Food Poisoning, Parasites, Amoebas, Mold and other Environmental Conditions in South America

Food poisoning, parasites, mold and detrimental amoebas are some of the things you may have to deal with in South America. We’re normally very healthy people but since arriving in Ecuador we’ve been sick more than usual. When we first moved here we noticed how much Ecuadorians love yogurt and eat a lot of yogurt products and well, now we know why.   



We’re NOT complaining, only wanting to let folks know what it’s really like to live in a developing country so you can be prepared and ready. You do want to know all the nitty-gritty, right? Well, here's the nitty-gritty.



If you are an older person you really don’t want to let your guard down and become ill. It’s easy to do when you are traveling and visiting tropical countries with strange virus bugs and other environmental conditions that you are not used to. So when you get a chance you might want to take a look at our health and well being section of the blog about some of the ways to stay healthy while living abroad. 



This post is a nutshell rundown of the last four plus years of the unhealthy physical situations we have experienced. Of course, we are mostly well and healthy people, otherwise.  Some of these health issues can surely be avoided and then some can’t and then you just have to deal with them.  Just like anything else abroad you have to carry with you a different kind of behavior when it comes to health, so we hope this helps our readers for when they get here. 



2011-2012 - First we had the mold issues, long time followers know about that one, but if you are new to the blog, you can find out more about our mold experience here.  To make a long story short, mold was growing inside and under our kitchen cabinets where you can’t see it. Funny, it was growing on the cement wall behind the kitchen drawers, consequently we all felt ill with headaches and sinus issues for weeks until I accidentally stumbled upon the hidden mold growth.



2012 – Angie got food poisoning in Salinas.



2013 to the present - Then the smoggy (diesel fumes) conditions cause(d) respiratory illness in Frank because we walk a lot; and that’s when we usually go to the beach and dry out, so to speak. A week at the Salinas beach heals sinus, runny nose, colds, upper respiratory issues, you name it. We usually have runny noses in Cuenca for some reason and we don’t have a cold, but the minute we visit the southern beaches runny nose and coughing go away within a week.  This is when Frank figured out he needed a smog mask.



2014 - In between these illnesses, Angie got food poisoning, again. The second time it was not in Cuenca either, it was in Giron falls, a town about 45 minutes outside of Cuenca. We walked into the restaurant and the place was literally swarming with flies.  Why did we stay? Why did we not listen to our gut instincts? We were hungry and no other places to eat nearby up in the Andes Mountains. We were the only ones eating in the restaurant.



October 2015
- Frank and Angie both got food poisoning eating in a vegetarian
restaurant in Cuenca Ecuador and we both ate the exact same thing, the almuerzo special
of the day. This time I was not alone running to the bathroom. Not fun at all!



November 2015 - Our whole family caught some strange awful flu bug (sore throat, headache, achy joints, 103 fever for days, lethargy, and nausea) that lingered for a full week or more in each of us.  It was nothing we’ve ever experienced before. When something you're not used to is hitting  against your body hard like unhealthy air, the next thing you know weakness starts out in that area, and then can wear you down.  We have to work real hard at avoiding the bad air, but its not that easy to do when you like walking around like we do.  You can read about this weird virus bug here.



December 2015 - And now we’re dealing with the Entamoeba Histolytica parasites that we’re not really sure how we got; either from eating and drinking out in a restaurant or from using the tap water too soon after the water had been shut off, or....who knows. 



To some of you this may seem like a normal amount of sickness, but to us, it’s not. Two of the unhealthy things we’ve been sick with in South America, we’ve never been sick with before in the U.S, mold and parasites. Sure, perhaps we’ve had a parasite in the U.S before and we didn’t know it because we’ve never felt compelled to go to the doctor or take stool samples to the lab before. The lab tech told us that Ecuadorians treat themselves for parasites once a year, just to be on the safe side. And we never had a mold problem living in the U.S.



In many ways, living in Cuenca we are healthier, we lost weight, we eat fresher foods and eat way more fruits and vegetables than we did living in the U.S, which is a lot healthier. We walk a lot more in Ecuador, another aspect of Cuenca life that we like so well; some streets we try to avoid because of all the traffic and bus fumes but sometimes they are unavoidable. 



How We Strive to Stay Healthy in South America



We got rid of the mold and so we don’t have that unhealthy concern weighing on us anymore. The mold comes back and does need to be cleaned periodically.

• Now we’re just dealing with staying free from food borne illness and parasites.  We stopped eating out as much. We only eat out in select few restaurants that we know are OK to eat in. There’s just so many times you get food poisoning that you just can’t take it anymore. 

• To avoid flues and germs, we try not to ride the buses during the winter (July and August) months as there are too many people hacking and coughing and spitting on the buses.

• We try to (if we can) avoid the busier streets with all the buses when out walking. Frank has a better face mask now but the mask is hard to breathe in so it is uncomfortable and suffocating at best...

• We strive to eat right, keeping our gut flora healthy which does help when the cold and flu season comes around. Your immune systems depends on the health of your colon and if you don’t take care of it you’ll be sick a lot more when visiting and living in developing countries.

• Parasites and amoebas (most of them) multiply in your body and that's when things start going awry inside of you. We had parasites and didn't even know it because we eat so much good for you fermented foods that it kept them from multiplying. Eating fermented foods on a consistent basis really does help.

NOTE: We suggest making your own homemade fermented food rather than use the pasteurized stuff because it does not work as well, plus it is sweetened with sugar. We make homemade yogurt and sauerkraut which does wonders for our overall health.  If you have any questions about making these yourself, please let us know, we'd be glad to help you out.



We have had to make some adjustments in our lives but isn’t that a part of life, even in paradise?



Until we write again.



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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!

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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!

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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!

The War on Parasites When Living in Developing Countries

It’s no laughing matter, moving to a developing country comes with some annoyances such as the presence of ugly bugs that contaminate the food, the water and the occasional (hope it is the occasional) food handler and server that prepares your food and has filthy hands. Ugh! 

Amazing Garlic

Now, certainly anyone can contract parasites living anywhere in the world but it is much more prevalent in certain areas of the world that are in the development stages…especially if eating from street vendors and eating out a lot. The more you eat out and not take precautions your chances are much greater for getting a parasitic infection or disease.
 

It started with our youngest son who began complaining of aches and pains in different parts of his body. Sometimes he would have jabbing pains in his liver and sometimes he complained of stomach aches with sharp pains in different areas of his intestines.  He has never been ill like this in his life. He took a stool sample down to the lab here in Cuenca and it came back positive for parasites. 



Then just to be on the safe side we all got checked and sure enough it was confirmed we all had the same parasites! EEK! Our son had a more pronounced stage (stage 2) said the lab technician and why he was having more intestinal issues. The rest of us had some cramping (stage 1) but didn't put two and two together. There are 4 stages; stage 3 is serious and 4 is fatal. We eat a lot of raw garlic, raw yogurt and sauerkraut and is probably why the parasitic infection did not reach a more advanced stage. Thank goodness. 
 

This parasite we had is not your ordinary Giardia parasite that stays confined to your intestines. It’s a parasite that mutates if it breaches the intestines into a totally different creature, it normally lives in your intestines but in some people, (we think in constipated people) it travels through your blood stream to other parts of your body and makes home in your organs and that is when it begins to make bigger trouble.  Rarely does this nasty parasite migrate to the lungs and brain but in severe cases, if left unchecked it can and does.
 

Entamoeba Histolytica is very common in South America.  It is the third most dangerous parasite in the world and kills 70,000 people per year.  In ten percent of the population it can become serious where the protozoans migrate out of the intestines and into other organs in the body where cysts feed off cells and tissues, causing ulcers and a myriad of other complications to its host.  Yuck! And because we had it, we felt compelled to find out all we could about this disgusting parasitic attacker.
 

Facts about Entamoeba Histolytica
 

1. These parasites are very prevalent in rural Ecuador - 57.1% of the Quichua Highland children of Ecuador that were tested for E. Histolytica had it.
 

2. When the parasites migrate out of the intestines and into the organs it is called Amoebiasis Disease, and if left untreated it can be fatal.
 

3. Most people, about 90% live with these parasites without issue; however, 10% to 20% percent of people with it, contract Amoebiasis Disease where the cysts make homes in the organs, particularly the intestines and to the liver where they eat away at the tissues and cells.
 

3. E. Histolytica is rather easy to contract, either from fecal contaminated food and water, or from a food prep worker or server with dirty hands, or, the cysts can be transferred from objects you touch and then accidentally touch your mouth and you’ve got it; and amazingly enough, even flies can transfer the cysts from their furry little legs onto your food.
 

4. E. Histolytica infection (Amoebiasis) is the third leading cause of death from parasitic diseases worldwide, with its greatest impact on the people of developing countries; it is mostly seen in Asia and South American countries.
 

5. The infectious cyst form of the E. Histolytica Parasite is relatively resistant to chlorine.
 

6. Parasitic infections are the most prevalent infections of humans in developing countries.
 

7. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 50 million people worldwide suffer from invasive amoebic infection each year, resulting in 40-100 thousand deaths annually
 

8. 203 stool samples were taken from children in rural Ecuador and the results showed that 85.7 percent of them had at least one type of intestinal parasite and 57% of those children had E. Histolytica.
 

Source: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition - Human Intestinal Parasites Rashidul Haque, Scientist and Head of Parasitology Laboratory
 

9. In the U.S the most dramatic incidence of E. Histolytica was the Chicago World's Fair outbreak in 1933 caused by contaminated drinking water; defective plumbing permitted sewage to contaminate the drinking water. There were 1,000 cases (with 58 deaths). In recent times, food handlers are suspected of causing many scattered infections, but there has been no single large outbreak in the U.S.
 

NOTE: It is safe to say that something like this could have happened in Cuenca Ecuador as well. If it can happen in the U.S it can happen in South America.
 

Source:FDA



10. Ecuadorians routinely get checked and rid themselves of parasites at least once a year, says the lab technician in Cuenca Ecuador. That tells us a lot!





Update November 2016 - We since learned that many Ecuadorians treat with antibiotics every 6 months!
 

Is Tap Water in Cuenca Ecuador Safe to Drink?
 

As our long time followers know we quit drinking the tap water several years ago, not because we think the tap water in Cuenca is dirty but because we wanted to filter out chlorine, heavy metals and fluoride.  Overall, we feel the tap water in Cuenca is perfectly safe to drink and actually is cleaner than some parts of the U.S. 



UPDATE 2016: No, the tap water is NOT SAFE to drink. We have expats that have reported to us they got the same parasite we did in Cuenca called Entamoeba Histolytica!  Several expats have also goteen Giardia in Cuenca Ecuador. As much as we would like to tell people something is safe and healthy we no longer recommend anyone drink the water in Cuenca, Ecuador ever.
 

When the Tap Water in Cuenca Is UNSAFE to Drink
 

There are exceptions to every rule, however, and in this instance it’s when the water has been turned off.  This has happened in Cuenca more times than we would like to admit, especially now since they have been working on the light rail. If the water has been turned off, the first rushes of water that runs through your pipes would be contaminated.
 

The other exception is drinking water from an old house with old pipes or washing fruits and vegetables with contaminated water or brushing your teeth with contaminated water by not letting it run long enough before using the water. After water has been shut off, running the water through the pipes for at least 5 minutes is a good rule of thumb. But now we will not use the water the first day after a shut off just to be safe.  This calls for having a back up water plan.

How Did We Get Entamoeba Histolytica?
 

The lab technician kept telling us it was from dirty water, but we drink from Berkey filters that filter out 99.98% of parasites and amoebas (we checked) and so it is unlikely it that it was from the 0.2 percent chance. But we eat out and drink the juice drinks that come with the Almuerzo and we drink tap water when given to us from people we know.










NOTE: If the lab technicians that check people's stools samples day in and day out for parasites (it's their job, what they do for a living) say parasites are from the water in Cuenca, then they would know something that we're not privy to. Now we're privy to it and we're sharing it with you...you can do what you will with this information.
 

We think we got Entamoeba Histolytica from eating out and eating contaminated food or water, or perhaps the food prep worker had dirty hands, or we used the tap water too soon after the water was shut off to wash our fruits and vegetables with...or our Berkey failed us, which it has in the past...so there ya go. 



We recommend buying bottled water if you're just visiting; why take chances with your health. You do not want this parasite!
 

Who Should Be Checked for Parasites?
 

Anyone living in or traveling in a developing country should be checked for parasites. In Cuenca Ecuador you can take a stool sample to any lab for a couple of bucks. You probably have to go there first and let them know that you think you might have parasites and they will give you the container for your sample.
 

Guidelines to Stay Healthy When Living in
Developing Countries

• Only eat from restaurants that you know are safe (we have only a few restaurants we go to now, since both of us got food poisoning eating out in Cuenca)

•  Cook at home and avoid illness altogether. 

• Run the water through tap for at least 5-minutes if water has been shut off before drinking, brushing teeth or washing your vegetables.

•  Be careful and do not touch your face with your hands after riding public buses and taxis, after touching fruits and vegetables that may have been washed with contaminated water.

•  When eating from street vendors never eat anything that did not just come off the grill. Anything sitting around is suspect and should not be eaten.

• Make sure street vendors wear gloves or use napkins when handling your food.

• Don’t allow flies in the home; flies are carriers of many germs and diseases and they are filthy creatures. Make sure all foods sitting out in the open are covered.

• If the water is not clean to drink then not a good idea to brush your teeth with it either. We used to  brush our teeth with the water on the Ecuador coast but now, after getting this parasite, we’re going to quit doing that too.

To make a long story short, we are happy to say after we took Nitazoxanide, an anti-parasite medicine for 6 days, we took stool samples back to the lab and it came back negative for E. Histolytica.  And we are so happy!



big update!!! We are not parasite free. the medicine only kills the dangerous trophozoites not the cysts, and well, they hatched again and we're having stomach issues again. E. histolytica is difficult to get rid of.  Saying this parasite creates a vicious cycle in your gut, is an understatement!



Instead of making the stupid mistkae we did, of taking the medicine three times in a row, just a few months apart from each other, here's what you need to do. You MUST have good eating habits and bowel movements and eat papaya seeds (1 large tablespoons) every single day to get rid of the cysts!! 



How it works is the seeds paralyze the cysts and they can no longer hang on to the wall of your intestines and hide in the crevices of your intestines and eventually you end up just flushing them out with bowel movements but it takes several weeks to maybe months, depending on how heavily infected you are!!



WE know because we've been dealing with this parasite for two years now!!!!



Update: three weeks later - We are parasite (trophozoite) free but the pharmaceutical medicine changed our intestinal flora and made us constipated. Doing research we find that this anti-parasite medicine is routinely given for people with parasites and dysentery, which none of us had dysentery!! We are working on building up our intestinal flora through natural ways and preventing parasites from making home in our intestines again, while living in South America, because the medicine really put our bodies out of whack. 



Update November 2016 - Actually, we thought we were parasite free but we were not.  This is what you are NOT told by anyone in the labs. The cysts are not killed off by the antibiotics; it's hard to kill those buggers because they hide in the crevices of your colon. Eventually, when not in an endemic area, the best way to rid the cysts is through good flora, and papaya seed drinks for several weeks in  a row which overtime, hopefully (but still not sure), flush out the cysts.



UPDATE: If living in an endemic area, the best way to stay free of parasites is to stay very healthy and eat and drink fermented foods and papaya seeds DAILY to PREVENT infection.



We’re good to go for now   (NOT) and hope that by following these guidelines we will not get parasites again, but as you know sometimes that’s hard to do unless you lock yourself up in your house all day and never do anything. 




Another BIG Update 2018 - Living in rural Ecuador we're getting Giardia now! Just letting you know, Ecuador does not have clean water anywhere and all it takes is a simple squirt of water from the shower or brushing your teeth with th water. Even Cuenca does not have clean water all the time!!
 

Until we write again…
 

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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!

What We Miss the Most about the U.S-UPDATED JAN 2016

The other day we had the family all together in Park Calderon in downtown Cuenca and we asked the family what they missed about the U.S. We even did a video (not rehearsed of course) about it, and not surprisingly, there really is nothing that we miss about the U.S. We did make a couple of off-handed comments but they were just a regurgitation of our 12 annoyances video, and even most of those things aren’t that big of a deal anymore. 



Note - Jan 2016: When we do updates to our articles, the original article remains intact, we take nothing out so you can actually see how is was then and any new changes with our updates. 



Update January 2016 -  This video was made 4 years ago and not much has changed. However, if we had to suggest two or three things we miss the most about the U.S after having lived here for almost 5 years, they would be:



1. We miss efficient postal service: including DHL and UPS. We never once lost anything. Receiving packages and letters from within the U.S and from other countries was always timely, and sending packages to other people was always efficient and timely. 



We are disappointed with the shipping and receiving in Ecuador and apparently this unorganized system is throughout Latin America. When the manager of the post office tells you there are thieves in the customs that steel packages, it can be a bit disconcerting. If your package does not have a tracking number, he told us, you will NEVER receive it.



Watch the video we made 4 years ago then below it, we add our last two things we miss about the U.S.





 

2. Our Big Yard  - We have a small postage stamp green area in Cuenca for gardening but it is tiny. The houses in the city have very small yards, so if you need green space you will have to go outside the city for it. Rents are higher outside the city when you have space.



3. Inexpensive Electronic prices - This one is especially important for our three sons who are always wanting the latest electronics and they cost twice as much here. So if you're moving to Ecuador you might want to bring new electronics with you. Sure, you can order online and have them shipped in but that's scary. 




The truth is we have adapted to the things we used to miss and really don’t miss them anymore. After living here for 6-months you get used to the higher electronic prices, well sort of…LOL.  The biggest thing I missed when we first got here was that there were no thrift stores in Cuenca, but that is not really that big of a deal anymore either since now there's lots of things for sell on the gringo portals. 

Yes, the Internet connectivity is substandard compared to the U.S, but after awhile you get used to the Internet cutting out for five minutes at a time, several times during the day. And we still cannot stream Netflix or Hulu, or watch You Tube videos in the evening, but we’re also getting used to that. At first it was truly annoying but we live here now and it is something that you have to just let go and try and stay patient—there is nothing you can do about it, so why complain? 



Update January 2016 - We have been able to stream video and netflix now for years without any problems. Long gone is the really draggy Internet connection. Internet service has also improved in Cuenca Ecuador.

There are many advantages to living here that make up for the few annoyances or things we miss in the U.S. For example, dental procedures are quite affordable here. In Ecuador they make dental work affordable for everyone. Most locals do not have health / dental insurance and the costs for many procedures are available to all, not just the rich and those who have health insurance. 

The food is much cleaner and fresher in Ecuador than in the U.S. And that means a lot when it comes to health. Not only is the food cleaner but everyone can afford to eat organically grown food, not just the wealthy.

The other day we were just talking about how in Cuenca you can buy a huge purple head of organically grown cabbage for just $0.33 and in the U.S the same cabbage would cost about $5—no kidding! Fresh heads of broccoli and cauliflower are the same way. Cost of living for rent, food, dental care, and non imported items are amazing here!  



Update 2016 - those cabbages might be $0.44 to $0.50 cents a pound now....inflation... LOL

But it is not just about cost of living. The weather is mild and tolerable and Ecuador is a very family oriented culture—families mean everything here—even more important than business.  There is not a lot for us NOT to like about Cuenca and most people after they have settled in and adjusted feel the same way as us. 



January 2016 - Do most people really settle in (adapt) to living in Cuenca Ecuador? We don't believe that is entirely true anymore. Perhaps half of the people settle in well and the other half go home...just guessing, but we do hear all the time about folks who have left Cuenca.  However, there's always a new batch of tourist and retirees visiting Cuenca Ecuador. Some stay some leave.

We hope you enjoyed this updated article about Cuenca Ecuador. We strive to keep our articles updated as it helps to show people that life is still good (for us) in Cuenca Ecuador!  It also shows the updates and changes that might occur over the years. So we lost a few packages and our yard is tiny, adapt, adapt, adapt!

Until we write again, you might like these articles too!

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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!

Looking for Natural Raw Honey Abroad: Commentary from Panama City, Panama

We had a time trying to find healthy food products in Panama. Their idea of a healthy product food store is GNC Vitamin and Protein powder stores. It's the complete opposite in Ecuador. What health food product do you want and need in Ecuador, you can probably find it and is one of the best parts of living in 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!

What in the World Happened to “Best Retirement City” Cuenca Ecuador?!

For five years running (2009 - 2013) Cuenca Ecuador had been named the best city to retire in the world!   Is the travel press magazines tired of pumping Cuenca Ecuador? It sure does look that way. Bogotá Colombia is now getting ranked better than Cuenca on the retirement press scale, at least on paper. In fact, Cuenca is now like at number nine with countries such as Portugal, Turkey, Colombia, Mexico, and Belize being ahead of Cuenca. That’s strange.
 

The International Travel and Living Magazines are now touting Portugal as the best country to retire for 2015/2016?  What happened to Cuenca, Ecuador? Wow…in just a few short years the travel media has put Cuenca Ecuador away in the closet, pushing it way down on the list of “best places to retire”, touting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Istanbul, Turkey and Medellin, Colombia with better living environments than Cuenca?  That’s even stranger, seeing as these places can be ridden with violent crimes and most of these places are not cheap.
 

These cities may have some good things about their living environments, but in today’s world, they are not safer, cheaper, or have better healthcare than Cuenca, Ecuador. Sorry folks but this is just getting crazy!  Both Istanbul and some areas of Colombia and Mexico have civil unrest, guerrilla attacks, random bombings and kidnappings, but according to the travel magazines they’re safe for 60’s and 70’s age group retirees?!   Really STRANGE. 



Portugal seems ok and might be worth a look.
 

Reality of Life in a Crime-Ridden City
 

How to make a crime-ridden city safe? Perhaps if the gringos stay safeguarded within gringo enclaves and seclude themselves from the local population to feel safe, but even then those places have issues that make them insecure, at best. 
 

It’s funny how we justify the safety of an area just because we think it is a place we want to go live.  Cuenca Ecuador is probably becoming one of the safest cities of its size in all of South and Central America!  At least you don’t have to seclude yourself up in a gringo enclave to be and feel safe! But still you have to be on your guard and instill certain guidelines within your lifestyle, no matter where you live in the world.
 

Where in the world do they come up with these silly “best places to retire lists”?  You know, we don’t have to go on, as we have written about this already many times on the Discover Cuenca Ecuador blog. But as a final note let us point out the obvious.
 

NOTE: Remember, they either buy property in the cities they are naming as best place to retire, and/or they affiliate with real estate offices on a business/profit sharing basis. One travel abroad pumper CEO admitted they bought property in Algarve, Portugal and Medellin Colombia.  Talk about vested interests. At least they were transparent about it.
 

Until we write again…
 

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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!

Moving Abroad (Ecuador) ONLY Because It’s Cheap? UPDATED

This is part 1.



Update: 2016: When we first wrote this article we'd only been living in Ecuador for 5 months...wow that's almost just a long vacation. Read on to find out any changes and updates in Cuenca in the last 4.5 years.  



We’ve written on this subject before, but we have to say it again because we think it is important. Are you prepared for a move to South America? 



This blog post is not going to be talking just about moving to Cuenca but South America  and Latin America in general.  Why? Because all Latin America culture is going to be pretty much the same way of life, such as how they do things, how they live, how they prevent crime and how they will behave toward the foreigner. 

Manana Land is Latin America 



Any Latin American culture is going to be manana land.  Being here for five months now, we’re getting used to this “way of life” and really try and go with the flow of things—we put it behind us rather than complain about it. It can be a little frustrating when you’re waiting for paper work to get processed but it’s not about your paperwork but about when they get around to processing it.

You can’t get angry about it because it’s not in your control to control—you’re in their country now and that means getting used to the way they do things. If this kind of laid back lifestyle annoys you then no Latin America country is going to be compatible with your personality. If you don’t want to put up with manana land, probably the best countries to live are North America or Europe but there goes your great cost of living. 



UPDATE 2016 - We've lived in Cuenca going on five years and have actually adapted to life here. We've written our fair share about, processing paperwork, getting a document notarized and trying to find certain items for a project because at the time it was worth writing about so we could let folks know how things are done here...but it's starting to just seem normal now...and that is because we now know what to expect. And that is the key to adapting; do not expect anything and then you won't be disappointed. 



Motto: Do not expect things to be a certain way and accept things the way they are.

Internet

When waiting to get your Internet connected, you may wait up to two to four weeks. They may say that they’ll be out on a certain day, but never show up, or never call to say they can’t make it. HINT: Although if you know someone here who can go down to the Internet Company with you it may get them to get on the ball and connect your Internet sooner.



UPDATE 2016 - about Internet Service: the service is much, much better now; they even come out within a few days vs. sometimes not at all. 

Deliveries

If you’re waiting to have anything delivered like furniture or appliances, you may not get it delivered on your time schedule. If you’re having furniture custom built, here again, you may wait for weeks or months for them to finish your furniture. These things are all just a part of the Latin American way of life. No worries though, manana does come, even if it’s later than sooner. 



Update 2016 - we have found that if we call them and keep reminding them about it they will respond quicker. 

Wild Goose Chase

This has happened to us on several occasions. When we have asked for directions to something we are looking for, even if they don’t know where it is, they will act like they know where it is and give you directions somewhere, but not to where you are going. This can be exhausting if you’re walking on foot, which both times we were walking downtown and led to not the place we were actually looking for. But at least it is good for your health. Be prepared to be taken on a wild goose chase at least once while living here.



Update 2016 - this has not changed 2016 (LOL)

Taxi cab drivers usually know where most hotels, hostels, major stores restaurants, and government offices are, but some don’t. Just the other day an expat friend of ours told us that  when she was taking a taxi, the driver all of a sudden stopped the cab and told her to get out of the cab. She thought it was really strange and later she was told that when the taxi driver does not know where a certain place or address is, he’ll just tell you to get out of the cab, rather than admit he doesn’t know where the address is. 

Crime Prevention in Latin America

The other day while we were out shopping, we briefly met up with some retired gringos visiting Cuenca. We talked with him and his wife for a brief period of time and they seemed like nice people, until we asked him how they liked Cuenca. He adamantly shot back with “I hate it!”

We were mildly shocked at such a response. Usually when you ask someone how they like it here they might have a few complaints or they absolutely love it here. But in this case it was an adamant, “I hate it”!

We asked him why he hates it here and he said “the security”. At first we all just looked at him with blank stares, not really understanding what he meant. And then he blurted it all out. He said he hated the tall walls around the homes and the tall locked gates, and the security guards all over town with sawed off machine guns, and broken glass for some of the roofs, and always having to be on guard to protect your things, and lada, lada, lada. At the end of his rant about how he hates the feeling of having to always be fearful living here, we noticed he was pretty agitated.

We cordially said our goodbye’s and went back to our shopping. After listening to this man’s frustrations we realized that he and his wife did NOT do their homework. It was a good thing they were just here on a 3-month visit (typical tourist visa) because he clearly was not a happy camper. 

This type of visitor or mover to Ecuador, who does not do their homework is probably quite typical. What the problem is they simply read a few articles from a popular travel magazine about how “wonderful” moving to a certain hyped up city abroad is and they jump on the band wagon and come here with blinders on. Basically this retired couple was going through the process of culture shock because they didn’t know what to expect when coming here—they weren’t prepared!

Anyone who does their due diligent research will know that any Latin American culture is going to be like this as far as crime prevention goes, whether it's Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Panama, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, or Costa Rica. They all have bars, gates, tall walls surrounding your home, broken glass roofs, and security guards with scary looking loaded weapons, at least in certain neighborhoods. 



Update 2016 - we hardly ever see the sawed off shot guns anymore; it's now regular rifles and pistol.  I think they were just too intimidating for some tourists and they are doing away with them. And most of the tourist police only carry batons and maybe tasers.

Funny thing is there is more violent crime in many smaller cities in the states than there is violent crime in Cuenca! You have to be aware and security conscious anywhere you live, just about. Here you do have to worry about petty theft; there you have to worry about petty theft and violent crime. Not to say that violent crime does not happen here, because it does, it just means there is less of it.

Crime prevention techniques seem and look dramatic here because it is dramatic, but it is what works for Latin America. For an example, the house on the street that does not have a tall gate, tall walls, and a whole house alarm system will get broken into while you are away and your valuables will get taken. This is because that house is a target—it’s the most vulnerable house on the block!



Update 2016 - this still holds true today. Cuenca will never do away with tall cement walls and gated bars around the homes, at least not in this generation. It's just the way it is and we must accept it for what it is.

No, you won’t see guards with sawed off shotguns in North America, and no, there are no bars on the windows or tall walls surrounding homes, or cut-glassed roofs in North America but this does not mean that an armed robber will not break into your home while you are sleeping and rob you blind, or if you’re a woman alone, rape and beat you. This kind of violent crime happens in the states everywhere. Both rape and armed robbery is almost nonexistent in Cuenca.

The point is, if you don’t like dramatic security prevention, or if it makes you “feel” more fearful, then perhaps Latin America is not for you.  You may be better off finding a nice small secluded town in Kansas somewhere where you won’t have to worry about personal security, maybe a sleepy little town like Hutchinson, Kansas.

Do Your Research

It’s funny how people watch a few retire abroad videos and read a few articles from the retirement press that hype up Ecuador and then think that Cuenca or some other city in Ecuador is “thee place” to live. It may very well be “thee place” to live for certain types of people, but are you that type of people? Maybe you are and maybe you aren’t.

Only you can figure out if you and your family are that type of people, and you do that by being diligent in how you decide on the best place to live is.  



The most important thing to remember when trying to figure out the best place to live is: understand that the best place to live will never be the best place to live if you are not a happy and content person to begin with.  



On the opposite end of that spectrum: if you are content person within yourself then you can pretty much bet that you’ll be happy living just about anywhere.



Update 2016 - when you first get here there will be mild shockers, whether you adapt or not remains to be seen but we think it starts with moving abroad for the right reasons and not for the wrong reasons. Wrong reasons for m0ving abroad might be because the new place you are moving to is cheap and you think you'll have a better life...maybe you will and maybe you won't.  But moving abroad because you heard it is cheap might not be a reason to keep you here. 

If you liked this article, you might like to read these articles too.

• Click Here and read Part 2 of “Do Not Move to Ecuador only because it’s Cheap”

• Not All North Americans Are Rich, So What's Up with the Gringo Inflation?

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!

I Want to Move to Ecuador So I Can Be in the Middle Class Again

If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you." Lao Tzu
 

Did you know that some foreigners from North America move to Ecuador to live in luxury? What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell it means that people’s retirement money doesn’t go as far as it used to, or they don’t know how to make it go further, and because of that they have had to give up certain standards of living they’re used to having.  

Then they hear that Cuenca Ecuador is cheap and they think they can come here and (with their retirement money/pension) live in luxury. But that is not altogether correct any more than the idea that moving to Ecuador will allow you to live in the middle class again.
 

We have toured some of the nicest apartment complexes (just built) in Cuenca and what is viewed as “luxury” here is actually just standard construction, perhaps in the middle-end of North America but it certainly is not luxurious. So not to burst anyone’s luxury bubble; it’s not what you think. However, you will pay up for what is termed “luxury”. See the article at the end of this post.
 

Sometime ago there was an article posted in the Cuenca chatter; the article was talking about how some of the gringo buyers of the “in construction phase” condominium units were demanding certain finishes to be made to their high rise apartments to U.S building standards.  To make a long story short, the gringo’s demands were not met and some of them became very ugly and sue happy when the developers did not provide them with their demands of U.S standard finishes. We don’t really know how it ends because the article doesn’t really state, but interestingly enough, today in Cuenca there are about seven condo buildings located throughout the city that will not sell to gringos because they complain too much, are too picky, and want to sue when things do not go their way; this from the developers, not us.
 

We tell you all this because these are the same type of high rise buildings that are built all over town that are for rent and for sale and they are not luxurious; they are just nice, some of the units are nicer than others, but nothing more. So if you are in the luxurious crowd moving to Cuenca or are moving here to find your middle class, don’t have too high of expectations. Some gringos may find that paying $750 to $1250 for a condo termed luxury is not up to the standards they are accustomed to back home in North America and they might be disappointed.
 

The middle class in most developing countries is not the majority and the middle class in Cuenca is not the same as what we are used to in North America. Finding a middle class in Latin America is just another glamorized statement used by the travel abroad magazines to get people excited about moving wherever they happen to be pumping that month.  



They know that North America is decaying politically and morally and becoming  more expensive for pensioners to make ends meet, and is why they love to tout some of these developing countries as having a high middle class, but it is not what they make it out to be; it is not what you think it is.  Ecuador is a developing country with a GDP per Capita of $11,000 annually. Compare that to the USA of $54,000 GDP.  Source: List of Countries by GDP (PPP) Per Capita.

We need to understand that “middle class” is partly an attitude of the mind and partly learning how to spend the money we have. If we don’t have either of these things then we will feel as if we have lost something we once had. Perhaps we become discouraged and think that “going somewhere else” will make us feel better.
 

"Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have." Unknown
 

Moving abroad to another place labeled as cheap is not the total solution; it can be part of it but if you don’t like it where you move to because everything is different or if you aren’t living on the money you have, wisely, where does “middle class” get you?
 

What are other people that are considered “middle class” in North America doing?  Did you know that most millionaires that had to work for their money got that way because they were frugal and didn’t spend everything they earned. We could list hundreds of wealthy folks that live frugal but comfortable lives; we’re just saying “middle class” is an attitude of the mind.
 

In all truth, moving to a developing, foreign land based on the need to feel better about one’s life is a really poor reason to move abroad. And sadly, it is exactly this type of people that move to a touted, hyped up, temporarily cheap city abroad and end up leaving because they are basing their move on a feeling.  They won’t make it here.
 

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." Denis Waitley
 

We have to change our way of thinking to feel good about our life and living standards.  Feelings cannot be met simply by moving to a South American country. In fact, if anyone is having financial problems now or if you feel like you aren’t living the standard of life you think you should where you are living now, then you should FIRST take care of that concern within yourself BEFORE uprooting your discontented life to a foreign environment. Bringing discontent with you to a totally different environment, totally different middle class, totally different culture can only compound problems within you.  Happiness comes from within not from without. No place in the world is going to change that.
 

“No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.” – Barbara DeAngelis
 

Source: Keep inspiring me Quotes

Source: INC Online Magazine
 

Until we write again…

Related Articles

• Don’t Move to Ecuador Just Because It’s Cheap

• Moving to Ecuador to Live in Luxury? You Might Be Disappointed

• Bloggers Moving Back to North America & Moving Abroad for the Wrong Reasons - Video 

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!

DIY Cuenca Ecuador Landing Guide-UPDATED Eighth Edition!

We just want to remind our readers that we strive to keep our DIY Cuenca Ecuador Landing Guide UPDATED with relevant, current information. We just published our eighth edition of the guide with some new current information and a few changes that have happened in the last 6 months, since the last update. 



We offer both the PDF eBook and the print version of the guide from Lulu.com. Right now Lulu is offering a coupon for 15% off  on all PRINT books through January 3, 2016!   

Lulu coupon code: RESOLVE15

When ordering the book it will ask if you have a coupon code, simply add this coupon code:  RESOLVE15



 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!

10 Tips of the Trade When Looking for Rental in Cuenca Ecuador

It really is all about value; and frugal folks know that because being frugal does not necessarily mean, and usually doesn’t mean, buying the cheapest product or service on the market.  If you want to save money every month on your rent then there are a few things we must keep hush-hush. Why? When little ears know what you want in a rental the price suddenly goes up and up and up and up…and then where is “value”? 

Cuenca Ecuador

1. Don’t let it be known you want to be walking distance to Supermaxi or Coral – There is no need to tell the agent you want to be close to a grocery store. Eight times out of ten, you’ll actually be walking distance to a grocery store in Cuenca, unless you live in the country.
 

2. Don’t let it be known that you want to be near El Centro – Did you know that anywhere within the city of Cuenca, you can grab a taxi for a few bucks or a bus for $0.25 cents and be in the historic district?
 

Most Gringos Have the Same Rental Requirements
 

It’s all over the Cuenca chatter: The immigration office handles 10 new applicants from North America a day! That means there are ten new people who need a house or apartment to rent just in Cuenca! That’s 70 people needing a rental in one week in a city of just 500,000 people. And did you know that most gringos have the same rental requirements? What does that mean for Cuenca?  It means higher prices and less value. 



3. Don’t let it be known that you want a river or city view – Have you ever seen the ads that say “river view” or “on the river Yanuncay”?   Are they renting you the river or the apartment? Gee whiz!  
 

Let’s stop right here! You’re probably wondering how can I have all of the above things in a rental if I don’t let the agent or facilitator know what I want?  That’s easy. Just keep looking and usually you will find something you are looking for, or close to what you are looking for.   Gone is the $300 home with green space, river views and walking to a nice park and grocery store because that’s what everyone wants. That house is now at about twice as much!!



It’s not reality to have everything you want on your rental list and at the price range you are looking in.  We understand you want to rent a nice, clean, bright and airy place but too much pickiness above that will surely cost you.  The “cost you” part doesn’t make Cuenca cheap anymore, does it?
 

4. If you are renting for 6 months or less, we say forgo the river view!  It is funny, foreigners move here for three months and demand a river view. Are you going to stay cooped up in your apartment all day or go out exploring Cuenca?  Views cost money and are impractical at best. Views do not make the apartment any more comfortable and not having a view does not make a nice, clean, airy apartment less inviting either.  Sometimes an apartment just happens to have a view but because we didn’t demand it, the price stays in line with what it should be.
 

5. If you do not have a dog, then definitely give up the yard idea. Seriously, this is no joking matter.  Espacio verdes (green spaces) cost money in Cuenca Ecuador!  If a house on the Cuenca Ecuador rental market today happens to have a small green space then it’s going to be overpriced!  Sadly, that is what it’s come down to.
 

6. Renting in a certain neighborhood, plus wanting to have all the gringo requirements mentioned in this article, will surely cost you a higher rent and most-likely will take a lot longer to find.  Better not be in a hurry. 
 

7. Be willing to rent in any area of Cuenca as long as the neighborhood is good.  We know the good neighborhoods of Cuenca and the not so good neighborhoods.  Not being picky about what neighborhood (sector) of Cuenca you live in will surely open up a lot more variety and options to the renter, which means more value in a home.  The southeast side of Cuenca has less gringos living there but some of the nicest and newest homes are in this part of town and the river!!
 

8. If calling an ad out of the paper and you don’t speak Spanish very well or have a thick gringo accent, find a local Ecuadorian to call the ad for you and get the “real price” to the local market.  You wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve called on house ads that raised the price once they found out it was for a gringo. We have even had Ecuadorians say “You’re a gringo, so it will cost more for you”.
 

9. Always negotiate the price – This one is a sure thing. We should negotiate even if the ad doesn’t say it is negotiable. Don’t be bullied because you are a gringo.
 

10. Know what the contract says – Make sure you know exactly what is stipulated in the rental agreement because you might need to make changes. You do want your deposit back when your lease is up, right? Then nine times out of ten the lease will need to be changed. It’s all in the wording and if you don’t know what to look for you might just get gringoed. 



Until we write again...if you like this article you might like these ones too. Happy 2016!

• Pets and Furnished Rentals in Cuenca Ecuador

• Learn to Negotiate Instead of Getting Gringo Gouged

• Articles Like This one on Yahoo Finance is Why We Should be Responsible Expatters

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!