I moved to Cuenca, Ecuador. I did it for all the right reasons—and discovered an exciting new life beyond the curtain of fear that keeps most people stuck at home. I’ve been living here for two years now, and my expat experience thus far has vastly exceeded expectations that were pretty high to begin with. One of the most impressive aspects of life in Ecuador is the quality and affordability of health care.
To be young is to dream. As kids we fantasize about becoming super heroes, professional athletes, or actors. We start our careers and imagine great success and an early, prosperous retirement. Then “reality” gets in the way. One by one we set those dreams on a shelf. Still, it’s good to keep them around, however dusty. Because sometimes you’ll find them coming to life in amazing and unexpected ways.
About five years ago I heard about a course running in Ecuador that could show me how to make money from travel. I didn't know anything about Ecuador but was intrigued by the idea. The more I read about it, the more excited I got. The course was about import/export and it was about to show me how I could travel to exotic spots, shop for beautiful, unique artisan-made goods, and turn a profit...
If Ecuador isn't on your short list of places to travel, add it. Ecuador has mountain towns...tropical coast...the Amazon basin...and it's also home to the Galapagos Islands. But I won't dwell on any of that right now; just suffice it to say that if you go, you'll want to go back.
While in Miami airport recently awaiting a flight home, I struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler. When he learned I lived in Ecuador he was extremely curious and asked many questions about why I was there and how I liked it. Before we parted he said, "Well, I don’t speak Spanish so I couldn’t move to your new country." He’s partially right.
After just a few months in Ecuador, Julian and Casandra bought a property just outside Otavalo, the hometown of one of South America’s largest indigenous markets. Their dream was to turn it into a bed & breakfast where they could indulge all of their interests at the same time. Rio Blanco Bed & Brew was born. "I love to cook," says Casandra.
We had just pulled out of a perfect…and perfectly deserted…half-moon cove where sand and surf played lazy tag between rock-boned headlands. After driving just a few more minutes north, our driver again turned off the coastal highway and again we dropped into another beach scene lifted straight from a tropical postcard. “Tasaste,” our driver said.
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It happens to me every now and then…I look around in amazement and ask myself, “How did I get here?” Right now, here is a small Andean mountain village basking under the equatorial sun in a green valley 8,000 feet above sea level between two extinct volcanoes in northern Ecuador. And of course, I know more or less how I got here.
Why do I love Quito, Ecuador? The sweet-natured people...the extraordinary weather...the gorgeous scenery...the great restaurants, shopping, the first-class infrastructure and services...and, of course, the affordability... It's a city where you can still take a taxi anywhere in town for $1 to $5 and find a menu del dia for $1.50 to $2.50.