Living in Cuenca, Ecuador, Has a Downside...

By Edd Staton

A lot of folks look forward to and truly enjoy the change of seasons. Spring blossoms...the warmth of summer...fall foliage...bundling up in winter.

I would not be included in that group.

I've never been a fan of cold weather. Whenever it snowed I enjoyed walking around and throwing snowballs for about an hour. Then I was ready for it to go away so I could put on a bathing suit.

Four years living in Las Vegas before relocating to Ecuador soured me and my wife Cynthia on extreme heat forever. Something about having to walk slowly so the friction of the scorching air didn't hurt my face never sat well with me.

In fact, one of the key considerations in our decision to move to the colonial city of Cuenca was its moderate climate.

We're like Goldilocks—we want our weather not too hot. Not too cold. Just right!

But while visiting family in North Carolina recently my son mentioned something I hadn't thought about. He told me how he was looking forward to putting away his winter clothes and breaking out the shorts and T-shirts.

And I thought, "Huh. I don't do that." In fact after three years living in Cuenca I had kind of forgotten that's the routine in places that experience seasonal changes.

Therein lies a (very minor) downside to living in the "Land of Eternal Spring"—you're eternally looking at the same darned wardrobe every time you open the closet door.

There are solutions, of course. Every visit to the States we buy a few new garments and give away the ones we're most tired of when we return home.

What about expats who don't travel back and forth like we do? Cuenca has several malls and many boutiques scattered throughout the city.

Be aware, though, that Latin Americans are generally smaller than North Americans and clothing sizes reflect this difference. Selection for large people is quite limited, but excellent tailors can make custom clothing at quite reasonable prices. I showed a photo to a proprietor here of a gorgeous leather jacket that retailed for over $1,000 in the States. He made a duplicate just for me for only $125. (Those same leather craftsmen are happy to create high-quality shoes for your feet, too, by the way.)

What would I do if I didn't travel and couldn't afford a custom wardrobe? Well, at 6'3", I guess I'd be trying to convince my friends that three-quarter length sleeves and capri pants were the latest fashion statement for guys!

As I said, wearing the same wardrobe all year round is a downside to living in Cuenca—but it's one of the only ones. We didn't move here to be fashionistas; we came here to enjoy the plethora of positive attributes Cuenca has to offer. Fresh, healthy, non-GMO food...free symphony performances...current movies in English (and sometimes in 3D!)...low cost and high quality health care...the list goes on and on.

We enjoy a very high quality of life in Cuenca at about 25% of the budget we spent back home. Our luxurious two-story penthouse apartment (with weekly maid service) has commanding views of the city and surrounding mountains. We dine out regularly, attend many of those free symphony performances, and enjoy going to the gym, yoga and Tai Chi classes.

Later today, we're meeting friends for lunch at one of the many fixed menu lunch spots around town. I can already tell you what our total bill will be for fresh juice, homemade soup, and a healthy entrée—$5. For both of us!

So while, at a recent International Living event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, it was a joy to try on the beach attire we never get to wear here, after the suitcases were unpacked, we found ourselves decked out in our "eternal Cuenca" clothing...ready to once again enjoy all that this city has to offer.

www.internationalliving.com

Want To Catch The Attention Of The Government? Use These Words On Social Media

Blog Note: Based on this Post.......... our Blog is being watched by big brother.......

By Zach Walton · June 6, 2013

 This morning has certainly been fun – we now know that the NSA has been, and will continue, collecting personal metadata of Verizon subscribers until July 19. If that wasn’t enough surveillance for you, the Department of Homeland Security would like to kick it up a notch. Did you know that they regularly scan social media sites looking for certain words? Well, you do now.

Thanks to a freedom of information request, the DHS has released the manual its analysts use when scanning social networks and other online sources for news on potential terrorist attacks or crimes. In other words, the DHS employs a number of people who browse Facebook, Twitter and other social networks all day looking for specific words.

So, without further ado, here are the words you need to use if you want to grab the attention of the DHS:

It’s a little strange that very common words like “ice” and help” are on the watch list. Those who analyze these words probably use context in these situations though to determine the difference between somebody lamenting the latest ice storm, and a person threatening to “ice” somebody.

If you were wondering, the DHS released the 2011 edition of the manual. The latest editions probably have more words in them, but the above list gives us a good indication of what the government is looking for on social media.

In short, be mindful of what you’re saying before you string “interstate,” “China,” and “snow” into a sentence.

As an aside, it seems that the DHS doesn’t know how to spell “lightning.” Under the Weather/Disaster/Emergency section, our favorite electric bolts from the sky are listed as “lightening.” Simple typo or does the government hire people with the grammar of an 8-year-old? The world may never know.

We're Thriving on Ecuador's Coast‏

By Donald Murray

On Tuesday, I will open my Ecuadorian bank account. No big deal; just a savings account with an ATM card. So, why am I so excited?

When we arrived in San Vicente, Ecuador nearly 18 months ago, my wife Diane and I were as prepared as we were able to be, which is to say: we had a lot to learn! We had done our best to get ready for our transition, while attending to the myriad tasks necessary when making an international move. 

Yet, there was no way to learn the ropes of daily living until we got here on the ground for ourselves.

Stepping from the modern, efficient infrastructure and technology-rich culture of the U.S. into a small town on Ecuador's coast was just the sort of grand, life-changing experience we wanted. 

Our life immediately slowed to a very healthy, almost sleepy pace compared to our old one. Life is simpler here. In the small, coastal community of San Vicente where we live across the bay from Bahia de Caraquez, farming is mostly done by hand with donkeys to assist and fishing is most frequently done from small, crude hand-made boats with fisherman tossing hand-tied throw nets. 

In Ecuador, our stress and financial worries have melted away, too.

Our initial Ecuador budget was established at $1,500 per month, an amount pretty tough to survive on in the States, at least with any sort of comfort. Here on the coast, we were able to move into a beautiful, furnished, two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in a low-rise, gated complex. The complex boasts two pools, gorgeous landscaping and I can throw a rock and hit the Pacific surf. The monthly rent for this lovely place? $450.

We've slashed our other costs living in Ecuador, too. We buy most of our food locally at the large open market. Fresh fruits and veggies are plentiful and inexpensive, as is the local seafood. A week's worth of farm-fresh produce runs us around $6. Our electric bill is $25-$30 per month. Gasoline for our very-used 4WD goes for $1.48 per gallon and our car insurance is $65 per year...yes, that's per year! 

Our Spanish continues to improve. Learning the names of fruits and vegetables, meat and various types of fish happens daily as we shop. With continued practice, our pronunciation gets better and we rely less on our charades-skills than we used to. 

I am excited about opening a bank account because it is one more indication that we have made a life here. My Ecuadorian driver's license is tucked into my wallet next to my official national I.D. card, or Cedula. Our social circle includes both Ecuadorians and expats. I know where to find the things we need and what to ask for...in most cases. We are settled into our home and our relaxed, comfortable life. 

Our early days as expats were so extraordinary that I collected the stories and wrote an e-book called, "Our Ecuador Retirement...The First 8 Months." I sometimes reread segments to measure how far we've come since then.

We are no longer just surviving; we are thriving here on Ecuador's coast and that silly, simple bank account is just another marker that San Vicente is truly home now. 

Internationalliving.com