need more info please. In Nedahalls response to Lost and Scared to Death, they mentioned contacting "Gabriela Espinosa" for help with Residency visa. Could someone please give me more contact info? I fly to Houston this Monday (03/26/12) to present my documentation to the Ecuador Consulate for my 12-IX visa. From there I will fly to Quito to deliver the documents to the currently appropriate Government Department. I would like to contact and or hire “Gabriela Espinosa" to verify that this is the correct process and the most expeditious way to get my residency.
Thank for your help
Leonard

We did the whole process without the help of migration experts or attorneys. It took us less than 90 days. We did it all in Guayaquil thought because it was closer to Ballenita where we were renting an apartment at the time. If you don't know Spanish you can usually find someone who knows English well enough to get you through the process. Word of advise..make sure you have all your documents translated and approved by the consulate  before you come.. being extra copies of everything.. every place we went seemed to want 3 copies of everything. Pack your patience and you can get through it fine. I can recommend a translator in Houston if the Consulate doesn't do it. Good luck.

I haven't been on here for awhile and didn't realize I had so many wonderful people helping me out. Thank you all so much. I am still in the US, but I'm still coming. It just got delayed for awhile. Again, thanks so much. I will do better about checking in.

Cudos to Geminilady!!!  Your courage and adventuresome spirit are fantastic.  Hope I get to meet you at some future point when I get there too.

Hi everyone,

If you haven't looked at Ecuador George's site, you definitely should. It is packed with info,super Spanish lessons and great photos. I will be reading it from top to bottom several times.


http://www.ecuadorgeorge.com/

Wow!  Look at all the activity here.  I was signed up for updates and didn't get any so when I saw the email saying there was a new message here, I was very surprised to see so many responses.  What a fabulous forum with so many helpful people!

I know this blog focuses on Cuenca and the info about there has been wonderful.  It almost makes me wish I had checked it out--almost.  I absolutely adore Cotacachi.  I know the cost of living is a little lower here and that makes a big difference to me.  I'm living on $575/mo. (yes, I have the requisite income but I am paying off a debt) so I have to be very cognizant of what I spend.

I really do agree with everything everyone says about the importance of visiting first to get a better idea of what you want, etc.  It's also a very good idea to rent after you arrive.

Having said that, here's what I did.  A friend told me how fabulous Cotacachi is and how much I'd love it here and I started my internet research.  I read every blog and website I could get my hands on (unfortunately I didn't find this one since it focuses primarily on Cuenca or I would have gotten a lot more valuable information and other blogs and forums to check out). 

I found someone who had just returned from 6 months in Cotacachi and got great info from him.  He also told me how to get on a mailing list expats here in Cotacachi use as a way to get information out to one another.  In fact, I found my apartment on that list.  A lovely Canadian woman wanted to sublet her apartment for about six months and after seeing photos of the apartment and the garden (complete with 20+foot avocado tree), I rented it. 

I moved down here without an exploratory visit due to finances.  I had a choice between visiting or moving.  I chose to move.  I figured that if it flat out didn't work, I had a round trip ticket and I could always go back to the States.  Sure, I have fewer things than I had when I was there but I really didn't think I was going to go back.  I was right--I can't imagine leaving here.

Not quite a month before I moved down here I broke my wrist and came here with it in a cast.  That was interesting but everyone was so helpful it wasn't hardly any difficulty.

The people are amazing!  The people who don't speak English are always more than willing to help me with my Spanish and I'm "taking lessons" with a few friends.  We have a book and get together a couple of times a week to work on it together.  It really is an excellent way for us to learn more of the language.

Cotacachi is a small town and I can walk pretty much anywhere in less than 20 minutes and I'm a slow walker.  Cabs locally are $1 or $1.25.  The bus is 25 cents to Otavalo (most amazing indigenous market in Ecuador), and 45 cents to Ibarra where you can shop in a Supermaxi store that carries a lot more familiar food items than you might find here.  I could be mistaken but I believe it's $2 to Quito and it's a 2 hour ride.

Restaurant meals are far less expensive than in the States and an Ecuadorian special of the day is generally between $2 and $2.50 and includes a large bowl of soup, main course, side dish, rice and/or potatoes, and possibly dessert and/or fresh juice.  There are expat-style restaurants where you can get a fabulous meal for anywhere from $4 to, well up, but I tend to go places where I can get a great meal for well under $10.  In fact, today I went to the brand new Russian restaurant where both the owner and cook are Russian and had a huge bowl of borscht, a lovely salad with meat and eggs (and many other ingredients), a very generous slice of dessert called Napoleon, AND a pound of the salad to bring home for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch, all for $8.  I was thrilled!  On top of that, it was fabulous.

My biggest piece of advice (other than the great info you've been getting here): Get a Kindle before you come down here.  I got a Kindle Fire as a Christmas gift and I can't imagine being without it.  Since I didn't have belongings shipped, I didn't have room or weight for books but I have everything I need on my Kindle and I can order almost any book I want.  I also have a great translation app and take the Kindle with me whenever I'm going somewhere that I know I'm going to run into language barriers (except the big markets where there is always the possibility of a pickpocket being around).

That said, I feel incredibly safe here.  As has been said in other replies, crime happens wherever you might live.  It's far less frequent here than many other places and I never feel concerned walking anywhere at any time of the day or night.

I'd be more than happy to talk with anyone who would like.  I have a US phone number and if you want to send a private message, I'd be happy to send it to you and we can talk.  By the way, I use Skype for my phone service.  I can do the video call Skype-to-Skype but for $3 a month I can call landlines or cell phones and for $30 a year I have a US phone number.  So, for under $6 a month, I call my friends and family in the US and Canada as often as I want.

I know this is long but I wanted to try to answer as many of your questions as possible.  Be well and fear not.

Wow CJCollett,

Thank you so much for the info. You sound very happy. I want to hear more. What is your average day like? I have absolutely no idea where in Ecuador I am going to live. As soon as I finish this post I am going to start checking out Cotacachi. Your monthly living expense is what I pay for just rent here in the US. I am going to need something like that. Most of my income is fixed. I will not be coming for about 10 months, but I am going to need that time to get everything together. I have done nothing so far. The biggest thing is to get enough money together to get settled in.

So, thanks again for the info. Keep it coming. It keeps me motivated.

Cheers,

Mary

Ah, my average day.  Well, since the sun sets every night around 6:30 and I don't watch television (I have one and I have tons of cable channels, I just don't watch), I tend to get to bed relatively early and so I start my day between 7:30 and 8:00. (Yikes!  That sure wasn't early when I was going to a job every day, was it?)

I putter around and then generally go to the bakery just down the block and/or a neighborhood tienda (tiny store) that's just over a block away for whatever I might need for the day.  I may work on my blog for a while or do some knitting or crocheting with the wonderful yarn I've gotten here (while listening to an audio book).  Two days a week I have a little Spanish "lesson" get together with three other people and we spend an hour or so learning bits and pieces of Spanish.  One day a week I attend a class at a Bible college (sometimes there's an extra day during the week but not necessarily).  I may go out to lunch with my Spanish class friends.  There are always places to walk and I've really gotten to enjoy walking.  I can always find something I "need" to look at on the internet.  Today it was EcuadorGeorge's blog and this forum.  Evenings tend to be spent either doing homework, reading, or more knitting/crocheting along with my beloved audio books.

It's a quiet and simple life and I love every minute of it.

One thing to keep in mind about Cotacachi and, to a slightly lesser degree Cuenca, is the weather.  You're used to some pretty toasty temperatures and it's not like that here.  It's a good thing to keep in mind when you're doing your research.  Accuweather has weather info for cities in Ecuador and that's a huge help for doing that kind of research.

Enjoy your research--oh, don't forget to research the documents you will need to file for your residency.  Some of them have to be gotten in the States and officially translated and such so it's definitely a good thing to know about.

Mary, not sure if this is going to work but enjoy if it does.... Ecuador is so beautiful and so friendly

youtu.be/cv7mJwj38gk

WOW, Thank you for sharing that you tube video; you've got talent Ecuador George!

Maybe I will see you around Cuenca being the famous film director/producer! keep up the good work.

Diane

If anyone is interested in consulting with/hiring an immigration attorney in Cuenca who speaks fluent English and takes care of every imaginable legal/financial/housing need a gringo can need, please contact me at:
[email protected]