I have decided to write a general article about issues you will confront if you visit or move to Ecuador. These comments are based purely on my personal experience over the last two years. I now tend to move around a lot and some of my Ecuadorian friends even say that in some areas, I know more than them.
Moving to Ecuador can certainly be a hard decision as there are so many wonderful places in the world to settle. Even within Ecuador, there are many choices, depending on the climate you prefer, the size of city or town, or whether you might even like to work or volunteer your time and services. We are Australians who chose Cuenca as our new home and have now lived here for two years. We wanted to be in a mild climate, and we wanted to live in a medium sized city so that we could enjoy great facilities. From here it is also not that expensive to go and spend time at the beach.
DIXIE
It did not take us long to decide back in February 2008 that this was a place we were happy to move to. Our first friends in Cuenca were local Ecuadorians and they still remain our dear friends along with many other new local friends and expats.
If you decide to move here you also should think about not only living a cheaper lifestyle but how are you going to feel living in a different culture, eating new foods, learning to speak a different language, and more.
Even the way people do business here is totally different in some respects to what you may be used to. For many from other countries it is hard to understand. Well maybe you don't have to understand, but rather respect how people work here. Remember that we are guests in this beautiful country and the people and their traditions and culture are to be respected.
By the way, we are known as "Gringos" here. Don't be offended; they are not being disrespectful. Many foreigners have asked me where all the Gringos live here in Cuenca. The answer to this is that we live all over the place. Some live in houses outside of the city, some choose to renovate in the historical part of the city, others live in Condos.
I believe that you should not come here thinking that you are going to make great changes to the less fortunate of this society. By giving large tips or paying large salaries, you will be changing the expectations of the locals who will actually be laughing all the way home and probably thinking how silly these Gringo's are. However, it is perfectly OK to help the less fortunate to earn more. A good example is the retired couple from Chicago who have helped many locals earn more from growing Quinoa
Unfortunately many locals may think all Gringos are wealthy and this can then lead to some petty crime, and the more you flaunt your wealth, the worse it will be. The minimum wage here is about 0 per month, and many indigenous people in remote areas earn a lot less. So it is not hard for these people to think you are wealthy.
Please be respectful. I have already seen some Gringo's that are quite insulting to the most educated Ecuadorian. As far as I am concerned that is just not on. As an expat community, we are in the minority and the locals will soon lump everyone in the same category. Please respect and treat the Ecuadorians as an equal. If you are seeking residency, then you are also going to be an "Ecuadorian" with an identity card ("Cedula") exactly the same as the locals.
It really helps if you make an effort to have some local amigos and at least try and learn the language. If you do some volunteer work that will be a bonus for you. The people are wonderful if they see you are at least trying. But then some shock you when they reply in English. Some smaller towns that have attracted a lot of foreigners have already experienced some problems.
RELOCATING
Before we moved permanently from Australia we spent almost two months here in Ecuador in early 2008. At that point we decided that we were not going to bring our furniture or appliances. The cost of shipping would have been much more than the cost of buying new furniture.
We landed with 5 suitcases full of clothes and some sentimental items and our laptops to start our new life in Cuenca. It was a decision that we are both happy we made. To come back to Cuenca later in 2008 was very exciting and starting all over again was a great adventure.
Cuenca has extremely good furniture makers and you can furnish an apartment or house with quality crafted furniture. We hear all sorts of stories about folks bringing in a container full of their possessions and having problems. Many have problems and costs with their containers being stuck in customs - for per day for more than 6 weeks. The daily costs have now been rumoured to have increased even further.
But of course there are always those of you who feel you need to bring your possessions and that is understandable. I would strongly suggest that you seek advice on how to bring your container into the country. Living in Cuenca we have been told that you should by-pass Guayaquil and have the container brought straight to Cuenca to clear customs as it will make it a lot easier. Apparently the daily demurrage costs are also much cheaper. To live here is extremely affordable in many ways. The price of gas, food and housing, whether renting or buying, is very cheap. Apart from the free or inexpensive cultural events, cinema prices are not expensive, and nor are restaurants. We often go to a vegetarian restaurant that is within walking distance of where we live, and we get the "menu of the day" for less than for the two of us. That includes a soup, a main meal and a juice. Enjoy and chao.
Move to Cuenca, Ecuador
Join Dixie and her husband as they share their experience on living in Ecuador. http://www.retire-in-ecuador.com
DIXIE
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