Hi All
This is Monika and Robert and we are from Barrie Ontario. We have a successful Real Estate practice here and have chosen not to retire, ever... However, having said that, we are also committed to living every day to the utmost. That includes being able to escape Canadian winters for increasingly longer periods of time going forward. We have just booked our flights to Quito and will spend 3 1/2 weeks in Ecuador over the Christmas season to explore and begin to get a feel for the country.
We published 2 books last year - "The Book on Downsizing - 7 Steps to Rightsize the Rest of Your Life" which is for all us Baby Boomers with everything except a plan for what to do next. The 2nd book is "The WorkBook on Downsizing - Turning How into Now" and is designed to walk couples through the process of rediscovering what is important to them in this Next Chapter of life. But enough about us...
Through this forum we look forward to connecting with others who are in the country now or have spent some time there and can give us some guidance in our journey. We are committed to learning Spanish although I fear it will be Spanglish for awhile.
Your inputs on the 5 places one should visit on their first trip to Ecuador would be helpful. Although Quito will be our home base this time, we have checked out visiting Cotacachi, Otavalo, Banos, Cuenca, Bahia de Caraquez as a few examples to see some different areas. Not sure how to economically cover this much geography in the time we have available. Thanks in advance for your insights... Robert & Monika
Looking to be part time Expats
I'm guessing that most of the retired expats in Ecuador have already downsized.
But thanks for your book recommendations anyway.
R&M Expat Hopefulls wrote:Although Quito will be our home base this time, we have checked out visiting Cotacachi, Otavalo, Banos, Cuenca, Bahia de Caraquez as a few examples to see some different areas. Not sure how to economically cover this much geography in the time we have available.
Welcome to the Ecuador blog, Hopefulls.
Choosing to come here for periods each winter will enable you to sidestep the visa hassles the full-time Expats normally go through at least once. You can stay in Ecuador up to 90 days on your tourist stamp granted upon arrival, every 365 days.
Here is a thought. Being based in Quito, run some day trip excursions to three of the cities you mentioned -- Cotacachi, Otavalo and Baños. If you resonate to any of them, go back and spend more time in that city, say, three days or more.
From there, head down to Cuenca, and possibly Vilcabamba in the Valley of Longevity.
Save the last week or at least a few days for Bahía and the Pacific Coast.
Consider an overall itinerary that allows you to arrive in Quito and fly home out of Guayaquil, avoiding hours of extra ground transportation at the end of the trip. GYE is 90 minutes by ground transport from the ocean.
cccmedia in Quito
Thanks for the great advice. We are going to be in Quito area around Christmas and although we have Canadian friends with Ecuador family, I suspect we will be on our own for a good part of the time. And as we don't even speak Spanglish yet, we'd love to connect with some other Expats or locals who celebrate a traditional Christian Christmas and are alone as well.
Really appreciate the connection with you and look forward to ongoing posts.
Robert
R&M Expat Hopefulls wrote:Thanks for the great advice. We are going to be in Quito area around Christmas and...we'd love to connect with some other Expats or locals who celebrate a traditional Christian Christmas and are alone as well.
Really appreciate the connection with you and look forward to ongoing posts.
With the seasonal parades and festivities, including Expat parties, I expect you will have a great time in Quito.
I have just PM-messaged you with the names and Internet contact information of two mostly-Expat groups that traditionally present holiday gatherings in December.
cccmedia in Quito
It's a Catholic country. Am sure you will find someone to celebrate Christian Christmas with.
Articles to help you in your expat project in Quito
You have made it to Ecuador, now what is there to do in your free time? A lifetime in Ecuador isn't enough time to ...
Las Cajas parque nacional is located about a half hours drive (or hour bus ride) to the west of Cuenca, along the ...
Ecuador is famous as a retirement haven. But you might not want to wait until retirement age to move there and ...
What kind of food will you find in restaurants, cafes, and private homes in Ecuador? Many restaurants in Ecuador ...
Family is everything to an Ecuadorian. The extended family unit is the most important aspect of life in Ecuador ...
Ecuador, as a fast-developing nation, has laws that are constantly evolving, but one thing is certain: the ongoing ...
