Deal breaking questions about Cuenca Ecuador

Cant help you with questions 1, 3 or 4 but the answer to 2 is NO.  Best you will get is the occasional invite and you will need to get to know a member to be invited.

I have the same problem here in Quito and I have three courses to choose from.

John

Thanks for taking time to reply, I see I have gotten a lot of hits, but nobody has taken time to jot something down, apparently the country is full of non bbq'ers, non couch taters, skinny people with good backs, and non imbibing people. Being that healthy just aint right.
I guess I will have to leave my golf clubs at home in the US.

Wise choice! It seems to us that spending $6-10 per month for hot water, cooking, etc, rather than $400-600 per month for A/C or heating (depending on where you live) is way more important than whether you can golf or not.

Golf wasn't the deal breaker, but more than 3 of the above might put a damper on things. And by the way, I can always find an overpass that isn't occupied here in the US to live under for the prices you quoted. But I think Obama will find a way to tax me on the overpass occupation.

With these types of specific concerns you're going to have a very difficult time being happy here.  The cost of hard liquor just skyrocketed (and it wasn't cheap to start with) because of new import taxes.  Joining the country club is the only way to play our one 9 hole course.  You can get a recliner but not the LazyBoy brand.  No problem with medical staff, but the lifestyle in Cuenca requires a LOT of walking.  The kind of trees you're used to don't grow in South America.  If you're not totally enthusiastic about moving abroad, no matter where it is, don't do it.  Half the people who leave the country are back home in 5 years.

I am asking specific questions as I am excited to start a new phase of my life. I have lived overseas in Middle East. I am asking specific questions as I was told "dont worry, you can get anything you want here in Qatar". They were very wrong. The beds there are about one hardness above granite, the recliners were made for men the size of an 8 yr old boy, the liquor was 2 to 3 times the price in the US, the golf course there was about $400 to play if you got an invite. I navigated my way through but I learned not to go in blind anywhere if possible. I appreciate answers to my questions. I am not discouraged, I am just getting prepared. Thank you for your reply's.

yeah,  what you are looking for is were your at right now...don't waste a trip

I appreciate the reply buckyon. Of course your reply was not needed or wanted as you didn't answer any questions about Ecuadors material things. Just a quip you thought may be funny.

TXbigfoot,
Good questions, in my opinion. We're from Texas (Ft Hood area now, lived in Jasper for years) too and out questions that we've posted are a little out of the norm compared to others. My family and I are lloking to go down next summer, but not the Cuenca area (too cold & too big for this Texan). We're looking at the Catamayo area (where the Loja aitport is...warmer and lower elevation) and the Bahia De Caraquez - Portoviejo - Manta triangle area...in the smaller towns surrounding these.  Matt

Quito has Maker's Mark so I bet Cuenca does too.  I've seen Wild Turkey in bars, so they must get it somewhere.   Imported liquor is about double in price or more.  Also, Jack Daniels is not a bourbon, but ironically the Ecuadorians all call it bourbon too.

Thank you for the replys. Looks like I am going to have to get use to drinking the local liquors when the mood hits me. That was about the price we paid in Qatar for a fifth.
I have tried to like soccer, but I think I had rather hang myself than watch a game. Just cant get into it.
Looking forward to cool weather and no Hurricanes.
Please keep the day to day differences coming in.

I was wondering how your search was going? Did you check out Ecuador and if so where and what'd ya think?  We still haven't made it yet...the Army always has different plans/timing for me and my family.

mcs_guy wrote:

I was wondering how your search was going? Did you check out Ecuador and if so where and what'd ya think?  We still haven't made it yet...the Army always has different plans/timing for me and my family.

Pretty sure that there is another thread where Txsbigfoot mentions that Ecuador was not for him, and that he has left. If I can find it, will paste it here for you, or maybe someone else remembers what thread it was from.

j600rr wrote:

mcs_guy wrote:

I was wondering how your search was going? Did you check out Ecuador and if so where and what'd ya think?  We still haven't made it yet...the Army always has different plans/timing for me and my family.

Pretty sure that there is another thread where Txsbigfoot mentions that Ecuador was not for him, and that he has left. If I can find it, will paste it here for you, or maybe someone else remembers what thread it was from.

Not really important, but just as an FYI Txsbigfoot did leave Ecuador.
The info. is in the thread titled Howdy from Texas, Ecuador got golf?
Looks like he left around September.

I think Texas BigFoot should stay in Texas -  PLEASE stay in Texas.
You're just what the rest of the world doesn't need -  trying to come into a new country and make it like Texas!
Gag me!
Sorry, but we've had endless amounts of this BS in Colorado.

TxBigfoot,
Passed away a few months after returning to TX, earlier this year-
--""Mike Lovett, passed away Monday evening, August 17th. He had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer on June 16th, and found that it had metastasized all over his body. We were blessed to have had two good months with him this summer, and to help take care of him and his needs. I am happy to say that he did not suffer at the end and that he was surrounded by much of his family when he passed. He was a larger-than-life man in every sense: size, character, h...."--

I had the pleasure to meet Mike & his wife Ann on several occasions, they were very nice folks, and a Mike did a lot for ailing & elderly expats in and out of hospitals in the Cuenca Expat Community.
RIP Mike Lovett- https://www.facebook.com/mike.lovett2?fref=ts

RockyMtnHigh wrote:

I think Texas BigFoot should stay in Texas -  PLEASE stay in Texas.
You're just what the rest of the world doesn't need -  trying to come into a new country and make it like Texas!
Gag me!
Sorry, but we've had endless amounts of this BS in Colorado.

Perhaps you should have read the entire thread.

journeymanjack wrote:

TxBigfoot,u
Passed away a few months after returning to TX, earlier this year-
--""Mike Lovett, passed away Monday evening, August 17th. He had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer on June 16th, and found that it had metastasized all over his body. We were blessed to have had two good months with him this summer, and to help take care of him and his needs. I am happy to say that he did not suffer at the end and that he was surrounded by much of his family when he passed. He was a larger-than-life man in every sense: size, character, h...."--

I had the pleasure to meet Mike & his wife Ann on several occasions, they were very nice folks, and a Mike did a lot for ailing & elderly expats in and out of hospitals in the Cuenca Expat Community.
RIP Mike Lovett- https://www.facebook.com/mike.lovett2?fref=ts

Sorry to hear that, he was a brutally honest man, found that all he did in Cuenca was walk the town.  Have only read good things from anyone who knew him.

I really liked him too.

I posted my condolence to this announcement hours ago and it was removed.

I posted merely a :

.

-This is the international internet symbol of recognition and condolence.

Expatbog removed my post.
Julien and I are discussing this right now. I'm demanding that my condolence be re-instated.

gardener1 wrote:

I really liked him too.

I posted my condolence to this announcement hours ago and it was removed.

I posted merely a :

.

-This is the international internet symbol of recognition and condolence.

Expatbog removed my post.
Julien and I are discussing this right now. I'm demanding that my condolence be re-instated.

Hello gardener1

I mistook your ' . ' for an invalid post. ( Did not know about that symbol until now - Thanks )

Maybe a short note before or after that post to explain to other thousands of members what it meant would have been great also.

Feel free to post again.

Regards
Kenjee

RockyMtnHigh wrote:

I think Texas BigFoot should stay in Texas -  PLEASE stay in Texas.
You're just what the rest of the world doesn't need -  trying to come into a new country and make it like Texas!
Gag me!
Sorry, but we've had endless amounts of this BS in Colorado.

Please stay in Colorado.  We don't need your kind in Ecuador.

1. I don't recall seeing Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey. But similar class of spirits from the U.S. are $60 a liter and up. A shot of Johnny Walker Red at Mercado, one of the best bars in town, is $12.00.

2. Just saw the Tennis and Golf Club for the first time tonight. Terrific. But it's private, with an initiation fee of something like $8500 at this point, plus monthly "dues." The course is very nice, but only 9 holes. There is no public course. I've heard there is a driving range somewhere.

3. Colineal has Lazyboys. I test-sat in about six models there several months back.

4. Very good health care is available for most things in Cuenca if you shop wisely via expat referrals, but the latest technology/equipment is behind the U.S. for fancy needs.

5. They don't allow tree cutting in Ecuador I'm told, but i just heard about a month ago that a new micro brewery was getting in hickory and apple woods for smoking. Valley Farm Butchers sells organic beef and has a rural retail store in Paute, about half an hour from Cuenca. They do Saturday BBQs on a large outdoor grill in which they use sugarcane stalks as a heat source. There is lots of chunk, true charcoal available near Feria Libre mercado.

Terry Dean Roberts, Author of "Relocating to Ecuador", Kindle and softcover on Amazon.

@troberts010150

Although I'm sure your empathetic helpfulness is appreciated, I'm sorry to tell you that the OP has since passed away.

If any moderators read this thread, I hope they will close it to new comments. And all other threads started by Txsbigfoot.