Hi Marjie,

We rented for two months in Cuenca while travelling around Ecuador. We also bought an apartment which we are now living in. It is right on the Tomebamba river and we absolutely love it. Today I was even thinking how very lucky we are to be here.

The weather is not colder than Australia remembering we are on the equator here. You can choose your climate in Ecuador. The weather in Cuenca to us is moderate and the last week has been fabulous. Quite warm during the day and the evenings you always require a sweater. But it does not get that hot and so we take a trip to the coast every so often which is so easy and inexpensive to do here.

We have cold winters in Australia and very warm summers. But I like the temp here in Cuenca and feel it is not very cold at all. Its funny though because some of the Cuencanos believe it is cold.

As for the pollution. In the city it is quite bad with the fumes from trucks, taxis and buses etc. As a matter of fact my partner had an appointment with a municipal person yesterday and they are already investigating possibilities of reducing the pollution from the transport vehicles. Something my partner is quite involved in.

Where we live (10 mins with a taxi or a 40 min walk from the city) we do not have the bad fumes from the vehicles etc. Also with so many mountains around us we can go out to the country or coast at the drop of a hat............so to speak.

Let me know if I can help you with any other questions. (SNIP)
Ciao Ciao
Dixie

I am looking at moving to either Ecuador or? Tell me please how you picked Ecuador, where you live and what you are doing for work and fun? looking forward!

Hi,

I just opened a thread today about Ecuador since I couldn't find a forum. May I ask where in the country you live (mountains, sea side etc) and your age group?

I am a women, retiring next year and looking forward to an adventurous retirement as I am not the rocking chair type. I have been focusing for months on Mexico, but an emagazine suggested I consider Ecuador. They claim I can have a better lifestyle in Ecuador than Mexico. I don't tolerate high heat or humidity well so they suggested Cotacachie (sorry if I misspelled it) or Quito.

The downside is that I can't bring my car with me. Being very independent, not having a car is scary. And my other concern is that Ecuador uses the US dollar for currency. I worry what will happen if/when the dollar tanks or China recalls their loan...

What is your favorite thing about living in Ecuador?

Thanks,
MandyinJax

I just got back from a 2 week tour of the coast and fell in love with Salinas. So much so that my best friend and I negotiated a deal to purchase a bar that we stumbled across on the Malecon. I'll be moving in late July and look forward to a new life there.

BTW, if anyone finds themself in Quito make sure you stop by Confederate Books and Adam's Rib in New Town. Both are owned by Expats and they will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and provide assistance & advise.

I am a business broker living in Portland, Oregon. My fiancée and I are considering moving to Ecuador within the next year. We are traveling to Ecuador this January to look for real estate to purchase. We will be looking at real estate in Cuenca and the Vilcabamba areas. How long does it take to acclimate to living at elevation in Cuenca, (2596m - 8517 ft)? Do you feel safe in Cuenca? Are you happy with the climate? Would you recommend renting a care or using taxi and/or guide while looking for real estate?

Hi Jeff if you are looking at Real Estate you are better off with a guide. We have friends in the business and a personal bi-lingual driver that you can use. He charges $15 per hour to show you around Cuenca. Also another friend has a tourism company and his wife is in the Real Estate business. We found that unless you know very good Spanish and the areas you are better off employing someone to help you look at property. I now also work with the people above so feel free to email me and ask more questions. We have lived in Cuenca for the past year and also on the coast for four months. We also have people you can contact in Vilcabamba.

The altitude does bother some folks. But you seem to get used to it. Will you be working here? That may be something you need to think about as if you are jobs are not that easy to get and the pay is lower than maybe what you are used to.

Ciao and just ask if you requie more info.