Trash-it and Replace It Culture of USA vs. Fix-it and Keep It Culture of Ecuador

Reader asks: I have read that there are no second hand stores or yard sales in Cuenca. What does one do when replacing items? Are they tossed or donated?
 

Frank and Angie's Response: This is a good question and we wondered the very same thing when we first moved here. In general, we north Americans come from a throw-away kind of society where when something breaks or becomes too used up we simply replace it with a new one but here that is not the case at all.
 

The Ecuadorians do one of two things when something needs replaced: 1. They fix it, mend it, restore it, or repair it and then give it to someone else in the family to enjoy, whether it’s a piece of furniture or an appliance…or 2. They fix it, mend it, or repair it and keep it!
 

Ecuador’s culture is a very resourceful one where they find ways to continue using what they have; if something can’t be fixed they will use the parts from it to create or build something else with those parts. We find it rather industrious to say the least.
 

We have thrown out numerous broken items in the last five years from 2 electric heaters, kitchen electric grill, a fan, numerous broken small kitchen gadgets, broken lamps, and three office chairs that just broke in half because they were made of cheap plastic, etc. 

3rd broken office chair in five years! LOL

We put this chair outside by the gate and it was gone within minutes

Be careful buying things in Ecuador, off brands are no good and will break.
 

We put our broken stuff outside the gate for the garbage men to haul away and before you know it someone comes by and takes what he or she wants. This is why there are no thrift stores in Ecuador to speak of. They do have many used clothing and shoe stores however, but you will not find anything else, just clothes.
 

As for the expats that come here and then leave, they sell their stuff on the gringo portals to newcomers to Cuenca and that works out great because many folks do come here without anything but their suitcases and they have to buy furniture and appliances and more to setup house. 



When expats leave, for one reason or another sometimes they have a garage sell to get rid of all the stuff they bought. Now-a-days you can find just about everything you need to set up house; most things are only lightly used. It’s much less expensive than buying everything new. 



You will also find that now that there are more gringos needing stuff, the Ecuadorians also sell their things on the gringo portals, if they speak English and if they don’t speak English, they sell their items on Mercado Libre, an online sellers and buyers outlet for Ecuador.



Until we write again, you might like to read these articles.

• Ecuador’s Culture is Very Resourceful

• Culture Shock! South America vs. USA

•  43 Observations about Cuenca’s People

• Giving Up All Your Possessions to Move to Cuenca Ecuador

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Why Homes Are Walled and Behind Iron Gates in Cuenca Ecuador? UPDATE 2016

I notice that you live behind iron gates. Although you state, in another video, that the streets are safe, could you comment on home theft or petty theft? We know that to be pretty normal for Latin countries.   



Once again we bring you another relevant update about security measures and why homes need to be walled and windows barred. when living in Latin America. This 4 year old article (first published April 2012) really needed some updates.



Notice all updates are in red.  



Update 2016 - Some armchair travelers when they watch our videos remark about the tall iron gates that surround homes and the bars on the windows and don't understand it. They haven't even been here (yet) and they are already in mild shock.  



That's why we write articles like this one so people will have a better idea what's behind all these security measures. Also, most of Latin America is like this, not just Ecuador.



Welcome to Latin America...or should we say, "Are you sure Latin America is a good fit for you?" 



Why do people in North America lock their doors and windows at night? To keep thieves out, right? In North America thieves don’t care if you’re home or not, they just break in and steal what they want and in some cases if you cannot defend yourself properly, they’ll kill you. They call this “home invasion” up north. Most cities of the same size in North America have much more violent crime than Cuenca Ecuador.

Here in Cuenca Ecuador the thieves in most cases wait until you’re not home (burglary) as opposed to the much more violent home invasion. They just rob you blind and they do it, not when you’re sleeping but when you are away from your home. 



Update 2016 - This has changed. It is common practice in both Panama and Ecuador to break into houses when occupants are home and some of these home invasions are violent. It's been happening in Panama for quite some time but some folks with vested interests are keeping it hush hush...sad, really sad. It's only gotten worse there. 



And now that Ecuador is seeing more and more foreigners moving there, the country has been seeing more and more home invasions against foreigners. Be aware, we now advice expats have electric fencing around the perimeters of their houses, dog(s), alarms, motion detectors, cameras, etc and lots of wisdom. 



The difference in crime between the U.S and Ecuador is that in Ecuador (excluding the bigger cities) it mostly is not violent. I say, mostly, because there have been some violent robberies by criminals from Guayaquil in Cuenca.  



Update 2016 - Big change here. home invasions, especially those in gated communities have become more violent, sending expats to the hospital. The Ecuador coast and Vilcabamba have seen the most home invasions, however Cuenca is not immune to such violence. 

At first it can seem intimidating all the tall walls, barred windows, broken glass on the roofs, but after awhile you get used to it and you realize that it is partly a culture thing. If your house was the only one on the block not behind a tall locked gate, or tall wall with glass, you will eventually get burglarized. Why make it easy for the thieves. Be one step ahead of them. 



Update 2016 - Scoffers of crime in Latin countries complain about how ugly the tall gated walls are and bars on the windows but if you are going to live in a house in Ecuador and/or Panama you need this protection! To sweep personal security and crime under the rug would be unwise at best. 

On another note, if some of the bigger crime-ridden cities in North America had tall walls and iron gates around the homes there would be far less petty crime and armed robberies. Thieves want to take down the most vulnerable looking house or person and if they have a choice it will always be the house without the locked iron gate, or the person who seems to be the most vulnerable by “what they do” and “how they behave and live”. 



Update 2016 - Another update we feel needs mentioned is the opening of your gate to strangers, which can and does result in armed robberies of expats.  If you're going to open the gate to people you don't know then why even have a gate and an in-house speaker phone to the gate?  We know of 3 instances where expats have opened the gate to strangers and as a result, got robbed, two of them happened on the Ecuador coast and the other right here in Cuenca.

Yes, as a whole the streets are relatively safe in Cuenca (not talking about other parts of Ecuador) but one still needs to be diligent and stay aware of surroundings because there is petty thievery at work here all over Cuenca. We have talked about this in quite a few of our other blog posts. Please read through the blog carefully and you shall find your answers about staying safe in Cuenca. There’s also more in the DIY (Do it Yourself) Cuenca Landing Guide.



Until we write again, you might like to read these related articles about how to stay safe when living in Latin America.

• How Do Ecuadorians Protect Themselves from Crime?

• Why Crime is Minimized in "so called" Paradises Abroad?

• Crimes against Expats in Ecuador vs. Panama - Where is Most Crime and Is There a Difference?

• Living in the Countryside of Ecuador - Is It Safe for North American Expats?

We're
an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We
live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a
chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five
weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

 

Cuenca Ecuador Looks Like a War Zone

"Looks one step above a war zone": Comment left by a viewer of our YT video called 'Hermosa Cuenca Ecuador - Jan/Feb 2016'. 

War Zone? Wow, that's going a bit overboard. People who leave comments like the one above, saying that Cuenca looks like a war zone are in shock and we mean that literally. They don’t really know what it’s like to live in Latin America and they probably have never ventured very far out of their home town or city either.



Wall art is not graffiti. Scribbling some angry words on a wall should not be associated with wall art; big, big difference.


Graffiti Can Be Shocking!
 

Graffiti can be shocking; it brings out trepidation in people because it is often associated with violence, crime and gang activity especially in hollyworld movies. The commenter is right, where there is graffiti it usually means hoodlums out at night that don’t have anything else better to do with their time. And we're not saying Cuenca doesn't have crime, but it's not as bad as some people think.
 

Cuenca has some gangs and problems with crime but it is getting better than it used to be thanks to the much more proactive Cuenca police that are working to curb drug gangs and violence in Cuenca. 



The lower crime rate here could be the reason we’re seeing less graffiti on the walls as well. Yes, Cuenca has less and less graffiti on the walls just in the 7 years we’ve lived here. Now we're seeing more and more lovely wall art taking the place of graffiti.



From time to time we’ll receive a comment that says something negative about the tall iron gates and barred windows on the houses in Ecuador, because it scares people; they are literally in shock.

But it has to be that way, otherwise the vulnerable homes, without the bars on windows and tall iron gates will get broken into.  Homes without electric fences are more vulnerable than those with electric fences in the same neighborhood.
 

This brings us to the topic of country living in Ecuador; we’ve touched on this before. Usually homes in the country do not have the tall cement walls or gates surrounding the property, nor does the house itself have bars on the windows. And if you are a gringo living in an unprotected home you will eventually get broken into.




Gringo Enclave Home Invasions
 

Gated gringo communities are also targets for home invasions; having the attitude that one is protected because they are behind a security wall, invites thievery.  



Secluding yourself within a gringo enclave tells the outsider bad apples that “you think you are better than them” and it tells them “you have something of value to take” and it tells them you believe yourself to be safer because you are living among other gringos or in a better neighborhood”.    We don’t say this, the thieves think it!  



Well, let us tell you a little secret: more expensive neighborhoods get broken into ALL THE TIME! The gringos who are unable to live in the local standard type housing and neighborhoods, and do not blend in, will be more susceptible to being targets of crime. In a nutshell, that’s what it boils down to.
 

This brings us back to the commenter. All we can say is these types of people maybe shouldn’t venture out of their home towns because coming here would be too shocking for them and we don’t mean that in a bad way, we’re simply being serious and honest. Lots of people come here that shouldn’t. Like mom for instance; I already know that Ecuador would not be a good fit for her in so many ways.
 

Mom shouldn’t move here because she would want to live the way she wants, not the way she should live according to this country’s background and culture.  She would not adjust very well.  And if you’re moving abroad, you need to be the type that adjusts to anything.
 

Crime Is Different in Latin America!



We’ve always said on our blog to make people more aware, crime is different in Ecuador than in the U.S, which means you have to behave differently here. We’re glad we have tall gates around our home and barred windows; it’s what you need to do to protect yourself and your belongings in Latin America! Its part of life here and it’s not going to go away anytime soon!
 

Cuenca, as a whole is a beautiful city with gracious and curious locals; it has many charms you will never find in small towns in North America of the same size and we’re happy that we are here to experience and enjoy all that Ecuador has to offer.



As most of you know, we live on a local level, in a local style home, in a totally Ecuadorian neighborhood, speak Spanish and blend in…and doing all that, only after four years of living here did we experience prowler/robbery problem and this was only after our home became more vulnerable, at no fault of our own!  A storage structure was butted up against our detached home, which made it very easy for a prowler to use as a stepping stone to get onto our roof; from there they just climbed down into our yard. Before that for four years we had no crime issues.
 

Until we write again…you might like these articles too.

• Moving to Cuenca? Should You Live in a Gringo or Ecuadorian Neighborhood?

• Should You Rent an Apartment or House in Cuenca?

• Why Homes are Walled and Behind Iron Gates in Cuenca Ecuador

We're Italian-American expats, living frugal, healthy and happy in Ecuador for 7 plus years.  Our mission is to show you what it's really like to live abroad! The postcards provide us with a dream but the reality of how it really is provides us with honesty and truth.

Got Milk? Moooooove over Bessy! - Another Day in the Life in Cuenca Ecuador

What’s it like to live in Cuenca Ecuador, you may be wondering?  Well, good thing you asked because we have a rather amusing story to tell you about today. After all, it is another wonderful day in the life in Cuenca Ecuador. And we mean that even though not everything always goes as planned.

We’ve been looking for raw milk to make yogurt or kefir with.  So we went to a popular Cuenca gringo forum and found a couple of places to get raw milk in Cuenca according to the gringo forum in Cuenca. In fact, the daughter of one of the raw milk producers boasts on the forum that her dad’s milk is very clean, she says publicly on the forum, “He takes care that everything is completely hygienic”.   Her exact words.
 

Ok, so we’re eager to try out this “raw milk”. Our intention is to try it out (to make yogurt) and if we like it we’ll buy more the next time. So, we call the milk producer and set up an appointment for him to come out the next day. We let him know over the phone that we only want a quart and if we like it, we’ll start buying more from him.
 

The next day he arrives with the raw milk. We chit chat for a bit and then says, “You need to boil the milk before drinking it”.
 

We are somewhat taken aback upon hearing this and say to him, “Then it is not raw milk anymore if it needs to be boiled before you can drink it.”
 

“But it’s not clean and you need to boil it”. He resounds, again.
 

We’re dumbfounded about hearing this.  Really dumbfounded.
 

We ask, “What about your cheese, is it raw”?
 

“Yes, it is raw cheese, he tells us”
 

At this point we realize something is not right with what he is telling us because if you have to boil the milk first to make the cheese then the cheese is not raw.
 

We stare at each other in silence, waiting…waiting…feeling just a bit uncomfortable because the cheese is not raw but he just said it was. 



He finally pipes up after about 10 seconds later and says, “I boil the milk first and then make the cheese”?
 

“Then the cheese is not raw either”.
 

He shook his head and said again a bit frustrated, “Just boil it before drinking”.
 

Our search for ‘raw’ milk thus far from a forum is in vain.  We went ahead and made yogurt with the milk (we did not boil it) as the live enzymes formed during the fermentation process of yogurt making are supposed to kill any bad bacteria like E-Coli. 
 

So, 18 hours later when the yogurt is done, we hem and haw with each other about who is going to try out the new yogurt we made with unclean milk and well, we decided not to eat the yogurt. We threw it out. Glad we only bought one quart instead of two or three gallons.
 

Since then we asked around of our Ecuadorian neighbors and were quickly hooked up with someone who actually does have hygienically clean practices and he says emphatically, “No way, you do not have to boil my milk, it is very clean!” 
 

And it is. We’ve been making yogurt with it, no problems.
 

This just tells us, once again what we already knew all along, be wary of what you read on the Internet and watch out where you get your information from.  If she (the daughter) would have stated in the advert that you need to boil the milk first, we would never have wasted our time calling it.  



You can actually learn a lot from such incidents.
 

What have we learned from this incident? Now we know there is dirty, raw milk that needs boiled first before drinking and is advertised as raw milk, and there is milk producers that sell raw milk that actually do use safe cleanliness practices on their farms so that you do not need to boil the milk.
 

Interesting how when living in an Ecuadorian neighborhood, dealing with the locals seems to pan out much better than relying on gringo forums.  Not a judgement, just a fact.  And this is just one of the problems with going to a foreign country, not learning the language and not interacting with locals on a neighborly basis.  You get stuck relying on forums that are, well, unreliable.  Thank God we repented of our laziness.
 

Until we write again…you might like these other 'day in the life' articles too.

• Automatic Bill Pay for Internet - another day in the life in Cuenca Ecuador

• Notarizing a Document in Cuenca Ecuador - another day in the life

• Searching for a Local Priced Rental in Cuenca - another day in the life in Ecuador

• A Day in the Life at the Cuenca Ecuador Hardware Store

• After the Cuenca Ecuador Honeymoon - a day in the life!
  

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Meet 6 Ecuadorian Personalities: Café Owner, Tour Guide, Naturalist, RE Agent & Hostel Owner

In this video we talk with six Ecuadorian business owners, living in different parts of Ecuador. 

                   


We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

6 Facts Showing Rent & Housing Prices Have Increased Considerably in Cuenca Ecuador by Foreigners!

Once again we bring you the real nitty gritty about expat life in Cuenca Ecuador.  Each year the same question is asked "How many foreigners live in Cuenca" and each year for the past 10 years the same answer of a few thousand (4000) is conjured up just out of the blue. 



What this does is gives those who for one reason or another need to believe that foreigners don't raise prices while they go around spouting off that a few thousand foreigners could not possibly raise housing markets, rental prices, or any prices for that matter.  Their persistent and dogmatic forum postings say things like:



 I
am so fed up with unsubstantiated claims (Gringo urban myths) that
4,000 gringos supposedly drive up prices for everybody in a city of
500,000. How does this make economic sense??? Somebody explain this to
me with facts.

Ok, who's common sense should we use: how about the official office of the 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) that processes and registers the visa paperwork!?  Moving on... 

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores

1. [Aunque para la Cancillería es halagador que los extranjeros prefieran Cuenca a los países desarrollados de los que provienen, el crecimiento de dicha población “necesita ser regulado”, según Humberto Cordero, secretario del Viceministerio de Movilidad Humana.



Según un estudio de la Universidad de Cuenca, los extranjeros prefieren zonas cercanas al Centro Histórico, a no más de 15 minutos de distancia en vehículo. Esto ha hecho que las propiedades en dicho radio de acción aumenten considerablemente de valor.]

This from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Translated for non-Spanish Speakers

[The ministry of foreign affairs is flattered that foreigners prefer Cuenca Ecuador, a developing country over their own country for retirement; however the MOFA states that the growth of the population needs to be regulated because of substantially higher housing prices.



A study by the University of Cuenca shows that foreigners prefer areas near the historic center, no more than 15 minutes away by car. This has caused the properties in that range to increase considerably in value.] 

 

SOURCE: The Cuneca Ecuador Study (2010 - 2011) of the Impact of Foreigners to Cuenca Ecuador - Click PDF for the 2011 study of the Impact of Foreigners to Cuenca Ecuador to get an idea of what the new study involves. (Can't find the new 2015 - 2016 study online, if there even is one)



 2. Cuenca has 12,000
gringo/permanent residents now according to the 'Ministry of Foreign
Affairs'. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (who better to get the facts from than the OFFICIAL office that processes the residency visas, uh?) 



[Según el último registro del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, los estadounidenses que viven de forma permanente en la ciudad superaron los 8.000 habitantes; junto a europeos y canadienses sobrepasan los 12.000 residentes extranjeros.]

Translated for non Spanish Speakers

At the last registry of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of north Americans (U.S) who live permanently in the city exceeded 8,000; with Europeans and Canadians the numbers surpass the 12,000 foreign residents living in Cuenca Ecuador.



Notice the "El Tiempo" article says...AT THE LAST REGISTRY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.  Unlike the forum opinions attesting actual figures to some University study, these facts come directly from the official government offices that have a registry of all residence apps.



Is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs registry files mistaken? Could there still only be 4,000 gringo residents living in Cuenca years and years later? Please read the article yourself at the source: El Tiempo Newspaper



And
how is it that year in and year out these nay-saying doubters throw
around the same number of year round residents that was being touted ten
years ago?  After many years, they’re still using the same number. 
Read on.


The last paragrpah of the article in El tiempo the MOFA states:

[Since 2012 the number of foreign residents increased by 1,000 people per year. The trend continues, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]



But just for fun we'll play the game with all the naysayers. Let's suppose there are still only 4,000 permanent residents living in Cuenca. So what! There is always a new influx of gringos coming that need to rent houses and apartments. Do you get that?



According to the MOFA there are 10 new applicants a day processing permanent resident visa paperwork in Cuenca immigration. That's 50 per week, 210 per month and yearly that's approx. 2060 visa requests, not counting for the last part of the holiday month of December.   If only half retain residency (that's a full 1000 per year that would be leaving)  that would be more than 1,000 new residents each year residing in Cuenca! Which coincides with the MOFA statement of 1,000 new residents each year!

 

[Since 2012 the number of foreign residents increased by 1,000 people per year. The trend continues, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] 



It
doesn’t take many gringos who demand what he or she likes, river views,
near to El Centro, walking to store, no stairs, pets, a yard, etc…when they all ask for
similar cookie cutter housing, for landlords and real estate agents to
get wind of it and raise prices on their homes that have these
amenities!! But all the gringos have these same demands! Now do you see?
It’s not that hard or difficult to get.
 

3.
Listen and read what other expats are saying, that have lived here for 3
to 6 years, about rental prices. Are large groups of gringos lying
about rental prices doubling, or is it what’s really happening? What or
why would a large group of people get from lying about something like
this anyway? Please see our video "What's it Like Living in a Tourist City Like Cuenca".
 

4.
In 2011 a taxi driver told us not to pay more than $250 to $300 dollars
for a 3/3 house.  Should we not believe the local who has lived here
all his life, or should we believe the stumped gringo(s) who only just
moved here 6-months ago?
 

4
years later: Look online, look in the paper, ask around and you’ll soon
discover that the $250 house has vanished. Now the new price for a
decent house (same value as the $250 house) is between $450 to $700
dollars rental price. You can get a whole lot of house in a lot of parts
of the world for that. See Cuenca Ecuador Rental Market Compared to 8 others Countries.
 

According
to Numbeo the cost of renting in July 2014 was showing 50% higher than
Medellin. Now, 8 months later it is showing a 72% higher rental market
than Medellin. And this is according to 46 renters who live in Medellin
and 46 renters who live in Cuenca. Who better to talk about rental prices than the renters themselves!!!?

          (top) July 2014 screenshot taken from Numbeo.com

         (top) February 2015 screenshot taken from Numbeo.com
 

The facts are everywhere, but some gringos show perplexity and wonder how just a few thousand gringos can
raise prices that they don’t believe it. A doubting Thomas will never
believe until something happens to them to show otherwise.  Just because
Thomas doubted, did not change the fact that his Lord was standing
right in front of him.
 

6.  Returning Ecuadorians (with money to spend) were descending upon Cuenca in the thousands.
These wealthy Ecuadorians have been living in the u.s for more than
half their lives, working and saving, and now many of them are returning
to their homeland of Cuenca. Many of them live in gringolandia because
they are gringos.  They call themselves that.
 

Okay,
now that you know some of the facts, let’s do some more considering.
When we reverse the process, or let’s say, put our self in the landlord /
agents shoes, we just need to ask ourselves this: If all the gringos
and all the returning Ecuadorians went back to the u.s tomorrow, who
would the landlords rent their $600 and $700 houses and apartments to?
 

The
majority of (Cuenca) Ecuador are wage earners and small mom and pop
business owners. Are they going to rent a house in Cuenca for $600? No,
they probably are not going to rent anything over $300 dollars unless
one of the earners in the home is a doctor, lawyer, professor; you know,
a wealthier Ecuadorian.
 

Are
the majority of renters in Cuenca, doctors, lawyers, and large business owners, or are they wage earners and small mom and pop business
owners?  CIA world fact book says the latter. So then we must ask the
question again, who is going to rent all of the houses and apartments
that were typically priced at the local rental rate of $250 to $300 back
in 2011 that are now typically $500 and $700?  Still stumped? It is
not rocket science.
 

Many
times because of unbelief for one reason or another, we just have to
step outside of ourselves to see something, you know, “get it”, even if
it is right under our noses.



Until we write again, you might like to read these related articles too.

• How Many Expats Live in Cuenca Ecuador?

• 10 More Shocking Truths about Cuenca Ecuador

• Why (some) Expats Move Back to North America after Living in Ecuador 

• Cuenca Ecuador has been Discovered!

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

BEST PLACE to RETIRE: After Comparing Cities Abroad Is Cuenca Ecuador Still Out on TOP?

We like to let people know “what it’s (really) like” to live abroad. Intentionally omitting facts to make something sound a certain way could result in misleading someone.  



In the old days, if you were hyping benefits to the 'fluffy' level, it was considered 'puffery', i.e. exaggerated or false. Glamorizing a city is no different; all this does is throw people off when they go to visit a place because they start out with too high of expectations.  



We talk and write about such things as the parasites, machismo behavior and misinformation about Cuenca and everything in between. Our picture is real! It’s real because we observed it and experienced it ourselves and we have no vested interests keeping us from blogging about it. 



We have no agenda whatsoever, except…to let people know the real nitty-gritty of life abroad.  



Why We Debunk (New) Best Place to Retire in Favor of Cuenca Ecuador 



Its comical how we think that going to another country is going to not have anything negative about it because it’s the (new) best place to retire in,“paradise”.  Let’s take a detailed look at why we debunk the new best places to retire in favor of Cuenca Ecuador.  



We’ve done our share of traveling, having traveled to different parts of Mexico many times, British Virgin Islands a couple of times, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and now Panama.  



1. Crime



When we went to Panama for five weeks we thought we were going to a country that had little crime. Why? Because you never hear about it!  Crime in Panama’s expat communities is considerably played down, almost like it doesn’t exist…it is a phenomenon how people sweep such important issues under the rug.  It’s getting really dirty under that rug and we’re sweeping it out!



Cuenca Ecuador is probably the safest city of its size in all of Latin America. Sure there’s thievery but nothing like Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia...and now just lately we're hearing that the border city of Peru is crime ridden too.  Cuenca (not other areas in Ecuador) has minimal violent crime against foreigners at this time and that is a plus for retirees who need to be able to walk the streets and sleep with peace of mind.  



In Panama, Mexico, Colombia, DR, and Costa Rica crime rates have gotten out of hand, especially against foreigners. And many of the new best places to live on the ten best places list are crime ridden as well.  Lower crime is why foreigners choose Cuenca Ecuador over Boquete, Panama.



2. Renting



Sure Cuenca’s rents have risen substantially but so have rents in all of the other Latin American cities too.  What we’ve noticed about rents in general in places talked about over the internet or heavily visited by tourists is that they always gravitate to the same level or resistance. See if this is not so.   



We’ve done some research and written about it before.  The level of price resistance for rental pricing frequently seems to be very consistent. You will hear the same figures over and over, and how could that be?  After all, these are totally different places in different countries. 



3. Garbage Collections



Disorganization is common and usually visible in the garbage collection. This is where Cuenca Ecuador shines, they do a very good job of keeping the streets free of loose garbage.  This cannot be said unfortunately of other areas in Ecuador and other Central and South American countries. 

 This is a common theme in Panama City Panama

Garbage pick-up in Cuenca and Quito is excellent! Not only is it excellent but there is no garbage on the streets anywhere, and if a piece of garbage is on the streets, the locals in the orange and green jumpsuits come to the rescue and clean it. Cuenca is the cleanest city (from garbage on the streets) we’ve ever been in, in Latin America!  Cuenca has garbage pick-up even during holidays!! 



4. Sewage issues 



Panama has a sewage problem along the Balboa boardwalk. During certain hours in the morning (best time to walk) when the tide is out, it reeks of waste. We had to avoid walking on the boardwalk during those two hours when the tide is out because the stench was so unbearable. This is where the $2000 dollar a month ocean view apartments are located. Still, it doesn’t add up. 



Sewage runs into the ocean and its causing a big mess, a big stench, and it’s certainly not what you paid for. Don’t think this kind of things is contained only to Panama. Latin American countries frequently have the same third world sewage issues. 



5. No RESTROOMS 



Cuenca Ecuador is no exception.  When I first landed, and was walking around downtown, it quickly became apparent that there was a lack of public restrooms.  At first I thought it was just because I was new and didn’t know where they are located.  Later I realized that it’s a combination of factors that puts me at a disadvantage. One is, that I’m walking, and therefore it takes longer to get to a restroom in the first place. 



Walking and having to go is not like driving and having to go. In hotter countries such as Panama, its even more challenging since drinking water is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. 



Elevation also makes one thirstier and needing lots of water and so it's good that at least the city of Cuenca has a few public restrooms. Many Latin countries do not even have that.



6. Highways and Streets 



Some places have pretty good highways but a lot of the interior roads need a lot of work, and many areas have unpaved streets,causing mud holes and dusty roads all of the time.  Of course, you always see pictures of sunsets in the pretty postcard pictures, not muddy and dusty streets. How to decipher the international travel press/promoters to your advantage when retiring abroad!



7. Internet Connectivity & Service



Although internet connectivity is improving, it is not the always on reliable and dependable internet we’re used to back home. Especially when we travel, the internet is spotty at best, if you can get it.



Infrastructure in Latin American Countries



You
shouldn't have to pay $2000 per month for 800 square feet just to get
good internet.  Many if not most of the hostels or small hotels have
terrible internet in their rooms in all the areas we’ve traveled to. 
When you look at the prices of these longtime expat destinations and how
touristy they get, the value is just not there.



8. Health Care and Medical/Dental 



Two different people have told us just in one week what good service they received from one of the hospitals in Cuenca Ecuador. We’re sure that healthcare is good in bigger cities in other Latin American countries too but it’s still less expensive in Cuenca Ecuador, and especially when you stay away from the recommended doctors that speak English.  



9. Public Transportation  



Panama City has good transportation with the metro buses and the subways but once you leave the big city, it is terrible! If you want to travel to Azuero Peninsula and you don’t have a car, good luck! The minivans that service this area and others further south leave a lot to be desired as a transportation service.Many times there was no room in these vans and if you over 5’ 6” tall you will be uncomfortable to put it mildly.  



The country of Ecuador has great transportation, no matter what city or town you want to travel to because they use regular buses that service regular size people. Some countries have good reliable transportation, and others not so much.  If you’re just a tourist its something you put up with because you know its temporary.  But if you’re thinking of residing permanently, make sure you understand what you’re getting into, and if you will be able to withstand it. 



10. Grocery Stores   



In Panama everything in the grocery stores is imported from the U.S and it’s very expensive. Fruits and vegetables are out of this world expensive in Panama, no matter where at you are in Panama. There are a few tropical fruits that grow in Panama like the mango, papaya, coconut, and pineapple that are still very reasonable, but everything else is imported.  



In Ecuador you can buy all fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices and Cuenca has several organic produce markets where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables inexpensively. 



To sum this up, we think Ecuador is much more likable and livable than many other Central and South American areas for all the reasons we discuss in this article.  Of course there are other considerations, and some of them quite severe such as lack of air quality here in Cuenca Ecuador.  



We have no agenda whatsoever, except…to let people know the real nitty-gritty of life abroad.  Cuenca for us, at least so far from what we have seen, read about and heard from other people, is still the best place to live in Latin America.  Maybe that’s correct, maybe its not.  But running to some other ‘best retirement place in the world’ or ‘paradise’ that’s the current fad, we thought we’d mention some of the things you should consider. Thanks for reading.  



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We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!