I am looking for Canadians (or any expat) that could give us some advice on retiring in Ecuador. For example, which towns would be more appropriate for people looking for quiet living, preferably a rural setting for a large garden or farm, an ocean view would be nice but not necessary. We are country folk and would not be happy in a city but would consider making Cuenca our home base until we find what we want. We are leaving in a couple of weeks and have spent so much time on the internet trying to get information that we haven't booked the flight yet or a hotel. If we knew where we were going, it would be done by now. What we have found is people trying to sell us something which wasn't very helpful. We are already a couple of thousand dollars out of pocket in our efforts to get pertinent information but what we got wasn't all that great. The other thing that confuse us is the temperatures. Some areas have temperature fluctuation of 39 degrees to the mid-fifties but the humidity is high. Does humidity of 93% make 60% feel warmer? Do we wear shorts during the day and a snowsuit at night? (Kidding) We are very confused and would appreciate any help anyone could offer. We are going to have to pull this trip together rather quickly. I almost forgot, the reason I mentioned 'Canadians' is if anyone there has advice about where to go for reasonable airfare in Ontario and how to avoid the lengthy layovers since there are no direct flights. What does one do in an airport for 9 hours? I remember flying to Columbia and getting a direct flight so I think we are missing something somewhere.
Retiring in Ecuador
The ecuadorexpats group on facebook is very active and helpful--you can get all your questions answered there...a lot of Canadians there. Good luck!
Penny
I am a Canadian and fellow Ontarian who is working here in Ecuador. I came from Toronto and I currently live in Cumbaya which is a "sub-berb" of Quito, but lower in elevation and about 3-5deg. warmer and a lot less rain. Regarding rural areas I have only traveled to Otavalo and Cotachachie and passed through many small towns, but did not stay long enough to give any opinion on living conditions or where to live. Temperature vary greatly with altitude, as does humidity. Near the coast you will have higher temps and a greater variance in temps. In the mountains, where I am, the temps only vary 10 - 13deg.
Traveling from Toronto to Quito, and then on to Cuenca or where ever, has many opinions. American Airlines has many flights into Miami, there hub for S. America, and the flight to Quito leaves there around 4:00pm (3pm once DLST kicks back in) It arrives in Quito, as to most flights from North America, at night around 9 -10pm. Delta flies out of Atlanta to get to Quito and Continental, which is connected to Air Canada, flies out of Houston. You can also take the Panamanian airline Copa and fly from Toronto to Panama before coming to Quito. Your layover in any of these airports depends on your feeder flight from Toronto. You should leave about 2hrs minimum for the layover so that you can find the next gate and to allow you bags to make it onto the next plane. Atlanta is a huge airport with seven terminals all connected by a subway but is very easy to find your way around and very efficient. Miami is big and not as easy but not impossible. I do not know about the other two. I have been looking at flights regularly and the best deal I can find is about $850.00 return. I suspect that there is a one way premium. I hope this helps and I am sure that you will have other posters who will give you more information. It is a beautiful country and I hope all works out for you.
John
penke wrote:The ecuadorexpats group on facebook is very active and helpful--you can get all your questions answered there...a lot of Canadians there. Good luck!
Penny
I could not find the group. Do you have a link to it?
Kind regards
John
I can't post the link here as last time I did, they deleted the post saying "no solicitations" or some such. If you go to facebook and type ecuador expats in the browser window, the group will come right up--you need to request membership, which will be accepted within the day. The group is very active and helpful to "newbies" (like me) looking for info...
Penny
I found a great site run by two Cnds. from Halifax. They have great blogs and will answer all your questions almost immediatley. Aimed for Cnds. run by Cnds., it;s great! They live in Cuenca with their daughter for almost three years now.
Let me know if you get in touch with them.
Jill
Hello, wisewoman:
This is Betsy, and I belong to the Expat.com. I live in NYC, and have done so for decades. One suggestion which may help you, in a huge way: Have you ever considered House-Sitting? That is the best way to get acquainted with the area, without much pressure. Presently I'm considering spending 8 or 9 months in one country (I think Costa Rica or Ecuador). There are House-Sittings in Ecuador right now, which would allow you to do that. I've done House sittings in the past, and I can tell you----my husband and I both had a great time. In addition to getting to know the culture, you'll learn Spanish. You'll be forced to.----Unless you already do? I speak Spanish fluently, although I have not lived in any Latin American country for about forty years. I came to the USA at age 14, so I consider the USA my country. Try the House-Sittings. By the way....if you go Housecarers.com you'll be able to see what is available in Ecuador, without paying. The only way to contact the home owner, is by joyning. I think the price right now is $55.00 or $60.00? As recently as three days ago I looked, and there was nothing. Some other websites such as mindmyhouse.com I believe has homes available in Ecuador. Also, google House Sittings in Ecuador, and you'll see all these websites where the sitter(s) will have to pay maybe $20.00 to $60.00 or even more to join. If I can be of further help, please don't hesitate.
Godsangelsoverme
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