Introduction. Looking at a possible move from the U.S

dusryadanluc wrote:

I am a male aged 59 living in midwest (with) very good health so traveling and adjusting to a new environment would not be physically difficult.

Dear Dusry,

Welcome to the Ecuador forum.

You can't assume an easy physical adjustment, regardless of your health, in the major cities of Ecuador.

Cuenca is at 8250 feet above sea level, and Quito is even higher.

People of your age and older sometimes find simple activities challenging due to the effects of altitude, which include low oxygen levels.  The effects you would experience are not predictable .. so come visit if Ecuador interests you and get a sense of whether the environment suits you. 

The lower altitude places that are Expat-friendly are at the coast in the Ring of Fire .. and are susceptible to the type of earthquake that is costly to life and property.  On April 16th of this year, the first of a series of major quakes produced the worst terremoto devastation Ecuador has seen in decades.  As an example.... in some coastal cities, buildings inhabited by Expats sustained cracks and other structural problems that made them no-longer habitable.  Some Expats died in the April 16th event, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

You need to think long and hard before re-locating to the Ring of Fire zone.  Don't even think about buying a condo in one of the once-popular high rises in that extensive coastal zone.

cccmedia in Quito

I concurr, moving is not the panacea for all your ills, even if you dont have any physical ones.

As for moving due to problems you see devloping in the US governemnt, you will be leaving the frying pan and moving to the fire.  Ecuador is about to have its Preseidential election and will be changing presidents after 12 years of Correa.  That has both an up and a down side and there will be unrest.

Ecuador is a Social Democracy but only for the past 16 years or so.  There is always the possibility tit will change.  And your money once tied up here will be very difficult to remove.