Is Ecuador a Good Place For a Single 60-Year Old Woman?

>  especially from families with kids. Sorry, but screaming children cause me physical pain since I got older

Don't blame you, would like to get away from my screaming kids from time to time.

As to the toilet paper, it is normal outside the western world that toilet paper is put in a bin beside the toilet. The sewer / septic systems cannot take them the paper (although some people flush it and say it is fine (probably isn't)


If you don't want noise, then villages / small towns will not be for you. Dogs / roosters will make noise 24x7.

Parties / fiestas for weddings, saints day, one of the many independence days, or just because the day ends in a y will go on to the early hours- sunrise in some places.

The more upmarket gated communities will be better - note not all gated communities are the same, there are places for all budgets from cheap to exclusive. The more exclusive (expensive) the more suited to your needs.

Also you might be able to avoid that kind of noise in city centres, but will depend on the area.


> or this, I am willing to pay.
I want to enjoy nature and go for window shopping in the city without fear for my safety.

By nature do you mean green spaces / parks in the city  or getting out into the wildness?

As for city centre shopping without fear for saftey, Ecuador is relative safe, but it is still a poor developing city, you must be aware of your surroundings. You can quite easily in some cities wonder from a safe street into a dangerous street without noticing it. You shouldn't flash around any wealth, flashy jewelry. Be careful when taking money of ATMs to not flash it around etc.

As I said it isn't that dangerous, but you need to be aware of general safety.


But from everything you have said, I would say Cuenca is most likely what you are looking for.

Good luck

EveeZee wrote:

Thank you for your reply. I am not sure if part of was meant as a joke...

Are you serious? That is more than weird. You can't flush the soiled toilet paper? What do you do with it? Collect it in a container?

Just trying to be helpful - perhaps the "third world" is not the place for you.  Yes, that's exactly what you do, collect it in a container.  Then you dispose of it via the trash.

I still think you can benefit from a visit to a place like Cuenca, which is perhaps one of the places you can still feel like you are in the developed world, with the ragged and raw edges appearing less frequently than elsewhere, most of the time.  But if Cuenca is not to your liking, it's doubtful anywhere else in Ecuador would be, given what you have written as to your requirements.

Thank you. I will keep this in mind.

Not praying out loud, but praising the Lord and making very loud noises any time day or night.  Dogs tend to bark a lot whenever the mood moves them, plenty of stray ones.  Very serious about the toilet paper.  Also a good idea to carry a roll with you.  House sitting in a gated community would be a great gig, probably not obtainable for a new gringo.  Good luck.

You have a lot to learn.   And you may either have to change your expectations, or pay a lot of money to live your lifestyle.  In most Latin American countries, and other countries certainly, putting used toilet paper in a separate receptacle is normal practice.  Unless you are in a luxury hotel or in an airport.  Often public toilets have no toilet seats, which tends to strengthen your thighs when perched above the porcelain basin.  And house sitting in a gated community does not guarantee your safety from robbers entering the home.  (think who are the security guards or their associates).  I do not mean to scare you, simply saying, you are unaware of many realities as yet.  Almost everyone has dogs in Ecuador, it seems, cats are more hidden, likely because of the dogs, ha ha.   You may crave quiet room to write, that you may get in the country, or possibly in some spot in the city, isolated from humanity.  A quiet country place may expose you to potential dangers, or may enchant you with its tranquility.  There are so many variables in each type of situation. By the way, my income is extremely modest and I get by just fine, you should be fine financially, but do not go around telling people what is your income, exposing yourself needlessly.  Again, come down and check it out, you may just love Cuenca.
Helen

mugtech wrote:

$1250/month is livable, but you might not get all the things you listed.  Noise in the name of religious freedom could be a big obstacle in many places.  There are also plenty of dogs.  Being a housesitter would make you a target, especially out of town.  Please realize that In many places the toilet paper must be disposed of separately, cannot be flushed.  Good luck in your search.

Thank you for your input. I had a feeling to live among gregarious South Americans wouldn't be ideal for me, but I was hoping I can isolate myself so much that it won't bother me.
To be honest, the dealing with used toilet paper would also gross me out, at least at the beginning. There are areas where I would compromise. I could give up McDonalds, western food, a car, television, even friends (as I said I am a writer and a loner by choice), but I know myself. There are certain things that would want me to leave again the first day I get there and that is dirt, chaos, disorder, animal cruelty, etc.
Thanks again.
Maybe, I should consider Thailand as an option.....

user159 wrote:

As to the toilet paper, it is normal outside the western world that toilet paper is put in a bin beside the toilet. The sewer / septic systems cannot take them the paper (although some people flush it and say it is fine (probably isn't)

I grew up with outhouse in the back yard and cut-up newspaper in Hungary, so I know what lack of sanitary facilities is like. Not sure if I want to go back in time

[quote} Dogs / roosters will make noise 24x7.[/qoute]

I grew up with roosters and I would find that nice... Dogs barking can be unnerving though.

Parties / fiestas for weddings, saints day, one of the many independence days, or just because the day ends in a y will go on to the early hours- sunrise in some places.

Thank you for this. This is what would make me run away the first day LOL

The more upmarket gated communities will be better - note not all gated communities are the same, there are places for all budgets from cheap to exclusive. The more exclusive (expensive) the more suited to your needs.
Also you might be able to avoid that kind of noise in city centres, but will depend on the area.

I did some research (craigslist, different immobilien websites, youtube) and saw nice houses that looked like I would like to move in, for very reasonable rent. I wonder if those are real or just bait. Or did the rents go up that much in the last few years?

By nature do you mean green spaces / parks in the city  or getting out into the wildness?

I did not mean wilderness, just nice places, like parks or beaches.

As for city centre shopping without fear for saftey, Ecuador is relative safe, but it is still a poor developing city, you must be aware of your surroundings. You can quite easily in some cities wonder from a safe street into a dangerous street without noticing it. You shouldn't flash around any wealth, flashy jewelry. Be careful when taking money of ATMs to not flash it around etc.
As I said it isn't that dangerous, but you need to be aware of general safety.

I definitely wouldn't flash around money. Not even in Canada. As long as the police are efficient and not corrupt, I mean when it is the police calling the shots and not the criminals, like in some other places, I think I would be fine.

But from everything you have said, I would say Cuenca is most likely what you are looking for.

Good luck

Thank you. I will

HelenPivoine wrote:

You have a lot to learn.   And you may either have to change your expectations, or pay a lot of money to live your lifestyle.  In most Latin American countries, and other countries certainly, putting used toilet paper in a separate receptacle is normal practice.  Unless you are in a luxury hotel or in an airport.  Often public toilets have no toilet seats, which tends to strengthen your thighs when perched above the porcelain basin.  And house sitting in a gated community does not guarantee your safety from robbers entering the home.  (think who are the security guards or their associates).  I do not mean to scare you, simply saying, you are unaware of many realities as yet.  Almost everyone has dogs in Ecuador, it seems, cats are more hidden, likely because of the dogs, ha ha.   You may crave quiet room to write, that you may get in the country, or possibly in some spot in the city, isolated from humanity.  A quiet country place may expose you to potential dangers, or may enchant you with its tranquility.  There are so many variables in each type of situation. By the way, my income is extremely modest and I get by just fine, you should be fine financially, but do not go around telling people what is your income, exposing yourself needlessly.  Again, come down and check it out, you may just love Cuenca.
Helen

Thank you for the info. Not sure if I want to hock above a hole while doing my thing at my age. I did it once in Italy LOL
What you say about security guards is scary. I think I have to choose between being poor in Canada or unsafe elsewhere....
What you write about living on a modest income being fine is encouraging.
And as far as telling people about my income, I would never do that in person. This is a forum. Nobody knows who I am.
Yes, I really want to see it for myself. Just to make sure I won't miss something really nice that would work for me. I watched a few videos on people apartment/house hunting in Cuenca and the places looked nice and the prices were affordable.

It is time for me to stop worrying and check it out for myself
Thanks again.

Eva

mugtech wrote:

House sitting in a gated community would be a great gig, probably not obtainable for a new gringo.  Good luck.

Maybe, when somebody knows that this gringo is retired, single, doesn't party, has respect for other people's property, all she wants is to sit around and write her stories, they would give her a chance....
You never know.

Thanks again for the time everybody took to help me get an impression of what I can expect.

> Maybe, I should consider Thailand as an option.....

You cannot flush toilet paper in Thailand either


Best thing to do is to visit, get a 3 month visa and live here. Initially you will probably fall in love and think it is all wonderful, but do a border run and get another 3 months (total 6 months) which is enough time to become aware of the annoyances - of which there are many, then you will have a better idea of how it is for you.

The main expat areas most probably are: Cuenca (city), Vilcabamba (village) Cotacachi (highland village). All can be noisey but in different ways. Villages can be more isolated / quiet generally than the city, but there very much is village noise - especially if it is touristy (locals / foreigners)  on the weekends

user159 wrote:

> Maybe, I should consider Thailand as an option.....

You cannot flush toilet paper in Thailand either

Thailand seems more difficult for visas, is very hot all year round, even in the mountains.  Currently know some expats who came to the Philippines because of the visa situation in Thailand.  Cannot advise Philippines for you, as all the expats I meet here are males with Filipino wives or lovers, no western single expat females anywhere.

Thanks everybody again for your input on Cuenca and Thailand.
My problem with spending 3 or 6 months there to get to know it is that I need to maintain my residence here in Canada and as I said before the rent is astronomical compared to what it used to be years ago.
So, I would have to pay double rent for months. I have no relatives or friends that I could move to in the meantime. I need to put my furniture in storage and if I don't like it there, I will have to go through finding a place, etc. etc.

Yes, I know, this is my problem and I have to deal with it. Just saying, it is not that easy for me to go visit for months.

My question is, you said 400 would not be enough to have what I would like: a relatively quiet, clean and safe place in a nice environment with major appliances. House or apartment.
I was wondering, how much would I have to pay if I wanted that? $600? or more?
I understand that it depends on the place and many other things. I just want to know if I could afford to pay for such a place and still have enough pension left to live on.
I would really like to do this, because as I said before, in Canada my future is being poor.

I might even compromise with the toilet paper LOL

Thanks again for your help

EveeZee wrote:

My question is, you said 400 would not be enough to have what I would like: a relatively quiet, clean and safe place in a nice environment with major appliances. House or apartment.
I was wondering, how much would I have to pay if I wanted that? $600? or more?

The answer is, probably more.  Unless you are willing to accept other things that you have already said are unacceptable.

Gringos in Ecuador (and other South American countries) are viewed by many if not most, as a sort of walking ATM that can be made to dispense large amounts of cash on demand.  We are seen as "rich" whether we really are or not - and compared to most of the population, we are.  Not everyone will try to take advantage of you, but many will.  Even some other established gringos will try to overcharge "newbies".

Without a good working command of Spanish you are pretty much at the mercy of anyone who wants to mislead you or cheat you.

One solution, if you are firmly set on living in Ecuador, is to accept that for some hopefully short time, you will have to put up with things you don't like.  But as you get your feet on the ground and look around, and begin to learn the language, you may be able to find a situation more to your liking.

There are no guarantees.  For the most part you are coming to a place where life is more difficult, many things are more expensive, things you take for granted in Canada or the USA are not to be found, almost nothing works like it should - and only people who have the means (the $$$) and patience and willingness to work hard to adapt can make it work well, in time.  You CAN have a better life here, but it won't be easy, and YOU will have to change and adapt to the country, it is not going to adapt to you.

If you do a search for
ecuador cheated by gringos
...you will get a wide variety of hits touching on that but also about life in Ecuador in general, from the point of view of gringos and natives alike.  Take everything with a grain of salt - and realize it is largely you and your attitude that determine your experiences, even as a foreigner, or anywhere.

I am reading Ecuador craigslist. There is a house
Not sure if I am allowed to include links, so I won't

$360 / 3br - 120m2 - Apt North Cuenca city (Monay)
The apartment unfurnished in North of Cuenca Ecuador, with appliances. Near Monay Shopping, laundry, restaurants, banks, veg shop, hospital, bus route in 10 minutes Close the historic district center of Cuenca. Privacy, quiet. There are three bedroom apartment with Three full bathroom hot water, kitchen, living room, security, on the first floor is available from December 26.
Full time, $360 more services (per month)utilities: Electricity, water, propane gas. No smoking. Pets are not allowed.

I own and are very friendly.

Address: Gonzalez Suarez y Francisca Moscoso

Am I missing something? Is this a scam? Or is it in a very bad neighbourhood?
$360/month 3 bedroom?

Are these 1 bedroom apartments for $360/each. Still, not a bad price.

ps. There are more such places for about the same rent. They don't look too bad in the pictures....

Sorry, I can't help but will ask....

isn't gringo a derogatory term?

OsageArcher wrote:

EveeZee wrote:

My question is, you said 400 would not be enough to have what I would like: a relatively quiet, clean and safe place in a nice environment with major appliances. House or apartment.
I was wondering, how much would I have to pay if I wanted that? $600? or more?

The answer is, probably more.  Unless you are willing to accept other things that you have already said are unacceptable.

Gringos in Ecuador (and other South American countries) are viewed by many if not most, as a sort of walking ATM that can be made to dispense large amounts of cash on demand.  We are seen as "rich" whether we really are or not - and compared to most of the population, we are.  Not everyone will try to take advantage of you, but many will.  Even some other established gringos will try to overcharge "newbies".

Without a good working command of Spanish you are pretty much at the mercy of anyone who wants to mislead you or cheat you.

One solution, if you are firmly set on living in Ecuador, is to accept that for some hopefully short time, you will have to put up with things you don't like.  But as you get your feet on the ground and look around, and begin to learn the language, you may be able to find a situation more to your liking.

There are no guarantees.  For the most part you are coming to a place where life is more difficult, many things are more expensive, things you take for granted in Canada or the USA are not to be found, almost nothing works like it should - and only people who have the means (the $$$) and patience and willingness to work hard to adapt can make it work well, in time.  You CAN have a better life here, but it won't be easy, and YOU will have to change and adapt to the country, it is not going to adapt to you.

If you do a search for
ecuador cheated by gringos
...you will get a wide variety of hits touching on that but also about life in Ecuador in general, from the point of view of gringos and natives alike.  Take everything with a grain of salt - and realize it is largely you and your attitude that determine your experiences, even as a foreigner, or anywhere.

Thanks, this really helps. I will have to decide what am I more afraid of: poverty or noise and some inconvenience.

EveeZee wrote:

Sorry, I can't help but will ask....

isn't gringo a derogatory term?

Yes and no.  It can be just descriptive, or derogatory, depending on the context in which it is used.

This linked article along with the comments is interesting:

https://gringosabroad.com/is-gringo-ter … insulting/

I wouldn't worry about it much.

OsageArcher wrote:

EveeZee wrote:

Sorry, I can't help but will ask....

isn't gringo a derogatory term?

Yes and no.  It can be just descriptive, or derogatory, depending on the context in which it is used.

This linked article along with the comments is interesting:

https://gringosabroad.com/is-gringo-ter … insulting/

I wouldn't worry about it much.

Thanks for the explanation
Looking at it this way, it is even a positive thing. It means South Americans are not as uptight about political correctness as we North Americans or Europeans have been lately

I guess I thought it was derogatory because of the old Western movies.

OsageArcher wrote:

The answer is, probably more.  Unless you are willing to accept other things that you have already said are unacceptable.

Hi again, not that I don't believe you, just want to clarify things. I am watching a video on Cuenca that is pretty recent (March 2019) and the couple says they are renting a nice two story 3 bedroom house for 500/month, that has washer/dryer, balcony, modern kitchen wifi included, etc. Also, they are renting short term (2 months only) that is usually less expensive than long term.....

Have the prices gone up that much within 8-9 months?
Also, it says you can have executive dinner for $3.

So, can I rent a nice place for 400-500 or I can't. It would be very important for me to know. Thanks.

I hope I am not breaking the rules if I insert the link. I am not related to these people and as far as I know they are not advertising anything. Please, delete it if it breaks the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAcmeSptiD8

EveeZee wrote:

So, can I rent a nice place for 400-500 or I can't. It would be very important for me to know. Thanks.

Go for it!  Only you can find out what suits you.  The video is interesting, looks like they are enjoying it.  I think Cuenca can be a good place for people who want to ease into the culture a bit at a time, as little or as much as they want.

You can look at Locanto for Cuenca, sort of like Craigslist but in Spanish, for all kinds of goods and services.  People can post ads for free:

https://cuenca.locanto.com.ec/

To see apartments for rent, look under INMOBILIARIA and click on the first link, Departamentos en arriendo.  Amoblado means it's furnished.  If you are adventurous and want to just rent a room click on Habitaciones en arriendo.  Many of these are listings by owners not necessarily agencies so you can get a good idea of asking prices.

For short-term rentals of a night to several weeks to several months, many people use AirBnB.  Longer term rates are often negotiable with the owners.  This can give you a base from which to explore, to find a place you want to live:

https://www.airbnb.com/s/Cuenca--Ecuador

I do not understand why people are always talking about the shock of moving to Ecuador.  For me this was not an issue.  You may be entirely OK with what you find.  I only had a moment of panic, when I said to myself, what the hell did I do, I moved actually to South America without ever having been there, etc.  In a few weeks I felt like just another extranjera, like the rest of us living here. 

But it may be because I already knew Spanish, and now could speak it. That makes a big difference in being part of the community. Learn the language or else you will stay apart from everyone else.   Some extranjeros never learn Spanish, and that is sad.  If you become a part of Ecuadorian fabric you will learn so much more about what really goes on in this country.

You will likely feel very safe in Cuenca and possibly have limited or no problems, who knows, just try it. 

As for your problems with having to rent in Canada and in Ecuador at the same time, possibly you could explore renting a bedroom in a Canadian home for those months in which you are gone and put your stuff in the bedroom.  Some storage solutions are cheaper than others, admittedly.

Buena suerte.

> Looking at it this way, it is even a positive thing. It means South Americans are not as uptight about political correctness as we North Americans or Europeans have been lately

> I guess I thought it was derogatory because of the old Western movies.

In some ways yes and no.

Locals can be very direct in their names and will call you "la gringita" or maybe "la blancita" (the whitey). If you are fat, they will call you "la gorda" (the fat) or "la gordita" (the fatty - doesn't translate so well). If you are white and overweight they may call you "la blancita gordita" (the whitey fatty). It isn't mean to be insulting

EveeZee wrote:

OsageArcher wrote:

The answer is, probably more.  Unless you are willing to accept other things that you have already said are unacceptable.

Hi again, not that I don't believe you, just want to clarify things. I am watching a video on Cuenca that is pretty recent (March 2019) and the couple says they are renting a nice two story 3 bedroom house for 500/month, that has washer/dryer, balcony, modern kitchen wifi included, etc. Also, they are renting short term (2 months only) that is usually less expensive than long term.....

Have the prices gone up that much within 8-9 months?
Also, it says you can have executive dinner for $3.

So, can I rent a nice place for 400-500 or I can't. It would be very important for me to know. Thanks.

I hope I am not breaking the rules if I insert the link. I am not related to these people and as far as I know they are not advertising anything. Please, delete it if it breaks the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAcmeSptiD8

You should be able to find something for 400-500 that will be nice. Just don't expect everything done to western standards.

We currently rent a 3 bedroom house for $250. Certainly not western standards and some, lets call them "quirks" lol

HelenPivoine wrote:

I do not understand why people are always talking about the shock of moving to Ecuador.  For me this was not an issue.  You may be entirely OK with what you find.  I only had a moment of panic, when I said to myself, what the hell did I do, I moved actually to South America without ever having been there, etc.  In a few weeks I felt like just another extranjera, like the rest of us living here. 

But it may be because I already knew Spanish, and now could speak it. That makes a big difference in being part of the community. Learn the language or else you will stay apart from everyone else.   Some extranjeros never learn Spanish, and that is sad.  If you become a part of Ecuadorian fabric you will learn so much more about what really goes on in this country.

You will likely feel very safe in Cuenca and possibly have limited or no problems, who knows, just try it. 

As for your problems with having to rent in Canada and in Ecuador at the same time, possibly you could explore renting a bedroom in a Canadian home for those months in which you are gone and put your stuff in the bedroom.  Some storage solutions are cheaper than others, admittedly.

Buena suerte.

Thanks for the encouraging words, Helen I will start watching Spanish lessons on youtube. Hearing the right pronunciation is important.  Also, it will help me to get the feeling of the place.

user159 wrote:

If you are white and overweight they may call you "la blancita gordita" (the whitey fatty). It isn't mean to be insulting

Well, I am not so sure about that But if they can also take it, not only to dish it out, I am OK with that.
I will find a matching name for them. LOL Just kidding. Call me what you want, as long as you provide me with an inexpensive and pleasant life and don't bother me.

user159 wrote:

We currently rent a 3 bedroom house for $250. Certainly not western standards and some, lets call them "quirks" lol

Thank you, this is very encouraging. If the rent is so low, I can accept a few things. And, as I said, I don't mind paying more for my comfort. With a rent of 500-600 I can still live well on my pension. What I want is to find a place where I know I don't have to worry about becoming desperately poor. And as the rent prices are today in Canada, if I wanted to rent a decent place I wouldn't have anything left for food, let alone for car or entertainment.

EveeZee wrote:

user159 wrote:

We currently rent a 3 bedroom house for $250. Certainly not western standards and some, lets call them "quirks" lol

Thank you, this is very encouraging. If the rent is so low, I can accept a few things. And, as I said, I don't mind paying more for my comfort. With a rent of 500-600 I can still live well on my pension. What I want is to find a place where I know I don't have to worry about becoming desperately poor. And as the rent prices are today in Canada, if I wanted to rent a decent place I wouldn't have anything left for food, let alone for car or entertainment.

$250 is for unfurnished house. In a small farming village with 5000m (1/2 hectare) of land. The wife and kids are ecuadorian and I am the only non-ecuadorian around here.  The people are all friendly and just go about their business as do we.

Not had any problems with crime or anything, but then we have a horde of dogs, so no one is coming near the house.  But someone is always at home anyway.

I would STRONGLY advise you to intensively learn spanish as much as possible before you go. Don't cheat yourself, really do it. It will help the move infinitely and help you integrate. Don't put it off "when I Get there" or think "I will just pick it up being there". You won't. It takes time. About 500+hours of study to get proficient IMO.

user159 wrote:

I would STRONGLY advise you to intensively learn spanish as much as possible before you go. Don't cheat yourself, really do it. It will help the move infinitely and help you integrate. Don't put it off "when I Get there" or think "I will just pick it up being there". You won't. It takes time. About 500+hours of study to get proficient IMO.

And every year older you get the more difficult it is to learn a new language.  Very soon you will start forgetting what you already know, making learning new items that much more difficult every day.  Hard decision to spend your golden years communicating in a new language at a 5th grade level, not easy to get to a high school level.  As a writer do you intend to start writing in Spanish?  Being a loner won't give you many chances to speak and learn your new language.  Good luck in your studies.

user159 wrote:

EveeZee wrote:

user159 wrote:

We currently rent a 3 bedroom house for $250. Certainly not western standards and some, lets call them "quirks" lol

Thank you, this is very encouraging. If the rent is so low, I can accept a few things. And, as I said, I don't mind paying more for my comfort. With a rent of 500-600 I can still live well on my pension. What I want is to find a place where I know I don't have to worry about becoming desperately poor. And as the rent prices are today in Canada, if I wanted to rent a decent place I wouldn't have anything left for food, let alone for car or entertainment.

$250 is for unfurnished house. In a small farming village with 5000m (1/2 hectare) of land. The wife and kids are ecuadorian and I am the only non-ecuadorian around here.  The people are all friendly and just go about their business as do we.

Not had any problems with crime or anything, but then we have a horde of dogs, so no one is coming near the house.  But someone is always at home anyway.

I would STRONGLY advise you to intensively learn spanish as much as possible before you go. Don't cheat yourself, really do it. It will help the move infinitely and help you integrate. Don't put it off "when I Get there" or think "I will just pick it up being there". You won't. It takes time. About 500+hours of study to get proficient IMO.

Thank you for the info and your advice. I am going to go to the library today and borrow a Spanish course for beginners.

mugtech wrote:

user159 wrote:

I would STRONGLY advise you to intensively learn spanish as much as possible before you go. Don't cheat yourself, really do it. It will help the move infinitely and help you integrate. Don't put it off "when I Get there" or think "I will just pick it up being there". You won't. It takes time. About 500+hours of study to get proficient IMO.

And every year older you get the more difficult it is to learn a new language.  Very soon you will start forgetting what you already know, making learning new items that much more difficult every day.  Hard decision to spend your golden years communicating in a new language at a 5th grade level, not easy to get to a high school level.  As a writer do you intend to start writing in Spanish?  Being a loner won't give you many chances to speak and learn your new language.  Good luck in your studies.

Thank you for your help. I know you mean it well, but I went through the process twice and I didn't communicate at a 5th grade level, except in the very beginning. I know people like that, but I am not one of them.
I would never dream of writing in Spanish. Why would I? I am glad I can write in English
And when I said I was a loner, I have meant I am quite happy by myself. I don't need to go to social gatherings. Yes, I need contact to other expats and learn from them, but I can do without parties.
I hope I can find a better entertainment than meeting other old people and reminisce about what it used to be like "in my time" and to see who has more wrinkles LOL

Sorry, if this was too blunt

EveeZee wrote:

I would never dream of writing in Spanish. Why would I?

Perhaps for the same reasons one would, and should, dream of speaking in Spanish when you live in a Spanish-speaking country?  To read, write and speak in Spanish is pretty necessary in a Spanish-speaking country.  It is also important to be able to communicate with the inhabitants, to integrate oneself into the community, to be able to make friends, to educate oneself, to widen one's horizons, to understand what is going on all around you, both listening and reading, as well as writing, don't you think?

Although in Ecuador there do exist a minority of analfabetos who are illiterate, I would not think that a foreigner would want to be lumped into that category.

OsageArcher wrote:

EveeZee wrote:

I would never dream of writing in Spanish. Why would I?

Perhaps for the same reasons one would, and should, dream of speaking in Spanish when you live in a Spanish-speaking country?  To read, write and speak in Spanish is pretty necessary in a Spanish-speaking country.  It is also important to be able to communicate with the inhabitants, to integrate oneself into the community, to be able to make friends, to educate oneself, to widen one's horizons, to understand what is going on all around you, both listening and reading, as well as writing, don't you think?

Although in Ecuador there do exist a minority of analfabetos who are illiterate, I would not think that a foreigner would want to be lumped into that category.

I have meant I don't want to write fiction in Spanish. Of course, I want to learn to read and write.

For learning Spanish - DuoLingo, free on the internet, is very good to start out with.  An Ecuadorian who is learning French also uses HelloTalk, which enables him to have conversations in French somehow, I do not know the details but it sounds promising.  Back and forth exchanges are very useful.

Animal cruelty.  Brace yourself.  In Ecuador, in Thailand, countless countries , animals are sometimes very badly treated, from health neglect to abuse.  I currently contribute against animal cruelty in Thailand.  They eat pets in Asia.  In Ecuador, they eat guinea pigs, but not dogs or cats.  I steeled myself against this by seeing picturs of cuys (guinea pigs) sold roasted. I just say to Ecuadorians, in Canada they are pets, nothing more.  They have been eating cuys since before Inca times.

HelenPivoine wrote:

For learning Spanish - DuoLingo, free on the internet, is very good to start out with.  An Ecuadorian who is learning French also uses HelloTalk, which enables him to have conversations in French somehow, I do not know the details but it sounds promising.  Back and forth exchanges are very useful.

Thanks for the info. I will check it out. Yesterday I started watching this Spanish course for beginners on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyLl_0d0EBw

I really like it. The teacher is good. He spends too much time with the pronunciation of the vowels. For me, the Spanish pronunciation comes naturally, being Hungarian

Animal cruelty.  Brace yourself.  In Ecuador, in Thailand, countless countries , animals are sometimes very badly treated, from health neglect to abuse.  I currently contribute against animal cruelty in Thailand.  They eat pets in Asia.  In Ecuador, they eat guinea pigs, but not dogs or cats.  I steeled myself against this by seeing pictures of cuys (guinea pigs) sold roasted. I just say to Ecuadorians, in Canada they are pets, nothing more.  They have been eating cuys since before Inca times.

Yes, I am really dreading this. It broke my heart watching them on Youtube abusing the elephants in Thailand. This is why I didn't want to go to Thailand
I think people who have no heart for animals have no heart for people either. As far as pet or no-pet. I think every animal suffers the same. It would upset me to see the guinea pigs cooked, but so does seeing the pigs and chickens.
I eat mainly vegan. Unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to carbs, and fruits give me indigestion, so I will probably end up eating vegetables only.. LOL

I hope I can isolate myself so that I won't be confronted too much with animal cruelty. I can't change a whole nation. I will just ignore it, like I do here.

@Chrisandra Hi:  I JUST signed up for this blog, as I too am a woman over 60 - very fit, forward thinking, healthy artist.  Wonder if you ever did move to Ecuador and if so - do you LOVE it?  Is it dog friendly? 

@quito0819 Your finishing sentence about the root canal is hilarious!

@EveeZee I also recommend installing a language learning app on your phone (I like DuoLingo). Get started on daily lessons before you arrive. There are a few other similar apps if you don't like this one… but each lesson is only a few minutes a day, and to start off you just get used to basic male and female pronouns and pronunciation, then the most important thing.. Learning the words for drinks! Coffee, milk, tea (essential survival tools for travel lol) At first you are mostly typing in the responses… then when you come to Ecuador you'll be into the intermediary lessons where you are verbally responding to the app during the lessons, and have the benefit of hearing the same words spoken around you in every day conversation.

@HelenPivoine it's just a difference in culture and tradition and what's available to eat here, I don't personally recommend the cuy but it's the chicken of South America. Ecuador has actually enacted anti-animal cruelty laws here that is changing the way the younger generation looks at animals, and the treatment of dogs and cats as pets. Animal abandonment is outlawed now, and dogs in particular must be cared for, walked on a leash, and kept in a home and properly fed. Of course poverty, and the tradition amongst the older generation to let their pet run free, makes this difficult or impossible for many, but times are a changing.