Anybody living in Vilcabamba or Loja?

Hello Sue,

I lived abroad 28 years between 1970 and 2000 in Kuwait, Kenya and México frequent business trips to Latin countries and a few short term teaching assignments at the Mercedes-Benz School in San José, Costa Rica. Most of it being 3d world and México being 2d world. It was looked up to by the entire Latin world South of them. It is the place to play fotbal and really make some money. They are to most Latinos the rich cousins to the North. My ability to communicate is good. I have been retired 9 years / 10 upon arrival and will be 72. Luckily the gray matter still works. My formal education and my on the job training have been second to none. I was very fortunate to have been trained in electronics by the US Air Force in 1960 then have Bosch of Germany introduce EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) in 1967. The electronics coupled with an AA in Automotive Technology was a marriage made in heaven. I went from being junior flip to a new Department Head in 2½ years and one year later working for Daimler-Benz AG. Loja strikes me as rather laid back and shy if you will. I have never been to Ecuador but there is a first time for everything. Upon arrival I will be looking for a low cost secure room with bed as I look for something small and furnished. I can not help but think that my automotive and computer experience will be helpful ... time will tell.

Where are you from? How is your Español? What type of Visa do you have? I am looking to get a retired permanent residence visa.

Regards .... Tom    /    Don Chema

Hey Tom:

You have lots of experience it sounds like...best of luck here - do you plan a trip soon? I am an infrequent user of this blog.  You can PM me if you like as I may be able to give you names/gringos in Loja and a recommendation for a good hostal in downtown where i considered renting by the month.  I do not put my datos out here on this public site for various reasons.
Best of luck to you,
Sue in Quito

Oh, Tom -- One more thing -- Loja has few , if any reasonable FURNISHED anything, room, apt or house. Last week I heard about apts a guy I met has for rent for $500 per month with furniture.  I have stayed at his small hotel in Loja and his taste and prices are way too much!   ($500 is gringo pricing -- believe me -- pretty much of a fortune in Ecuador, even in Quito -- but gringoes are paying it )   
ANd unf. means you have to purchase usually a stove, frig .other appliances that you may want or need -- unlike QUito where I have lived -- many places are furnished with everything you need to walk in and set up housekeeping.  Rents here vary a lot now that Ecuador is on the map big time for retirees--- Of course,  everything is going up and up --never stops me from negotiating however... 

suerte, Sue in QUito

I have been able to retire early at 51 but it is tough living in the U.S. with a pension which is about half of my regular salary. We are looking into moving to Vilcabamba so my pension will go much further there. My wife and I have an eight year old son so we are looking for an English speaking school in Vilcabamba. As much as we think Vilcabamba is perfect, we cannot make this move if our son is going to suffer. Does anyone know where we can find an English speaking school?

Hi Steve
I do not think you will find anything in Vilcabamba for English speaking school. Very small town so Loja might be better.
I had only passed through Loja on my trip to Ecuador but, unless you all speak Spanish, you will be at a big disadvantage. I googled escuelas + Loja,, the pages are translateable.
Did you consider Quito?
I do think you will have better luck for schooling there as this is a priority.
Certainly Quito will be a tad more expensive but still reasonable from a NA perspective. But from an educational and cultural viewpoint this may be a viable alternative.

Just my thoughts,....buena suerte

We visited Vil in November. It is a smallish town. We did see a school but it is Ecuadorian. I believe Cuenca might have an American school but hey, your son, can learn Spanish and be better off for it. I'm a retired teacher.

Thanks for the reply. We are attracted to Vilcabamba because there are many expats living there. If we were going to live in a city we would probably pick Cuenca over Quito. I'm thinking that there might be a small expat school or an expat home school group that can provide social interaction for the children. We asked someone in Vilcabamba to find a school for us but they are still looking.

Wow, I did not expect such fast responses. Thanks for your insight. However, I can't imagine placing my eight year old into an all Spanish speaking school. He would need to have special attention and a special class taught by a bilingual teacher. Do Ecuadorian public schools provide such attention where there are allot of expat families?

Hi Sue

Agree with you about posting on public site.To many freaks out there. But I am a Canadian planning my move to Ecuador.I would like to converse with you off site with your comments ideas suggestions. I am 67 and a Global Agro-Ecology Consultant who's passion is food security, community health, designing and building self sustaining communities ecology environment organic farming etc,

cheers Paul

Paul, Your interest in organic farming and self sustaining communities caught my attention. That is one of our main desires for moving to Vilcabamba. We want to link up with others who are into organic gardening and self sufficient living in the area because we know that hard times are ahead for the global economy along with failing fiat currencies.

Did you ever find out anything about churches in Loja? We are Presbyterian, moving to Loja in January 2015, and interested in any sort of protestant church that might have a congregation there or nearby.  Anyone have any information?

We have been praying about moving to Vilcabamba but we are also open to moving somewhere on the outskirts of Loja or perhaps somewhere in between Vilca and Loja. I have also been looking for an English speaking non-Catholic Church but to no avail. I Pastor a non-denominational full gospel church in New York with contemporary Christian music. We may find some Christians in the area to start an English speaking fellowship in either Loja or Vilca area if we can find no existing church. It looks like we are not going to find much of a selection in churches so perhaps we could agree to disagree on some issues while gathering together for prayer and worship of our One true God. For "where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of them."
Please let me know if you find anything. Blessings!

Outstanding post. Clear and comprehensive, with opinions the reasons for them.

I'm looking to visit in September, with an eye towards moving to Ecuador in three years. I'm planning on looking at Cotacachi, Cuenca, Loja and Vilcabamba.

Steve,
I'd definitely like to hear more about the church idea if you end up in Loja or Vilcabamba.  About a school for your son... we were only in Loja for a couple of days this Fall but I had the impression that it wasn't really a bilingual place... pretty much off the tourist track (which is a plus, for me!)  However it is medium-sized and has lots of schools and universities... it's possible that there's a bilingual elementary school catering to well-to-do locals who want their children to learn English. (I'm just speculating). As a teacher, I'd love to know what you come up with!

Thanks....we too are looking at Catamayo and/or Malacantos (close to Loja, but out of town and warmer). We'd love to  hear as much as possible about these two places.

My wife and I do not want to homeschool our son so this is a real problem for us. My wife is Filipina so we decided to move to the Philippines where there are allot of English speaking schools to choose from for our eight year old. We are thinking about staying in the Philippines for a year and then we might try visiting Ecuador. I'm very drawn to the climate and the peaceful mountain views of the Vilcabamba / Loja area and wanted to grow most of our own organic produce. Most of the country areas in the Philippines are not safe for Americans so I'm not sure I'm going to be happy in a gated community. If you find out anything about any English speaking or bilingual schools for our 8 year old please let us know.

Steve
I do not believe you will have much luck re: English school for your son in either Vilabamba or Loja.
Just my thoughts but you would be better off in Quito, say, but at least the educational requirements wd be met but at the expense of your 'jardin' . Remember that our kids learn a way lot quicker than we, adults, do...especially regards language. Worked for me as a 6 year old when my Dad took his job in Barrancabermeja, Colombia. Has served me well lo, these past 50 years or so...
Might I suggest you use your remaining time in Philippines to learn Spanish. And might I suggest Pimsleur as the language learning vehicle of choice.
But then, you are free to disregard my suggestions.

Thanks for the advice. Are you living in Quito? I heard that Quito is very cold and densely populated. We would like to rent first outside of a city in a more country area where we can have a huge yard and our own organic gardens. We love mountain views but cities like Cuenca and Quito are a bit cold.

Hi
As you can read in my profile I am looking for informations about south Ecuador from Malacatos down
as family person/ average Joe I can't afford to go through buying Ecuador land in New York prices from developers
I am looking for any ideas how much is to buy 100hectars (the dream) at least 7 miles away from civilisation
if it is far enough it can be 25 hectares
Where to go to ask about it, is there a land which is own by government?
Is the places down south too south for guillera to tolerate me?
I am Polish so I am very grateful person and hope to have an opportunity to return favour.
Maybe you have a business in UK I can help.
I am going to visit Ecuador this year then if successful I'll come with my family to spend some time in here to feel about moving
I have accommodation solved so I am pretty independent
Thank you very much all the best
Gregory Zwolski

Hello We have to catch up when we there
regards
gregory zwolski

SteveRitchie wrote:

Thanks for the advice. Are you living in Quito? I heard that Quito is very cold and densely populated. We would like to rent first outside of a city in a more country area where we can have a huge yard and our own organic gardens. We love mountain views but cities like Cuenca and Quito are a bit cold.

Your Filipina wife would find Quito chilly at night, cooler than Baguio.
I know teachers at the International School in Manila, it should do your 8 year old well.  Unless you intend to live on Mindanao you should be as safe in the Philippines as any other similar country.

grzegorz528 wrote:

I can't afford to go through buying Ecuador land in New York prices....how much is to buy 100 hectars (the dream) at least 7 miles away from civilisation
if it is far enough it can be 25 hectares
Where to go to ask about it, is there a land which is own by government?
Is the places down south too south for guillera to tolerate me?

I came across this post after having just responded to your other post at the New Members thread.

The Lentag farming opportunity I referenced might be more expensive than buying land from the government -- if there even is government land available -- but from the information solicited at the "organic farms" thread, it's not "New York prices."

Across Expat forums about Ecuador, it is broadly advised not to buy land here until you have spent sufficient time in the country.  Many suggest at least a year, although the complexities of the EC visa situation may limit that timeframe.

Your question about "guilleras" tolerating you is unclear.  Are you worried about insurgent activity of some type....

cccmedia in Quito

Great post, very informative.

I suggest you get on some of the many Facebook group pages on living in Ecuador. I bought a home there and have gained much valuable information regarding available land and immigration issues.

I wish you much luck in making your dream become a reality!

In peace!

Gregory,

I forgot to mention that my home is located in the same general area as Malacatos - and most people connect on both Vilcabamba Community and Vila People FB pages. You might also try the FB page for Mandango Real Estate (the man who helped me buy my house, Justo Vicente Carpio Coronel, is a wonderful person and has helped me in many more things than the house!

xoie wrote:

So strange, everyone keeps talking about how cold Cuenca is. I've been here a month and every day feels hot to me. The sun is very intense. I wear short sleeves and can't believe all the locals with their sweaters. I have to wear a hat and sunglasses the sun is so intense. Of course I'm from cold, gloomy Michigan so maybe that's why. I look forward to the cooler months (July, August and sept) when I can experience some fall like weather and actually wear my sweaters.

Update on my earlier post: ok, so now that I've lived through Cuencas colder months (June, July, August, sept) I just want to say that it is cold. In the northern states we're used to cold weather outside (brief periods of time) but when indoors we are warm (the majority of our day). In Cuenca, it's always cool in the house. The houses here are made of concrete so it's kind of like living in a basement. During the colder months it actually feels warmer outside and cold inside. I walked around the house wearing sweats a hoodie and sometimes even a winter hat and gloves (especially in the evenings when you sit down to watch a movie or read). I actually threatened to move into our van (the van is always warm)!  We will definitely invest in a gas heater for our place for the next cold season.

Thankfully it's only 3 months or so of cold weather!

You may be interested in our new Expat-Blog thread titled "How to Warm Up a House in Vilcabamba."

To find it, type the thread title into the Search Expat.com box at the top of this page, and then click on the search icon to the right of said box.


                                                                       .

Typed in the thread but am not seeing your blog. I see other blogs but not yours. Could you post a link?

The next time you find a place to live you might keep your eye open for a rental that us made from adobe. They stay cool in the warmer months and warm in the cooler months.

xoie wrote:

Typed in the thread but am not seeing your blog. I see other blogs but not yours. Could you post a link?

The original plan works from my PC.  Nevertheless, I am glad to provide a "link" to the page on how to keep a house warm, which has further "links" to three articles on the subject....

https://www.expat.com(forward-slash)forum(forward-slash)viewtop.php(question-mark)id=446687

cccmedia in Quito

Hi Susan,

I am interested in living in Loja Province, possibly Loja or one of the surrounding small villages such as Vilcabamba.  I am interested because you bought your home in the Malacatos area.  Somehow I would like to avoid those New Agers (even though I am what some might call unconventional, being an artist) and do not need dope to be happy.  I will be moving with my cat.

I will be pensionable age next winter and may not wait for that.  I will likely make a 'due diligence' visit,  hopefully in the spring, to see if my heart talks to me about a specific place.  Absolutely cannot decide at this moment whether I am a city girl or a country girl.  I lived for 10 years in the Ocala National Forest in Florida and was very happy.  Presently living in a city suburb, marooned without a car now, in deepest winter.  I eventually will want at minimum a garden area where in a pinch I could build a ceramic kiln (local style).

I am also very concerned about getting off the plane with no one accepting that my cat can stay with me in temporary lodgings, until I find a rental.  Need to rent first before that final purchase decision.

I am surprised that you had such a good experience with a real estate person and that he hopefully did not take advantage of gringa you.

Any enlightenment would be a positive thing!

Helen S.

Helen Pivoine wrote:

I am interested in living in Loja Province, possibly Loja or one of the surrounding small villages such as Vilcabamba.  Somehow I would like to avoid those New Agers....I will be pensionable age next winter and may not wait for that....I eventually will want at minimum a garden area where in a pinch I could build a ceramic kiln.

That's right, HP, don't wait for that "pensionable" permission.  Come down soon and get out of that Canadian cold air.  At Niagara Falls, part of the falls has already frozen over this month

A garden in Loja Province, no problem.  Due to plentiful rain, everything grows there.

But if you're considering Vilcabamba looking to avoid "those New Agers," that probably won't be working out.  That's New Age Central for Expats moving to Ecuador.

Loja city doesn't have the New Age vibe, but it'll be a challenge if your espanol isn't up to snuff.

cccmedia in Quito

I actually am not worried about my Spanish.  I got along fine in a very isolated Nicaraguan community, and in the city I just let people laugh if I do something wrong.   What I noticed is that, after a few weeks, the brain seems to receive the melody of the language and that leads to better understanding.  Once I was in a room and I suddenly noticed that I understood everything the TV news announcer was saying.  But people do tend to talk fast! That part is hard.  My vocabulary is still crap, verbs need a lot of work.
Helen

Helen Pivoine wrote:

I eventually will want at minimum a garden area where in a pinch I could build a ceramic kiln (local style). Need to rent first before that final purchase decision.

I am surprised that you had such a good experience with a real estate person and that he hopefully did not take advantage of gringa you.

Any enlightenment would be a positive thing.

I really question whether it's in your best interests to consider buying property in Ecuador, Helen.  Practically everything you wrote says, rent.

I think you're sharp enough to find a rental in the Loja Valley where you could have your garden and kiln, and your cat would be welcome.

Also, you have moved around so much -- Florida, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, places in Canada, and now Ecuador -- you may not want to stay in Loja forever.  Having a portable life may be in your blood.

The flexibility of being able to move again without having to sell property in Ecuador could be priceless.

In any case, I would follow the conventional wisdom for EC Expats:  don't buy or build anything during your first year here. 

And then, do it only if you are certain you absolutely must.

cccmedia in Quito

Hi Susan
Thanks to you (and Joseph and Robert et al) for information on posts.
Terra Madre sounds heavenly however as a solo traveler, a bit out of budget. Wondering how you are finding life in Vilcabamba and Loja? Will be exploring Ecuador for two months and these are both in my plans. Will it be easy to find low cost accommodation (homestay...self contained studio...hostal) if I just turn up from Cuenca by bus? Perhaps a bit too risky for a female solo? I speak Spanish so renting from a local family would be fine. Thank you for any suggestions 

Hi Helen,

I'm sorry for my late reply. At the time you made your post, I was in the process of heading off for EC.

"I am interested in living in Loja Province, possibly Loja or one of the surrounding small villages such as Vilcabamba.  I am interested because you bought your home in the Malacatos area.  Somehow I would like to avoid those New Agers (even though I am what some might call unconventional, being an artist) and do not need dope to be happy.  I will be moving with my cat."

I bought in Santorum that is about 10 minutes west of Vilca. I like the area and my home very, very much. Its in a barrio (neighborhood) made up mostly of Ecuadorians and a few expats. As for New Agers, I think Vilcabamba is very diverse. Yes, there are "New Agers", and their are people with more traditional backgrounds. There are liberals and conservatives - Europeans and North Americans. However, one thing lies in common for all of them: Vilcabamba is a very strong, tolerant and open community. On most FB pages that focus on our area, on any day you might see a cross-section of people from Vilca - young, old, married, single, gay, straight, Ecuadorians -the gamut.

I have a couple of friends who are in the process of getting their visas now and will be loving to Loja. They had lived 6 years in El Salvador, but decided they wanted to make the jump to EC. They had been living in a pretty isolated area on a beach, and because there were tired of the isolation, decided to move to Loja. Loja has lots of cultural happenings and things to do.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"I will be pensionable age next winter and may not wait for that.  I will likely make a 'due diligence' visit,  hopefully in the spring, to see if my heart talks to me about a specific place.  Absolutely cannot decide at this moment whether I am a city girl or a country girl.  I lived for 10 years in the Ocala National Forest in Florida and was very happy.  Presently living in a city suburb, marooned without a car now, in deepest winter.  I eventually will want at minimum a garden area where in a pinch I could build a ceramic kiln (local style)."

Most people come and spend time in different areas to get a feel for what they want. You'll also find different communities have varying prices for rent and real estate, dependent upon the location. The nice thing about Vilcabamba is that it is possible to live in the country and only be 5-10 minutes from the center of town.
___________________________________________________________________

"I am also very concerned about getting off the plane with no one accepting that my cat can stay with me in temporary lodgings, until I find a rental.  Need to rent first before that final purchase decision.

I am surprised that you had such a good experience with a real estate person and that he hopefully did not take advantage of gringa you."

I can tell you about a GREAT little hostal that is 10 minutes from the Quito airport. It runs about $25-$330/night, accepts pets, and can pick you up. I Have stayed their several times and have recommended it to many of my friends who also have stayed there.

I think you might have a misconception about Ecuadorians, Helen. My Ecuadorian agent was beyond reproach, and if you check many expat forums online, I think you will see that it is highly recommended to NOT buy real estate from non-Ecuadorians. That is not to say that there are not honest non-local agents. It is simply that the majority of negative experiences seem to have happened when dealing with non-locals. I can also tell you that my agent's service has never stopped. Whenever I need a question answered about local issues, he gets me the answer.
________________________________________________________________________________

"I eventually will want at minimum a garden area where in a pinch I could build a ceramic kiln (local style). Need to rent first before that final purchase decision."

That type of place is very easy to find here in the valley. And, of course, the decision is yours rather to buy or rent. 

If you'd like any specific information regarding Vilcabamba, recommended shoppers or visa assistance, please just message me, and I'll be happy to hep you.

Take care, and, once again, sorry for the late reply!

Susan

I am 67 and a Global Agro-Ecology/Permaculture Consultant who's passion is education, food security/sovereignty, community health, designing and building self sustaining communities, ecology, environment, care for the planet, people, organic farming etc,

Im presently working and living in Dominican Republic but am planning my move to Ecuador. I don't know where but will be touring around area around Loja, or Quayaguil or ? seems possibilities. I would consider living and working with any, person,group, organization, community, one that has land they want to develop to be self sustaining and or profitable, organic gardens etc. agro-forestry,construction grade bamboo, flowers,fruits, herbs, spices, medicinal plants and has a budget to do so. And who also has a decent private accommodation available for me to live and be close to my work.

I have lots of good tools for garden, farm work, construction, wood, cement, stone work etc. I teach lecture do workshops etc on all these subject including what every man woman and child should know the truth about Food, Healthy,Nutritious,Medicine,Disease (cancers/diabetes)and Longevity.

I have had several meetings with the Embassy here who is giving me a letter of introduction. I will be in Quito for a short time few days to meet with Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture Universities and Professors, and the Mayors of some cites, Loja, Quayaguil among my interests.

Whether I achieve my goals with the government or not remains to be seen. But one approach is I am hoping to get land from the government to set up an Agro-Ecology Research Institute, Demonstration, Educational Center & Extension Services.Agro-Eco-Tourism Project where people can come to visit and learn about sustainable organic agriculture.

Positive Comments, Ideas, suggestions are welcome, negative un productive comments are not. I dont need comments on what you think, I think for myself, or what I can do or cant because of government politics etc. I am not looking for opinions, especially uneducated ones, that aren't supported by any researched, knowledgeable, empirical data.

I sent you a private email re: your interests in agro-ecologia in the Southern Andes.
You can respond if you wish privately.

Best wishes, sueb4bs