VISITING CUENCA FIRST TIME

Good day...  getting close to retirement now and I hear Cuenca is a pretty good option. I m considering between the Dominican republic and Ecuador. Thought about Manila and Bangkok but they are simply too far, so down to two places... Sosua DR or Cuenca Ecuador...I ll be visiting in February for a week to get a feel of the place. I d love to meet some expats who could give me some insight .I m 58 and originally from the UK, now living in New York... if anyone can let me know how life for an expat is to begin with that would be helpful.  I intend getting immersed in the whole Latin ambience, but would love to know there are some places where I can go to get back to some English- speaking fun again from time to time..