To Move or Not To Move,
That is the question
For those considering moving to Ecuador, Mas Despacio, (literally translates to “more slowly”) is both a practical phrase and a suggestion. While the book is a key element, the website also includes prices from bus fares to blackberries. There are two 6000+ auto surveys, showing market penetration here. Land, home, and rental prices for various cities are here as are the prices for Drill Bits, Hammers, and Allen Wrenches.
Both are designed to slow the reader down in their decision-making yet help them make an informed decision. It’s a glass-half-full-and-half-empty read. Yes, 2,500 sq. ft. homes rent for $700 – $1,000 / mo. (Cue revving motorcycle.) But many have no heat or air conditioning. (Add screeching brakes.) Yes, the Cordillera, a 50-mile-wide valley running the length of the country, has temperatures between 60 – 75 0F year-round (Cue motorcycle). Yes, it’s called the land of eternal spring. But there are 24 volcanoes here, 7 of which are active – as in regularly going off (Cue crash). Did we mention the seismic activity?
They speak Spanish here – just like most of Central and South America. But while most everyone here took English in school, few expected to actually use it. They seem a bit surprised by the number of Expats, around 24,000, that moved here – and frankly, they aren’t that prepared. Will the reader learn Spanish or will they hire a facilitator / translator every time they need a 3 cm bolt. BTW remember 8th grade when most of us slept through the metric system? Well guess what – bwhahahahaha!
There are scorpions and tarantulas – not everywhere, but they exist. There are dogs – lots and lots and lots and lots of dogs – and no dog catchers. Noise is an issue here. Ecuador has used the dollar since 2000, so the government can’t print its way out of trouble – which helps the economy stay vibrant. About 40% are communists, 40% capitalists, with 20% looking at all the Venezuelan refugees and voting democratic socialist, for now.
The food is varied, delicious and cheap. But we wash most of our fruits and vegetables in a special bath. 5-star restaurants are around $25 – $30 / person and their food tends to be clean. Hearty 3-star lunches run between $2.50 – $3.50, tipping is optional. The water in parts of the country varies. But on the coast we use bottled water, keeping our mouths closed in the shower. In Cuenca we use filtered water.
Together, my wife, a North Carolinian, my mother (a Texan) and I, retired here from Colorado, in October 2018. Ironically my retired, Ecuadorian Father lives in Las Vegas.
I’m attempting to give a person as well-rounded an understanding of the country as possible. Hopefully motivating some people, to move elsewhere. Portugal is reportedly beautiful and reasonably priced. (Portugal is saying, “Oh sure, shunt all your whiners our way. Thanks a lot.”) Moving here is huge: physically, financially, socially, and psychologically. Who wants to say, “We moved to Ecuador for a couple of years. It was horrible. Then we moved to…”? Rather if someone researches first, comes, visits and then says, “We looked into moving to Ecuador, but we found we couldn’t overcome these issues.” That person looks smart and will probably save $2,000 – $10,000.
Mas Despacio Por Favor recommendations might shave $500 – $3,000 off the cost of moving. How? $19.99 will allow you to see those cards. But hopefully you saw enough of my writing style to decide. Ecuador is a big, beautiful, imperfect place, with big-hearted, kind, imperfect people. If you join us – great! Either way I hope you go Mas Despacio, Por Favor.
Table of Contents
- Summary
- Disclaimer
- Author's Background
- Website Style and Purpose
- For Those Who Decide to Move
- For Those Who Decide to Move
- Ecuadorian Expats
- Moving: Setting a date
- It would likely help to…
- Taking an animal (Brrrr)
- The Airline
- Basics
- Warnings
- Quito
- Guayaquil
- Bargaining
- Intercity Air Travel
- Cell Phones
- On the Subject of driving here
- English
- Passport
- Blue Pens / Ink
- Going out alone
- Necessities
- KFC
- Water
- Hot Water
- Paros (From the verb Parar – to stop) Work stoppages
- Geology
- Earthquakes
- Volcanos
- Landslides & Mudslides
- Geography
- The Weather
- Places of note in: The Sierra
- Places of note in: La Costa
- Places of note in: La Selva (Jungle)
- Galapagos
- Peru
- Ecuadorian History
- Visas
- Business & Competition
- Websites
- Animals
- Medicine
- Insurance
- Real Estate, Banks, & Credit Unions
- Money
- Banks & Credit Unions (Cooperativas)
- Real Estate
- Mortgages
- Looking for MLS? Might we suggest Mercado Libre Ecuador?
- Buildings
- Acreage Size, shape, and Cost
- Some Things to Consider before Buying or Renting
- Condos
- Asbestos
- Homes – Construction Styles
- Homes – Common Designs
- Urban Neighborhood Designs
- Unfinished Homes
- Electrical
- Location, Location, Location
- Security
- Timbres / Doorbells
- Insects
- Renting a Home
- The House
- Culture
- Expats (Extranjeros)
- Ecuadorian Culture
- Education
- ¿Por qué? Porque
- Almuerzo (Lunch) / Siesta
- LGBTQ
- Religion
- Jewish Population
- Humor
- Saving Face is Everything
- Family, Family, Family
- Tradesmen/women
- Greetings – Buenos Días, Buenas Tardes, Buenas Noches
- Bureaucracy
- Corruption (A bribe vs. a tip)
- Different is not wrong
- Doctors
- Hospitality
- “I Want to Live in America”
- Marriages
- Patience
- Politics
- Taxes
- Bus Stations – Terminal Terrestres
- Laws
- Guns
- Begging Children
- Notaries
- Judges
- Racial Profiling and Soft Social Boundaries
- European? Sort of
- “You’re such an Indian”
- Sierra – Culture
- La Costa – the Coast
- El Oriente – The Jungle
- Work Ethic
- Macho Stereotypes are real
- Quichua – Pictures – Not!
- Languages
- English
- Quichua & Shuar
- Spanish
- Names
- Royal Spanish Academy – Real Academia Española
- Coastal vs. Sierra vs. Cuban vs. Maracaiban
- Dictionaries
- Typing in Spanish
- Not Learning the language
- Learning or Considering Learning the language
- Aids in Learning the Language
- Like English, Spanish is actually a very beautiful language
- Like English, Spanish can be confounding – Idiomatic Expressions
- Good English students will have an advantage
- Warning!
- IOU
- Pronouncing the other letters
- Verbs – Be afraid. Be very afraid.
- Cognates – True or False?
- Diacritics – Accent and other pronunciation marks
- Numbers
- Tricks
- Common Words / Expressions
- Restaurants
- Shopping
- Shopping
- Grocery Stores – Types
- Store Types
- Monthly vs. Total Cost price tags
- Negotiating / Haggling
- Repeat Customers
- Black Friday Sales
- U.S. Clothing Stores
- Lockers
- Be Prepared, some names do not translate
- If it’s on the shelf and you want it get it
- Experiment
- Bread
- Sodas
- Milk
- Nestle
- Eggs
- Fruits & Vegetables (F & V)
- Here are some foods we rarely buy on the street and why
- Seafood
- Candy
- Behind Glass (Lock & Key)
- Quito & Guayaquil vs. Everywhere else
- Street, sidewalk, and Traffic signal venders
- Transportation
- Transportation
- Freight
- Ground Transportation
- Pedestrians
- Bikes
- Motorcycles
- Automobiles
- U.S. Driver’s License – good for 30 days
- Seat belts and Car Seats
- Autopistas – Freeways
- Toll Roads (80¢ – $1.00)
- Tickets & Fines
- Accidents
- Street Names and Addresses
- Driving Restrictions
- Muros – Aaagh!
- Traffic Signals
- Traffic in General
- Age
- Automobile Types
- Dashboard Cameras
- Dashboard Rugs
- Taxis
- Mixtos
- Tuk-Tuks
- Recreational Vehicles – ATV’s, Sport Utility Vehicles, Go Carts
- Sea
- Theft
- Miscellaneous
- Batteries
- Birds
- City Designs
- Fireworks
- Gyms
- Holidays
- Homelessness
- Luxury – ¡Sí hay!
- Marijuana
- Paying – Cable, Water, Electric, Phone Bills and recharging bus cards
- Poverty
- Prostitution
- Security Guards
- Tobacco / Vaping
- Things that are very hard to find or are very expensive in Ecuador:
- Things that cannot be found, or are hard to find in the U.S.
- Cuenca
- Cuenca
- Spanish
- Medical Facilities
- Dentists / Orthodontists
- Country Club
- Geology & Geography
- Restaurants
- American
- Pizza
- Breakfast – Desayuno (Des-eye-yu’-no) & Café’s
- Almuerzo – Lunch
- Dinner
- American – Styled Food
- Chinese
- Ecuadorian
- French
- Indian
- Mexican
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Ice Cream
- Seafood
- Views
- Sidewalks
- Sights
- Road / Day Trips
- Las Cajas (Las Ká-has), (The boxes [National Park])
- Access to the Coast
- Real Estate
- Grocery Stores
- Hardware Stores
- Furniture
- Metalworkers
- Carpenters
- Ceramic Tile
- Clothing
- Miscellaneous Things We’ve had constructed
- Marble & Granite
- 3 x 5 Cards
- Appliances & Electronics
- Crime
- WIFI
- Entertainment, Diversions, & Recreation
- Nightlife
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Transportation of things from the U.S.
- Transportation in Cuenca
- Backward (The Opposite of a Foreword)