Hi MandyinJax, I will be watching this thread closely as your 3 country choices mirror my own interests. There is a very active Yahoo Group that I follow for Ecuador that is informative. The last I looked for info on Uruguay there was little to be found, I am planning a trip there around Thanksgiving. Be aware, in my opinion, your contries run a huge spectrum in terms of their development and crime. Ecuador, while beautiful, is poorly developed and very high crime. Mexico, especially La Paz, much nicer (probably nicer than many areas of Jax) and very friendly visa rules for Gringos, Uruguay, much higher up the development scale and less crime. The weather in Uruguay (Montevideo) seems very seasonal and moderate. Good luck with research!