Top Cocoa Producer: Ecuador is one of the top producers of Cocoa in the world and has one of the best tasting and distinctive flavors of cocoa in the world.
Source: World Atlas
Guanabana of Ecuador Kills Cancer: The Guanabana fruit grows in the Amazon Rain Forest of Ecuador. It kills cancer cells 10,000 times more effectively than chemotherapy. The fruit is sold throughout Ecuador for a reasonable price.
Source: Discover Cuenca Ecuador
Top Banana Producer: Ecuador is one of the top 10 producers of bananas in the world. Ecuador was the world's largest exporter of bananas in 2002 ($936.5 million). Today it is in the top ten of the world’s exports of bananas.
Source: World Knowing
Manta Ecuador Big Export of Canned Tuna: Manta Ecuador fishes, processes and cans some of the world’s favorite canned tuna, which is then exported to the U.S and Europe. Top brands are Bumble Bee and Van Camps Tuna.
Source: Wikepedia
Ecuador, Top Plantain Producer: Ecuador is in the top ten of the world’s farming of plantains. Most Ecuadorian dishes use plantains on the side or in a recipe. Here's a easy recipe using plantains.
Source: CGIAR
Ecuador, Largest Exporter of Passion Fruit: Ecuador is the largest exporter of passion fruit concentrate to the U.S and Europe. Two popular passion fruit varieties grown in Ecuador year round are the Maracuya and Granadilla. Both passion fruits taste good but the granadilla is sweeter. Click their names to watch our taste-testing videos of these fruits.
Source: Passion Fruit
Encebollado Soup from Ecuador Best Tasting: This is my opinion, of course. The best encebollado soup we ever had is in Cuenca and Quito. Here's our video of eating this delicious tuna fish soup in Quito Ecuador.
Until we write again…
If you liked this article, we think you should try these too.
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!
Welcome to Gringo Good Samaritans, integrated with our 8 years of living in Cuenca Ecuador and traveling the world. We create informative videos and articles helping people come to awareness of what's happening in our world so they can enjoy their retire early lifestyle with their families, healthy, happy and free!
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
UPDATE Dec. 2015 - Can You Still Find the $250 a month Rental in Cuenca?
To see part 1 of this article click here.
We like to keep our readers updated on what's really happening with Cuenca Ecuador. It's been almost four years since the original posting of this article on February 14, 2012.
The BIG question that many people may want to know is if it is still possible to find rents in the $250 price range... and the Ecuadorians are saying, yes! That was then and this is now.
Look at our update in 2013 below.
UPDATE August 2013: It is rare to find the same amount of house in the same condition as ours in the $250 price range. We have not yet found a $250 rental as nice and as big as our home rental. We do not want to be discouraging but it just is what it is. However, in the $350 price range and even in the $300 price range you can still find nice 3 and 4 bedroom homes. And we're here to help you find a nice rental in the local price market.
When we moved to Cuenca we already knew that it was possible to rent for $250 or lower. We're renting in that price range now. But until one sees it and hears it for themselves it may be difficult to believe.
UPDATE December 2015: Not only is it rare to find a $300 4 bedroom 3 bath home in Cuenca, it is non-existent. That price range was gone a long time ago in 2014. We can only presume and hope that the Ecuadorians have their own underground market so they are not priced out of their homes. We see a lot of Ecuadorian families "searching" for homes in the $200 to $250 price range. See more new updates at the end of this article.
We've read on blogs and forums of how people say, "yeah you can rent at $200 to $250 a month in Cuenca but you'll be living in squalor". Uh? Who would say such a thing? Those who have a vested interest in the rental market in Cuenca Ecuador!!
This is a great article written by Karen and sums up her experience talking with the Ecuadorians about rentals here in Cuenca. To see the slide show photos that she attached with her article click here and go to Karen's Blog.
Below is the article on Karen's website.
What You Get for $250 – Cuenca, Ecuador
In one of my earliest posts, I said that it was possible to live in Cuenca and only pay $250 in rent per month. A kind commenter, who currently lives in Cuenca, then replied that really the monthly rates are more in the range of $300-$500. So, delaying further discussion, I decided to see for myself.
After a week in Cuenca, talking to everyone from taxi drivers, to friends, to shop keepers and bank officers, I can say that the commenter was WRONG!! You can absolutely live in a nice place in Cuenca for $250 or under and $250-$300 is considered the higher-end by the average Cuencano. Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is a fact.
Sure if you want to live the high life/expat life, with the other expats, paying higher rental fees to live in condo buildings that are essentially occupied by other retired expats from North America (ex Mexico)….then go ahead and pay more. [There's also that really fabulous, fully furnished house for $600 that I really want.]
However, if you are moving to Ecuador to make friends AND save money, well then you are in luck, because there are lots of options, you just need to have patience, a little flexibility and some time.
Okay, so why the serious difference in rental rates (perceived or real) between me and the commenter? Language skills, living standards, other stuff ….take your pick. All the conversations I had with people regarding living expenses were in Spanish. While I did contact one of the expat real estate agents, it was on the last day I was in town and we really did not have a chance to speak. For $250 and below (and it should be below), you can get a two bedroom newly renovated, apartment and the further you are from El Centro, the cheaper it gets.
I took a tour of a small, 2nd floor, 2-bedroom apartment that had just been renovated and the asking price was $250, which to me means that for a year lease you can get it for $200. It is a 10 minute walk from downtown and in a decent/typical area. I also spoke to the owner of a 2 bedroom, new construction apartment that had just rented it for $180. It is walking distance to a Coral Supermarket (one of the supermarkets that we all would be happy with), a $2 taxi ride or a $0.25 bus ride to downtown and it is a block off a major road and right on the bus lines.
If you are looking for a place, there are tons of rentals, signs are posted on the homes (“se arrienda”) and foreigners are very welcome. Just bring along some Spanish or a Spanish speaking friend, and negotiate heavily.
Update 2015: Rarely do you see "se arriendas" anymore. Those too have vanished because the real estate companies have them.
The big prize, however, is the home that originally got me excited about living in Ecuador. I actually got to see the house in person, had dinner on the beautiful handmade/homemade furniture, and it is now the type of house I aspire to have…at the exact same price or less! [Side Note - Frank, Angie and their boys have created some really incredible furniture pieces, my personal favorite is the dining table and its seating.]
To supplement the pictures of the house, below are pictures of the neighborhood. The house is about a 10 minute, $2, taxi-drive from downtown area, or a $0.25 bus ride.
Pictures of the home I visited, before it was furnished, are at following link – Frank and Angie’s Blog.
So when someone says it is not possible and you can’t, just repeat these words, “Yes you can!”
------------
Update December 2015 - As previously stated in our 2015 update above, no more is the $250 or $300 house. The price range now for the same value and standard of home is $450 to $600, and that's unfurnished. We're talking about a house not an apartment. If it has a nice sized yard, it could cost up to $1,500 per month or maybe more. Houses with yards, on one level are a demand from gringos and is why you see they are higher priced.
Rarely you might be able to find a 3 or 4 bedroom for $350 or $400 and the reason it is $350 is because it is on the eastside, or it's a tri-level (gringo's don't like stairs) or it is really old and needs some work, or doesn't have a green space for the dog, or just too far from Supermaxi.
Apartment rentals in Cuenca have gone up too, but it is easier to find 3/2 apartments in the $400 to $500 range (yes with elevator) and totally furnished for $500 to $750. However, with that said, apartment buildings with many gringos living there have risen the most and are way over-priced where you will seldom find a 3/2 NOT furnished for under $600.
Remember the article we just wrote a few days ago about how rents rise so quickly? Here it is again, just in case you missed it. Does Cuenca Have Neighborhoods to Avoid from High Priced Rents?
Okay then, that is our end of the year (2015) update for rentals in Cuenca Ecuador. Did you like this article? Then you might like these articles too!
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!
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
10 Best Places to Retire and Live in the World
No matter how many countries we have traveled to in the world, or how many countries we have lived in, or how much positive feedback we receive from others about a place to retire, how could we ever say any particular one is the best places to retire?
It would be like picking out clothes for a stranger, or telling someone what their favorite food is, or what their favorite color is…it’s impossible to please everyone with best “place to retire".
Reality tells us that ALL PLACES have something for everyone, so it’s up to us. We have to travel to, and explore some of these areas on our own to find out if it is the “best place to retire” for us! No one can do that for us.
We could grab the globe, spin it real fast, and then stop it and put a blind finger on numerous, wonderful, neat destinations to retire to too, because reiterating what we said previously; all places have something for everyone.
Here’s our 10 Best Places to Retire. And just so you know, we’ve either lived in and or traveled to each country we list so we know these places all have their beauty and unique qualities that make them livable according to each person’s circumstances and personality. In a nutshell we tell you about each one.
1. Ecuador - Diversity of atmosphere and climate with dry climates, oceans, mountains, and rain forest. Ecuador retains a lot of its traditional culture, especially in the mountain regions. Quito and Cuenca are both charming, lovely cities to live and to raise families. Prices are on the rise in Ecuador, however, if you go local a person or family can still live comfortable and frugal.
2. Panama - Diversity of atmosphere and climate with oceans, mountains, and rain forest. There are lots of pretty areas in Panama to live. The folks are friendly and sociable. Panama, with the exception of Panama city, reminds us of the old west, still developing and pretends to be urbanized. Panama City is expensive and so are beach tourist zones.
3. U.S.A - Diversity of atmosphere and climate with desert, oceans and mountains. The southeast is our favorite area of the states; it has wonderful people and nice beaches. Some areas are still relatively inexpensive compared to living in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, the U.S is going through moral depravity and you will want to make your own paradise wherever you live, far from the maddening chaos. There’s lots of beautiful country to choose from in the states.
4. Dominican Republic – The beaches are nice. The D.R is a cross between Latin panache and Caribbean flair rolled into one. Sort of the way Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador is like. The people are friendly and helpful. The D.R, like Ecuador can be expensive or inexpensive depending on your knowledge of going local. You will be gringo priced, so it's up to you.
5. Mexico – We’ve visited several of the tourist beach areas and off the beaten path areas. Unfortunately Mexico has gotten crime ridden and we’d only recommend living strictly in tourist enclaves where there is round the clock security that can be trusted! But that's no fun.
6. Turks and Caicos Islands – Beautiful white sandy beaches. There is not much out there, but for the person who enjoys peace and quiet, they’ll find it here, along with coral reefs, turquoise warm waters and lots of fishing.
7. Italy – Growing up in central Italy has taught me a lot about living in Ecuador. Italy still has some wonderful areas in the South that are still not that expensive. Italians are lovable, sociable people and are also excellent cooks. Italy is a family-oriented country and still has one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, amazingly so.
8. Canada – All we can say is beautiful sunny skies every single day, We spent two weeks in the summertime in Banff Canada camping and it actually was almost perfect weather. Did we really say, “Perfect weather”? Canada, even though it is in North America has some of the lowest crimes rates in the world. Canada is expensive.
9. Stay Where You Are Planted – It’s human nature to seek for greener pastures, taking where we live for granted. But for some people, and actually most people, staying put where they are rooted is probably the best place to be for them.
Traveling and exploring other countries is a great way to get that boredom out of our system, but coming back home to our own comfortable and predictable surroundings makes many folks the happier.
10. Your turn. Let us know where you think the best place to retire/move to in the world is. Talk to us!
BTW, this list is not in any particular order.
Until we write again…
If you thought this article was interesting, you might like these ones too.
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!
It would be like picking out clothes for a stranger, or telling someone what their favorite food is, or what their favorite color is…it’s impossible to please everyone with best “place to retire".
Reality tells us that ALL PLACES have something for everyone, so it’s up to us. We have to travel to, and explore some of these areas on our own to find out if it is the “best place to retire” for us! No one can do that for us.
We could grab the globe, spin it real fast, and then stop it and put a blind finger on numerous, wonderful, neat destinations to retire to too, because reiterating what we said previously; all places have something for everyone.
Here’s our 10 Best Places to Retire. And just so you know, we’ve either lived in and or traveled to each country we list so we know these places all have their beauty and unique qualities that make them livable according to each person’s circumstances and personality. In a nutshell we tell you about each one.
 |
| Cuenca Ecuador - /Tomebamba River |
1. Ecuador - Diversity of atmosphere and climate with dry climates, oceans, mountains, and rain forest. Ecuador retains a lot of its traditional culture, especially in the mountain regions. Quito and Cuenca are both charming, lovely cities to live and to raise families. Prices are on the rise in Ecuador, however, if you go local a person or family can still live comfortable and frugal.
2. Panama - Diversity of atmosphere and climate with oceans, mountains, and rain forest. There are lots of pretty areas in Panama to live. The folks are friendly and sociable. Panama, with the exception of Panama city, reminds us of the old west, still developing and pretends to be urbanized. Panama City is expensive and so are beach tourist zones.
 |
| David, Panama |
3. U.S.A - Diversity of atmosphere and climate with desert, oceans and mountains. The southeast is our favorite area of the states; it has wonderful people and nice beaches. Some areas are still relatively inexpensive compared to living in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, the U.S is going through moral depravity and you will want to make your own paradise wherever you live, far from the maddening chaos. There’s lots of beautiful country to choose from in the states.
4. Dominican Republic – The beaches are nice. The D.R is a cross between Latin panache and Caribbean flair rolled into one. Sort of the way Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador is like. The people are friendly and helpful. The D.R, like Ecuador can be expensive or inexpensive depending on your knowledge of going local. You will be gringo priced, so it's up to you.
5. Mexico – We’ve visited several of the tourist beach areas and off the beaten path areas. Unfortunately Mexico has gotten crime ridden and we’d only recommend living strictly in tourist enclaves where there is round the clock security that can be trusted! But that's no fun.
6. Turks and Caicos Islands – Beautiful white sandy beaches. There is not much out there, but for the person who enjoys peace and quiet, they’ll find it here, along with coral reefs, turquoise warm waters and lots of fishing.
7. Italy – Growing up in central Italy has taught me a lot about living in Ecuador. Italy still has some wonderful areas in the South that are still not that expensive. Italians are lovable, sociable people and are also excellent cooks. Italy is a family-oriented country and still has one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, amazingly so.
8. Canada – All we can say is beautiful sunny skies every single day, We spent two weeks in the summertime in Banff Canada camping and it actually was almost perfect weather. Did we really say, “Perfect weather”? Canada, even though it is in North America has some of the lowest crimes rates in the world. Canada is expensive.
9. Stay Where You Are Planted – It’s human nature to seek for greener pastures, taking where we live for granted. But for some people, and actually most people, staying put where they are rooted is probably the best place to be for them.
Traveling and exploring other countries is a great way to get that boredom out of our system, but coming back home to our own comfortable and predictable surroundings makes many folks the happier.
10. Your turn. Let us know where you think the best place to retire/move to in the world is. Talk to us!
BTW, this list is not in any particular order.
Until we write again…
If you thought this article was interesting, you might like these ones too.
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!
Monday, December 14, 2015
Is the Rent Really Negotiable or Bait and Switch? Renting in Cuenca Ecuador
As you know we like to report our observations and experiences of what it’s like to live in Cuenca Ecuador. We simply love to give out details so newcomers can be made aware of and know what to expect in certain situations. Recently we have noticed a pattern emerging in the rental market in Cuenca Ecuador.
Rental Ads Says Negotiable
In Ecuador many ads say “negotiable”, which means the price is not set and you can negotiate with the landlord/real estate agent for a better/fairer price.
And, just like in the U.S when something says negotiable it usually means the price is already too high to begin with.
Here in Cuenca you still can negotiate even when an ad doesn’t say it’s negotiable and THAT is why we find it odd when an ad says “negotiable” and then it turns out that it's really not.
Recently we have come across ads that say “negotiable” and when you negotiate for a lower price it’s not really negotiable after all. We call this back in North America “bait and switch”.
Bait and Switch Definition
It’s false advertising, plain and simple. They bait the person in with whatever product or service that is being sold (in this case, home rental) and once the person is involved and wanting the product, they switch price or don’t do what the ad says.
1. A fraudulent advertising claim or sales offer for a product or service that is not available or not for sale at the stated price, made with the intention of luring customers who are then offered something else or forced to spend more money to get the same thing.
2. A deception based on a false claim or enticement that proves to be disappointing.
Source: The Free Dictionary
Here’s how it’s played out in a nutshell. Both of these examples happened to us recently with two separate real estate companies in Cuenca.
Example 1: The rental ad says $500 negotiable. We call the advertisement. When we get out there we like the place and are prepared to negotiate. We negotiate the price to $450 and the landlord brings up a condo/aliquot fee not mentioned in the ad for $50. Do you see what’s happening here? The monthly rent still comes out to be $500.
We’re not done yet.
Example 2: The rental ad says $600 negotiable. When we get out there we like the place and are prepared to negotiate. We negotiate the price to $$550 and the landlord brings up a condo/aliquot fee not mentioned in the ad for $50, plus the rent is $600 not negotiable, so the rent comes out to be $650 but the ad read $600 negotiable!
uh?
Why Rental Ads Say “Negotiable” When It’s Not?
1. It gets more people to call the ad – the word “negotiable” brings in a much larger call-in for the rental than if it didn’t say negotiable. Perhaps they are hoping that someone (a gringo) will just take the price and not care to negotiate.
2. It is negotiable for the locals but not for the gringos.
3. By not mentioning the aliquot fee perhaps they think that if the ad says negotiable and you negotiate the rental price that you will not balk at the aliquot fee when they bring it up.
4. The real estate agent/owner knows they don’t have to call you back. Many times we negotiate a price and you never hear back from them but the house or apartment is still on the Internet for rent. What’s up with that? They wait it out and take the best price, which might take weeks, and there’s nothing wrong with that except for the fact you’re putting people in the wings and they might like to look at other rentals.
5. Playing on your emotions. They think that once you come all the way out to look at the apartment/house you will fall in love with it and won't care to negotiate or care about price.
Gringos Fear of Loss
And then you have the retiree who thinks it’s the only house or apartment they will like in ALL of Cuenca and so they are willing to pay anything. What they don’t realize is that in Cuenca, there’s lots of fish in the sea, and there is always a better price, if you’re not in a hurry.
When we put our emotional heart and soul into a place, we often think “it’s the one”, but that is our emotions talking, not our senses. In Latin American countries you sometimes have to be willing to walk away from getting trampled on; that’s all there is to it.
Something to Ponder
Have you ever thought about how the Ecuadorian real estate people were getting along financially before all of us gringos came along willing to pay two and three times as much as the locals?
In 2010 all the houses and apartments were $200 to $400 dollars? That was about five years ago. Five years ago in a building in gringoland you could rent a furnished 2/2 for $300 (local rate). Now, try $650 to $800 (gringo rate)!
What has changed in that building to make the rents and condo fees higher? Absolutely nothing, but the building is getting older and needs more repairs, paint, updates, etc.
Where’s the luxury we keep hearing about? The furniture in the first photo is cheap, uncomfortable and low to the floor. Hope you’re short legged.
The Ecuadorians were doing just fine renting to their own people and then we come along and they become insatiable! I wonder if they will negotiate. Our $250 dollar per month house is nicer than that.
Until we write again…
If you liked this article, we think you should try these ones too.
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!
Rental Ads Says Negotiable
In Ecuador many ads say “negotiable”, which means the price is not set and you can negotiate with the landlord/real estate agent for a better/fairer price.
And, just like in the U.S when something says negotiable it usually means the price is already too high to begin with.
Here in Cuenca you still can negotiate even when an ad doesn’t say it’s negotiable and THAT is why we find it odd when an ad says “negotiable” and then it turns out that it's really not.
Recently we have come across ads that say “negotiable” and when you negotiate for a lower price it’s not really negotiable after all. We call this back in North America “bait and switch”.
Bait and Switch Definition
It’s false advertising, plain and simple. They bait the person in with whatever product or service that is being sold (in this case, home rental) and once the person is involved and wanting the product, they switch price or don’t do what the ad says.
1. A fraudulent advertising claim or sales offer for a product or service that is not available or not for sale at the stated price, made with the intention of luring customers who are then offered something else or forced to spend more money to get the same thing.
2. A deception based on a false claim or enticement that proves to be disappointing.
Source: The Free Dictionary
Here’s how it’s played out in a nutshell. Both of these examples happened to us recently with two separate real estate companies in Cuenca.
Example 1: The rental ad says $500 negotiable. We call the advertisement. When we get out there we like the place and are prepared to negotiate. We negotiate the price to $450 and the landlord brings up a condo/aliquot fee not mentioned in the ad for $50. Do you see what’s happening here? The monthly rent still comes out to be $500.
We’re not done yet.
Example 2: The rental ad says $600 negotiable. When we get out there we like the place and are prepared to negotiate. We negotiate the price to $$550 and the landlord brings up a condo/aliquot fee not mentioned in the ad for $50, plus the rent is $600 not negotiable, so the rent comes out to be $650 but the ad read $600 negotiable!
uh?
Why Rental Ads Say “Negotiable” When It’s Not?
1. It gets more people to call the ad – the word “negotiable” brings in a much larger call-in for the rental than if it didn’t say negotiable. Perhaps they are hoping that someone (a gringo) will just take the price and not care to negotiate.
2. It is negotiable for the locals but not for the gringos.
3. By not mentioning the aliquot fee perhaps they think that if the ad says negotiable and you negotiate the rental price that you will not balk at the aliquot fee when they bring it up.
4. The real estate agent/owner knows they don’t have to call you back. Many times we negotiate a price and you never hear back from them but the house or apartment is still on the Internet for rent. What’s up with that? They wait it out and take the best price, which might take weeks, and there’s nothing wrong with that except for the fact you’re putting people in the wings and they might like to look at other rentals.
5. Playing on your emotions. They think that once you come all the way out to look at the apartment/house you will fall in love with it and won't care to negotiate or care about price.
Gringos Fear of Loss
And then you have the retiree who thinks it’s the only house or apartment they will like in ALL of Cuenca and so they are willing to pay anything. What they don’t realize is that in Cuenca, there’s lots of fish in the sea, and there is always a better price, if you’re not in a hurry.
When we put our emotional heart and soul into a place, we often think “it’s the one”, but that is our emotions talking, not our senses. In Latin American countries you sometimes have to be willing to walk away from getting trampled on; that’s all there is to it.
Something to Ponder
Have you ever thought about how the Ecuadorian real estate people were getting along financially before all of us gringos came along willing to pay two and three times as much as the locals?
In 2010 all the houses and apartments were $200 to $400 dollars? That was about five years ago. Five years ago in a building in gringoland you could rent a furnished 2/2 for $300 (local rate). Now, try $650 to $800 (gringo rate)!
What has changed in that building to make the rents and condo fees higher? Absolutely nothing, but the building is getting older and needs more repairs, paint, updates, etc.
 |
| -- Cuenca Ecuador apartment rentals located in a gringolandia building they call "luxury" -- |
Where’s the luxury we keep hearing about? The furniture in the first photo is cheap, uncomfortable and low to the floor. Hope you’re short legged.
The Ecuadorians were doing just fine renting to their own people and then we come along and they become insatiable! I wonder if they will negotiate. Our $250 dollar per month house is nicer than that.
Until we write again…
If you liked this article, we think you should try these ones too.
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!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Does Cuenca Have Neighborhoods to Avoid from High Priced Rents?
Ask Frank and Angie: Can you recommend the top 5 neighborhoods to avoid if you want to avoid the gringo pricing, and the top 5 to focus on for best pricing, ambiance? We totally agree that we need to keep prices down for the benefit of all.
First, we’d like to say that it is always a pleasant surprise when we receive emails from prospective expats to Cuenca Ecuador like this one. It gives us encouragement to keep on trucking and to see that we’re not the only ones who have the pricing awareness and determination to keep prices from rising too fast like they have in other popular travel destinations abroad.
As you can see, we changed the question posed because there really are not neighborhoods to avoid for best rental pricing or neighborhoods for best pricing. It is true, in general the areas where there are not a lot of gringos living, you may find better priced rentals, but we’ve seen outrageously overpriced rentals in all areas of Cuenca.
For example: It is quite possible to get gringo gouged on your rent in any neighborhood in Cuenca; Just as it is possible to find a fair priced rental in the gringo preferred neighborhoods. That’s what we do for you; we find fair deals in good neighborhoods.
It is NOT always the neighborhood that you need to avoid; usually it is greedy / unethical landlords that you have to avoid…it is unfortunate but it is reality of life in popular expat destinations. Homeowners and real estate agents love the tourist pricing and it is something that is somewhat difficult but not impossible to avoid.
We often find fair rental prices in nice sought out neighborhoods. They have gotten somewhat harder to find but they are still in the Cuenca rental market. Some landlords just happen to be a bit more reasonable and will negotiate the price because they want tenants that will stay long-term, pay their rent on time and keep the place clean, and honestly, not all Ecuadorians are in the “greed game”.
In general, rental prices have gone up in Cuenca Ecuador. Demands from foreigners and knowing what the gringo prefers in a rental unit, has upped Cuenca’s rental prices more than 100% in five years. Has the bubble popped? Not so much…we’re seeing a slight pin hole and the bubble on rentals stabilizing ever so slightly. It’s still not anything to write home and tell mom about.
As soon as you see some newbie vlogger online gasping at cheap rents in some other area outside of Cuenca, just as soon, you start seeing massive gringo gouging prices on properties in these "newer" locales. Will it ever end?
Cuenca Ecuador Pricing Precedent
It works like this. A gringo sees an apartment or house he likes (any neighborhood) and doesn’t negotiate; they just pay the asking price and this is what starts the uptrend on rental prices. The next gringo comes along but he is a negotiator and tries to negotiate the price with the landlord, knowing full well it is an over-priced unit. The landlord won’t budge and says “the last gringo paid “such and such price” and I won’t go any lower”.
We hear this over and over again how the last gringo paid such and such price, which is always overpriced. What do we do? We walk away from these rentals that are based on greed!
The landlord knows that a naïve gringo will come along sooner or later and rent the unit at the price he is asking. PRECEDENT IS SET. It is a vicious cycle that continues to revolve into higher and higher rents. It is a simple concept, but this is how rents get out of control in popular expat locations overseas.
Now, it can go the other way too. We find fair and workable Ecuadorian landlords with apartments at reasonable prices and it might be in a popular gringo neighborhood. So you see, it can work both ways. The point is you can’t go by just the neighborhood and think you will automatically be targeted for a higher rent; or automatically get a lower rent. You have to do the work of searching.
Most Ecuadorians will negotiate with you on the price, but in the apartments that have had only gringos living in them, the prices just keep going up. We have to face the fact that we’re someday going to have much higher rents in Cuenca Ecuador than what we are seeing now. When we look at travel abroad trends in other popular expat destinations it tells us that Cuenca Ecuador is on the radar.
FYI: If we were to mention an area or neighborhood that has not spiked as fast as some (westside) neighborhoods have, it would be the eastside of town near the Monay Mall area. See this article that explores the eastside in detail.
Until we write again…
If you liked this article, you might like these too.
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!
 |
| Move in day - our rental house $250 per month |
First, we’d like to say that it is always a pleasant surprise when we receive emails from prospective expats to Cuenca Ecuador like this one. It gives us encouragement to keep on trucking and to see that we’re not the only ones who have the pricing awareness and determination to keep prices from rising too fast like they have in other popular travel destinations abroad.
As you can see, we changed the question posed because there really are not neighborhoods to avoid for best rental pricing or neighborhoods for best pricing. It is true, in general the areas where there are not a lot of gringos living, you may find better priced rentals, but we’ve seen outrageously overpriced rentals in all areas of Cuenca.
For example: It is quite possible to get gringo gouged on your rent in any neighborhood in Cuenca; Just as it is possible to find a fair priced rental in the gringo preferred neighborhoods. That’s what we do for you; we find fair deals in good neighborhoods.
It is NOT always the neighborhood that you need to avoid; usually it is greedy / unethical landlords that you have to avoid…it is unfortunate but it is reality of life in popular expat destinations. Homeowners and real estate agents love the tourist pricing and it is something that is somewhat difficult but not impossible to avoid.
We often find fair rental prices in nice sought out neighborhoods. They have gotten somewhat harder to find but they are still in the Cuenca rental market. Some landlords just happen to be a bit more reasonable and will negotiate the price because they want tenants that will stay long-term, pay their rent on time and keep the place clean, and honestly, not all Ecuadorians are in the “greed game”.
In general, rental prices have gone up in Cuenca Ecuador. Demands from foreigners and knowing what the gringo prefers in a rental unit, has upped Cuenca’s rental prices more than 100% in five years. Has the bubble popped? Not so much…we’re seeing a slight pin hole and the bubble on rentals stabilizing ever so slightly. It’s still not anything to write home and tell mom about.
As soon as you see some newbie vlogger online gasping at cheap rents in some other area outside of Cuenca, just as soon, you start seeing massive gringo gouging prices on properties in these "newer" locales. Will it ever end?
Cuenca Ecuador Pricing Precedent
It works like this. A gringo sees an apartment or house he likes (any neighborhood) and doesn’t negotiate; they just pay the asking price and this is what starts the uptrend on rental prices. The next gringo comes along but he is a negotiator and tries to negotiate the price with the landlord, knowing full well it is an over-priced unit. The landlord won’t budge and says “the last gringo paid “such and such price” and I won’t go any lower”.
We hear this over and over again how the last gringo paid such and such price, which is always overpriced. What do we do? We walk away from these rentals that are based on greed!
The landlord knows that a naïve gringo will come along sooner or later and rent the unit at the price he is asking. PRECEDENT IS SET. It is a vicious cycle that continues to revolve into higher and higher rents. It is a simple concept, but this is how rents get out of control in popular expat locations overseas.
Now, it can go the other way too. We find fair and workable Ecuadorian landlords with apartments at reasonable prices and it might be in a popular gringo neighborhood. So you see, it can work both ways. The point is you can’t go by just the neighborhood and think you will automatically be targeted for a higher rent; or automatically get a lower rent. You have to do the work of searching.
Most Ecuadorians will negotiate with you on the price, but in the apartments that have had only gringos living in them, the prices just keep going up. We have to face the fact that we’re someday going to have much higher rents in Cuenca Ecuador than what we are seeing now. When we look at travel abroad trends in other popular expat destinations it tells us that Cuenca Ecuador is on the radar.
FYI: If we were to mention an area or neighborhood that has not spiked as fast as some (westside) neighborhoods have, it would be the eastside of town near the Monay Mall area. See this article that explores the eastside in detail.
Until we write again…
If you liked this article, you might like these too.
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!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Just Another Day in Paradise! Are We Staying In Cuenca Ecuador?
Question: Are You Staying in Cuenca Ecuador or Have Something Else on the Horizon?
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!
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!
Friday, December 11, 2015
11 Cultural Quirks that Are Not (Usually) Talked about in Cuenca Ecuador
Before we begin, let us just say, “We love Ecuador! We’re still here, aren’t we? And just because we’re telling you some of its dirty little secrets (that are right out in the open) does not mean we don’t like it here or its people. Ecuador is probably one of the best countries for folks who prefer frugal living and the laid back lifestyle. It’s a beautiful diverse country with many kind folks but some of the quirks of the culture can make life a bit challenging at times.
1. Relentless burning that takes place in all residential neighborhoods. Fresh air is part of our overall health, and keeping an airy ambiance in the house at all times is important to us; keeping windows cracked open also helps us sleep better but most of the time someone is burning and the smoke wafts into our bedroom through the cracked window. If we’re still awake we simply close the window but if we’re already sleeping we invariably wake up with a headache from involuntary smoke inhalation.
Unfortunately, Latin folks like to burn; they burned every night when we were in panama too. What are they burning? We think they burn their garbage and anything else on their property that is burnable, although we sometimes smell things that should not be burned, like plastic, rubber, clothing; that’s the worst smell. Some of the small time “lot” farmers, also burn what they should be just burying. (composting).
2. Coughing up and spitting all over the sidewalks and inside the buses. It’s really gross. One time when we were traveling to the coast we stayed in a very nice hostel. Upon entering the room I sat my back pack on the bedspread and the Ecuadorian owner said, “Please do not put your back packs on the bedspread the bus floors are filthy from spit, urine, vomit, etc.” Well, did I feel like an idiot.
It really makes sense and I’ve never sat my back-pack on any table or bed cover since then. Before moving to Ecuador, we never traveled by national bus and didn’t think about those kinds of things happening on the buses. We know that we wouldn’t spit, barf or pee on the bus but I guess some people do those things.
Have you ever been walking down the side walk and there’s a huge spit wad right in front of you? Here, that’s normal…just giving potential newcomers to Cuenca a heads up. You do want to know all of these little details, right?
3. The sand in the basil and the sticks in the oregano. Yep, that’s right when you buy the loosely packed dried herbs at the grocery stores it comes with sand, sticks, tiny rocks, etc. Not that we’ve never found a rock in our beans or lentils in the good ole U.S but here, the herbs always have sand or sticks every time. You can pay three times as much, which is more than in the U.S and get the jarred dried herbs, but that would defeat the “frugal living purpose”, wouldn’t it? It’s an annoyance but we put up with it, besides a little sand in your marinara sauce is good for you.
4. Defecating in the river. In the four years we’ve lived here we have seen three different local men defecating in the rivers. Imagine for a moment, if you will, you are enjoying your stroll along the River Yanuncay, listening to the birds tweeting one another, hearing the flow of the river, and simply enjoying the lovely nature around you, when suddenly you see the moon, bright as day, staring up at you? We thought the moon shots were saved for Hollywood flicks, but apparently not…you get them here in Ecuador on occasion too.
6. Washing the vegetables on the side of the street in puddles after it rains. Ah yes, we’ve seen produce vendors wash some of their vegetables in puddles along the side of the road. It goes without saying, wash your vegetables really well!
7. Young people making out and literally some of them having sex under blankets. Ecuador has the highest teenage pregnancy rates in all of South America! In fact, curiosity got the best of me and doing more research we find that Ecuador has double the teenage pregnancy rates per 1000 teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 19 than the U.S has. To see rates worldwide, go here.
Source: World Bank
and Inter Press Service News Agency
When we first moved here we were amazed with all the young people making out in Cuenca, and in public view! We’ve observed young people having sex under blankets on the Ecuador coast. When they finished the VERY young couple got up and they didn’t look any older than 14 or 15. Did they really think they were fooling the few people that were on the beach just because they had a blanket?
8. Incessant nose picking. When our boys were little and we caught them picking their noses, we’d say “Levi le mani dal naso" - "remove your hands from your nose". It’s expected to catch little boys and girls picking their noses, they’re children, but adults that don’t seem to think anyone is watching? That’s a sight for tender eyes.
9. The new Catholic school (mini-skirt) uniforms. In 2011 the skirts were at the knee, in 2013 some of the school uniform skirts were about an inch above the knee and now, (some) of the skirts are mini! And this is for a Catholic school?! This takes us back to #7 on this list. There are no words…
10. Ecuador grows coffee but most restaurants serve Nescafe instant. Coffee lovers will probably agree with me; nothing is so pitiful than being served a cup of instant coffee in a country that grows coffee! And if you want milk (leche) they charge $0.50 to $1.00 more for the coffee. Now what’s wrong with this picture?
11. Eating Pets, Oh No! Having three sons, I can’t remember when they were growing up, not having rats, mice, gerbils, and hamsters living in their bedrooms, and even pet snakes and turtles. At night sometimes they would even get loose and climb onto our beds, the mice, not the snakes! The things we do for our children!
They were our pets. When we traveled long distances, Angelo would bring his pet hamster,” buddy” with him so he could take care of him. When Alex was a teenager he created a website on the care and breeding of hamsters. And here, they keep asking us to eat one?
Guinea pigs, a favorite traditional food of some parts of South America, look and act just like pet hamsters and gerbils. To us they are pets. It wouldn’t be so bad if the Ecuadorians wouldn’t get offended when you tell them you don’t want to eat a certain food, but they do…they get offended by taking it personal. We’re not judging anyone’s food lifestyle, however we are not the least bit curious about eating guinea pig and it’s just not a big deal to us, but you go right ahead and enjoy!
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig
If you liked this article, then you might like these ones too.
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!
1. Relentless burning that takes place in all residential neighborhoods. Fresh air is part of our overall health, and keeping an airy ambiance in the house at all times is important to us; keeping windows cracked open also helps us sleep better but most of the time someone is burning and the smoke wafts into our bedroom through the cracked window. If we’re still awake we simply close the window but if we’re already sleeping we invariably wake up with a headache from involuntary smoke inhalation.
Unfortunately, Latin folks like to burn; they burned every night when we were in panama too. What are they burning? We think they burn their garbage and anything else on their property that is burnable, although we sometimes smell things that should not be burned, like plastic, rubber, clothing; that’s the worst smell. Some of the small time “lot” farmers, also burn what they should be just burying. (composting).
2. Coughing up and spitting all over the sidewalks and inside the buses. It’s really gross. One time when we were traveling to the coast we stayed in a very nice hostel. Upon entering the room I sat my back pack on the bedspread and the Ecuadorian owner said, “Please do not put your back packs on the bedspread the bus floors are filthy from spit, urine, vomit, etc.” Well, did I feel like an idiot.
It really makes sense and I’ve never sat my back-pack on any table or bed cover since then. Before moving to Ecuador, we never traveled by national bus and didn’t think about those kinds of things happening on the buses. We know that we wouldn’t spit, barf or pee on the bus but I guess some people do those things.
Have you ever been walking down the side walk and there’s a huge spit wad right in front of you? Here, that’s normal…just giving potential newcomers to Cuenca a heads up. You do want to know all of these little details, right?
3. The sand in the basil and the sticks in the oregano. Yep, that’s right when you buy the loosely packed dried herbs at the grocery stores it comes with sand, sticks, tiny rocks, etc. Not that we’ve never found a rock in our beans or lentils in the good ole U.S but here, the herbs always have sand or sticks every time. You can pay three times as much, which is more than in the U.S and get the jarred dried herbs, but that would defeat the “frugal living purpose”, wouldn’t it? It’s an annoyance but we put up with it, besides a little sand in your marinara sauce is good for you.
4. Defecating in the river. In the four years we’ve lived here we have seen three different local men defecating in the rivers. Imagine for a moment, if you will, you are enjoying your stroll along the River Yanuncay, listening to the birds tweeting one another, hearing the flow of the river, and simply enjoying the lovely nature around you, when suddenly you see the moon, bright as day, staring up at you? We thought the moon shots were saved for Hollywood flicks, but apparently not…you get them here in Ecuador on occasion too.
6. Washing the vegetables on the side of the street in puddles after it rains. Ah yes, we’ve seen produce vendors wash some of their vegetables in puddles along the side of the road. It goes without saying, wash your vegetables really well!
7. Young people making out and literally some of them having sex under blankets. Ecuador has the highest teenage pregnancy rates in all of South America! In fact, curiosity got the best of me and doing more research we find that Ecuador has double the teenage pregnancy rates per 1000 teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 19 than the U.S has. To see rates worldwide, go here.
Source: World Bank
and Inter Press Service News Agency
When we first moved here we were amazed with all the young people making out in Cuenca, and in public view! We’ve observed young people having sex under blankets on the Ecuador coast. When they finished the VERY young couple got up and they didn’t look any older than 14 or 15. Did they really think they were fooling the few people that were on the beach just because they had a blanket?
8. Incessant nose picking. When our boys were little and we caught them picking their noses, we’d say “Levi le mani dal naso" - "remove your hands from your nose". It’s expected to catch little boys and girls picking their noses, they’re children, but adults that don’t seem to think anyone is watching? That’s a sight for tender eyes.
9. The new Catholic school (mini-skirt) uniforms. In 2011 the skirts were at the knee, in 2013 some of the school uniform skirts were about an inch above the knee and now, (some) of the skirts are mini! And this is for a Catholic school?! This takes us back to #7 on this list. There are no words…
10. Ecuador grows coffee but most restaurants serve Nescafe instant. Coffee lovers will probably agree with me; nothing is so pitiful than being served a cup of instant coffee in a country that grows coffee! And if you want milk (leche) they charge $0.50 to $1.00 more for the coffee. Now what’s wrong with this picture?
11. Eating Pets, Oh No! Having three sons, I can’t remember when they were growing up, not having rats, mice, gerbils, and hamsters living in their bedrooms, and even pet snakes and turtles. At night sometimes they would even get loose and climb onto our beds, the mice, not the snakes! The things we do for our children!
They were our pets. When we traveled long distances, Angelo would bring his pet hamster,” buddy” with him so he could take care of him. When Alex was a teenager he created a website on the care and breeding of hamsters. And here, they keep asking us to eat one?
 |
| cuy - guinea pig - Cuenca Ecuador |
Guinea pigs, a favorite traditional food of some parts of South America, look and act just like pet hamsters and gerbils. To us they are pets. It wouldn’t be so bad if the Ecuadorians wouldn’t get offended when you tell them you don’t want to eat a certain food, but they do…they get offended by taking it personal. We’re not judging anyone’s food lifestyle, however we are not the least bit curious about eating guinea pig and it’s just not a big deal to us, but you go right ahead and enjoy!
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig
If you liked this article, then you might like these ones too.
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!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Walking East of Huayna Capac & Taking Taxi 'Diez de Agosto' to Parasio Park in Cuenca Ecuador
We start our walk on Gran Colombia which eventually turns into Gonzalez Suarez, past the biggest cemetery in Cuenca and east of Huayna Capac.
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
River Walks and Parks in Cuenca Ecuador
In this video we show our viewers some of the main parks and river paths that are located throughout the city of Cuenca, with the exception of the Cajas National Park, which is about 10 or 15 miles outside the city.
What's in this Video?
1. Cajas National Park - Alto Pista Highway
2. Parasio Park - Ave Pumapungo
3. Tomebamba River walk - starts at Ordonez Lasso (gringolandia) ends at Parasio park where it forks into the Paute River
4. Yanuncay River Walk - runs along Primero De Mayo, starting at Las Americas, passed Solano and Parasio Park and then runs into the Paute River where the path continues in the Monay area
5. Tres de Noviembre River walk - runs along the Tomebamba, passed Parasio park, where River Paute continues into Monay district.
6. Madre Park - Doce de Abril in El Vergel area
If you liked this video, you'll love these river walks.
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's in this Video?
1. Cajas National Park - Alto Pista Highway
2. Parasio Park - Ave Pumapungo
3. Tomebamba River walk - starts at Ordonez Lasso (gringolandia) ends at Parasio park where it forks into the Paute River
4. Yanuncay River Walk - runs along Primero De Mayo, starting at Las Americas, passed Solano and Parasio Park and then runs into the Paute River where the path continues in the Monay area
5. Tres de Noviembre River walk - runs along the Tomebamba, passed Parasio park, where River Paute continues into Monay district.
6. Madre Park - Doce de Abril in El Vergel area
If you liked this video, you'll love these river walks.
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!
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
5 Most Popular Gringo Neighborhoods in Cuenca Ecuador, with Maps!
Please take note: even though the neighborhoods we list in this article are popular with gringos that live in Cuenca, gringos live everywhere in Cuenca, not just in these areas.
Take a look at the city map of Cuenca where we list the 5 areas that are popular with gringos and it will give you an idea of where each one is located within the city. You will want to click on the maps to enlarge.
1. Gringolandia – Ordonez Lasso & Las Americas
Now that the whole city is Gringolandia this would be the “old” Gringolandia, and is mostly made up of high rise apartments and some detached houses. The high rise apartment buildings that make up the first mile of Ordonez Lasso are dotted along the Tomebamba River. The units have 24hr security, elevators, nice city views and some with amenities like gyms, spa, etc.
There are few restaurants in gringoland. Gringoland is walking distance to Supermaxi grocery store and strip mall off of Las Americas. The strip mall has a household items department store, baby store, pizza and ice cream shop and a small furniture/appliance store.
The Tranvia will run right by gringolandia neighborhood. Just south of gringolandia is another popular neighborhood called Puertas del Sol, which is mostly made up of detached homes and a few apartment buildings. Here is where you will find one of the Gran Sol Organic produce markets.
2. Zona Rosa – Gran Colombia & Unidad National
Just about a half a mile east of gringoland is the popular neighborhood of Zona Rosa. Zona Rosa is a block or so north from the Tomebamba River and runs along Gran Colombia. Zona Rosa is a small, dense area that consists mainly of high rise apartment buildings with 24hr security, elevators and some views of the River Tomebamba and the city.
This area is home to several banks, restaurants, a pet shop, 2 fast food chicken restaurants, and is about a 15 minute walk, staying on Gran Colombia to El Centro.
3. Totems – Remigio Crespo and Unidad National
Just south of Zona Rosa on the east side of the Tomebamba, you will come to the Totems neighborhood. You’ll come to a round-a-bout with three Indian totem poles in the center of the circle. Gringos like this area because it is walking distance to many restaurants, cafes, shops, nightlife, etc on Remigio Crespo. This video will give you a bird's eye view of the Totems area, starting at 46 seconds in.
4. El Centro – Historic Cuenca, a couple blocks near to Park Calderon
El Centro is mostly for gringo tourists who are coming to check Cuenca out for long-term living, although it is home to some permanent residents. Most people find the downtown area to be too smoggy and noisy for full-time living, but for a month to three month stay it works for some.
It is in El Centro, near Park Calderon where you will see the most gringos at one time, outside of some of the gringo restaurants. The city hosts many events, festivities and holidays in the Park Calderon. El Centro boasts numerous restaurants, quaint cafe's, bakeries, international cuisine restaurants, traditional $3 and up almuerzo restaurants, banks and small food stores, called tiendas.
Grab your DIY Cuenca Landing Guide for more information on where to stay, where to eat, where to shop in El Centro and save money!
5. El Vergel / Madre Park – Doce de Abril & Solano to Diez de Agosto
El Vergel neighborhood is a combination of new and old section of Cuenca with lots of restaurants, cafes, US style hamburger joints, Supermaxi grocery store and El Vergel Mall. Millennium Mall, popular with the younger crowd is also located in this area.
Elk Vergel is home to the main Cuenca stadium Alejandro Serrano Aquilar where the city hosts popular Latin singers, concerts and other musical groups; and it is also where they host the pro Ecuadorian soccer games.
The beautiful Madre Park is located in this area and hosts local musical talents, bands and concerts; the park has a track, a variety of exercise equipment, children’s play areas and a planetarium. You’ll find the park has clean restrooms, park benches for relaxing and lots of green space. Across the street off of Doce de Abril is the Tomebamba River walk.
Going up the stairs from Doce de Abril and Madre Park, it will take you into the historic district of El Centro.
This provides you with a general idea of different areas of the city in Cuenca. Do these five neighborhoods have less crime than areas we do not list? Flat out, “No”. These neighborhoods are not better nor do they have less crime than some of the other neighborhoods not listed in this article. Crimes against expats are almost always crimes of opportunity, mainly because gringos behave in ways they shouldn’t in Latin American cultures.
Until we write again…
We think you will like these articles too.
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!
Take a look at the city map of Cuenca where we list the 5 areas that are popular with gringos and it will give you an idea of where each one is located within the city. You will want to click on the maps to enlarge.
 |
| Cuenca Ecuador showing 5 most popular gringo neighborhoods |
1. Gringolandia – Ordonez Lasso & Las Americas
Now that the whole city is Gringolandia this would be the “old” Gringolandia, and is mostly made up of high rise apartments and some detached houses. The high rise apartment buildings that make up the first mile of Ordonez Lasso are dotted along the Tomebamba River. The units have 24hr security, elevators, nice city views and some with amenities like gyms, spa, etc.
There are few restaurants in gringoland. Gringoland is walking distance to Supermaxi grocery store and strip mall off of Las Americas. The strip mall has a household items department store, baby store, pizza and ice cream shop and a small furniture/appliance store.
The Tranvia will run right by gringolandia neighborhood. Just south of gringolandia is another popular neighborhood called Puertas del Sol, which is mostly made up of detached homes and a few apartment buildings. Here is where you will find one of the Gran Sol Organic produce markets.
 |
| gringolandia |
2. Zona Rosa – Gran Colombia & Unidad National
Just about a half a mile east of gringoland is the popular neighborhood of Zona Rosa. Zona Rosa is a block or so north from the Tomebamba River and runs along Gran Colombia. Zona Rosa is a small, dense area that consists mainly of high rise apartment buildings with 24hr security, elevators and some views of the River Tomebamba and the city.
This area is home to several banks, restaurants, a pet shop, 2 fast food chicken restaurants, and is about a 15 minute walk, staying on Gran Colombia to El Centro.
 |
| Zona Rosa |
3. Totems – Remigio Crespo and Unidad National
Just south of Zona Rosa on the east side of the Tomebamba, you will come to the Totems neighborhood. You’ll come to a round-a-bout with three Indian totem poles in the center of the circle. Gringos like this area because it is walking distance to many restaurants, cafes, shops, nightlife, etc on Remigio Crespo. This video will give you a bird's eye view of the Totems area, starting at 46 seconds in.
 |
| Totems neighborhood |
4. El Centro – Historic Cuenca, a couple blocks near to Park Calderon
El Centro is mostly for gringo tourists who are coming to check Cuenca out for long-term living, although it is home to some permanent residents. Most people find the downtown area to be too smoggy and noisy for full-time living, but for a month to three month stay it works for some.
It is in El Centro, near Park Calderon where you will see the most gringos at one time, outside of some of the gringo restaurants. The city hosts many events, festivities and holidays in the Park Calderon. El Centro boasts numerous restaurants, quaint cafe's, bakeries, international cuisine restaurants, traditional $3 and up almuerzo restaurants, banks and small food stores, called tiendas.
Grab your DIY Cuenca Landing Guide for more information on where to stay, where to eat, where to shop in El Centro and save money!
 |
| Historic Cuenca - El Centro |
5. El Vergel / Madre Park – Doce de Abril & Solano to Diez de Agosto
El Vergel neighborhood is a combination of new and old section of Cuenca with lots of restaurants, cafes, US style hamburger joints, Supermaxi grocery store and El Vergel Mall. Millennium Mall, popular with the younger crowd is also located in this area.
Elk Vergel is home to the main Cuenca stadium Alejandro Serrano Aquilar where the city hosts popular Latin singers, concerts and other musical groups; and it is also where they host the pro Ecuadorian soccer games.
The beautiful Madre Park is located in this area and hosts local musical talents, bands and concerts; the park has a track, a variety of exercise equipment, children’s play areas and a planetarium. You’ll find the park has clean restrooms, park benches for relaxing and lots of green space. Across the street off of Doce de Abril is the Tomebamba River walk.
Going up the stairs from Doce de Abril and Madre Park, it will take you into the historic district of El Centro.
 |
| El Vergel / Madre Park |
This provides you with a general idea of different areas of the city in Cuenca. Do these five neighborhoods have less crime than areas we do not list? Flat out, “No”. These neighborhoods are not better nor do they have less crime than some of the other neighborhoods not listed in this article. Crimes against expats are almost always crimes of opportunity, mainly because gringos behave in ways they shouldn’t in Latin American cultures.
Until we write again…
We think you will like these articles too.
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!
Monday, December 7, 2015
DISCOVER PANAMA: Our Travels to Chitre & Las Tablas, Azuero Peninsula Panama
During our five week adventure in Panama, we traveled the whole country, from Panama City to Puerto Armuelles. This is our Azuero Peninsula travels.
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!
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!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Tricks of the Trade of Produce Sellers at the Mercados in Cuenca Ecuador
Do we really know what we’re getting when we shop at the local Mercados in Cuenca Ecuador? Have you ever wondered how the vendors keep all their produce from going bad? Do they give it away to the less fortunate? Do they reduce it? Do they throw it out? Or, do they just dip/spray them in preserving chemicals?
Recently we have learned from a reliable local source that some of the vendors spray and or dip their produce in a chemical solution so it will not go bad. That way, it can sit on the table for days and continue to look pretty as if it were freshly picked from the garden. The problem is which vendors are spraying/dipping and which ones are not?
After consecutive weeks of being misled so many times about the cleanliness of the food and getting sick, we had to quit buying a lot of the produce. It’s either that or keep risking our health. So sad.
Don't get us wrong, there is plenty of fresh clean food sold at the Mercados and there is some that has been chemically tampered with to keep it looking as fresh as if it was just picked. That's the food that will make you sick. We have gotten the same bloating feeling from some of the bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc, etc...the same food at the regular grocery store does not make us feel bloated and crampy.
Bloating & Cramping
We knew something wasn’t right about some of the food we were buying at the Feria Libre Mercado of Cuenca Ecuador, because it would give us a heavy bloating feeling in our intestines and bleached out stool; and it wasn’t just one or two of us in the family, it happened with anyone who happened to ingest that particular fruit or vegetable.
One of the fruits we knew right away that was giving us stomach problems was the banana. We all had the same bloating, heavy, crampy feeling after eating bananas from various Mercado vendors. This is not healthy!! The solution for us was to stop buying bananas at the mercado.
We never know if we’re getting fresh food or not because vendors are not exactly up-front when they want to sell their produce. So, what we had to do was a simple technique a person does when they have a food allergy. We had to write down all the food we ate in a day and slowly eliminate food items from our meals that we knew for sure were giving us the bloating and such. Sometimes we had to eat the same food twice and get the bloaty feeling again just to make sure it was that food.
Another problem is, we didn't always go to the same vendors and trying to remember the vendor who gave you the food with chemicals was difficult to remember at best as Feria Libre is huge!! We were in a pickle of sorts and have almost just quit going to the Mercado...it has gotten that bad.
In the latter stages, tired of getting bloated and nauseated, we would look the vendor straight in the eye and ask, “Have these been dipped in chemicals?”. Sometimes the ladies will say, “Not these ones” or “Not today they haven’t”, while lowering their heads and becoming shifty eyed. Sometimes we would buy the produce and low and behold we get bloating and cramping once again.
In the last year or so, going to the Mercado has been more trouble than it is worth and that is why we have almost stopped going. We haven’t been in two months and we really don’t miss it. Our grocery bill is just about the same because we buy at the regular grocery stores what’s in season. If it is not in season we either reduce purchase or don’t buy it at all.
BTW, we already figured out they were putting something on the chicken (it looks rubbery and fake) and other meats because otherwise they would rot…and obviously some of it has rotted according to the smells in that particular area of the Mercados.
Is It Raw Honey or Is It Something Else?
When I eat refined sugar, even just a tablespoon it goes directly to my feet and that’s how I knew that after a few months of eating honey bought at the Mercado, it was not raw honey; I immediately quit using it and found a new source for getting raw honey.
It was a few months later that I was having a conversation with my next door neighbor about the “so called” raw honey I was buying at the Mercado and she told me that they mix the honey with corn syrup. This only confirmed my suspicions!
Corn syrup is extremely unhealthy in the long run and chemicals sprayed on foods after they have been picked to preserve their life is making people sick!
Bottom line: Sadly, knowing what we know now, it keeps us from buying other products from the Mercado, and to even recommend the Mercado like we used to. If you have a favorite vendor(s) that you always go to and you know for sure they aren't tampering with the food with a post-chemical that's great!
Organic Produce or Not?
A kind reader wrote in sounding as if she was gently correcting us to say that the produce at the mercado is not organic. This made us think that our previous articles perhaps made it sound as if we were saying that the produce at the mercados is organic.
In fact we have always said that it is a toss up, some of it is and some of it is not. It's just that lately we seem to have run into a lot more of the non organic produce than ever before. And we think you should know, that non organic and potentially chemically laden produce seems to be on the rise at Feria Libre and we have the symptoms to prove it, at least to ourselves.
It’s really sad, however on the upside we have learned to accept the reality that not all is as it appears in Cuenca Ecuador. Wink!
If you liked this article, you might like these ones about the food in Cuenca too.
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!
Recently we have learned from a reliable local source that some of the vendors spray and or dip their produce in a chemical solution so it will not go bad. That way, it can sit on the table for days and continue to look pretty as if it were freshly picked from the garden. The problem is which vendors are spraying/dipping and which ones are not?
After consecutive weeks of being misled so many times about the cleanliness of the food and getting sick, we had to quit buying a lot of the produce. It’s either that or keep risking our health. So sad.
Don't get us wrong, there is plenty of fresh clean food sold at the Mercados and there is some that has been chemically tampered with to keep it looking as fresh as if it was just picked. That's the food that will make you sick. We have gotten the same bloating feeling from some of the bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc, etc...the same food at the regular grocery store does not make us feel bloated and crampy.
Bloating & Cramping
We knew something wasn’t right about some of the food we were buying at the Feria Libre Mercado of Cuenca Ecuador, because it would give us a heavy bloating feeling in our intestines and bleached out stool; and it wasn’t just one or two of us in the family, it happened with anyone who happened to ingest that particular fruit or vegetable.
One of the fruits we knew right away that was giving us stomach problems was the banana. We all had the same bloating, heavy, crampy feeling after eating bananas from various Mercado vendors. This is not healthy!! The solution for us was to stop buying bananas at the mercado.
We never know if we’re getting fresh food or not because vendors are not exactly up-front when they want to sell their produce. So, what we had to do was a simple technique a person does when they have a food allergy. We had to write down all the food we ate in a day and slowly eliminate food items from our meals that we knew for sure were giving us the bloating and such. Sometimes we had to eat the same food twice and get the bloaty feeling again just to make sure it was that food.
Another problem is, we didn't always go to the same vendors and trying to remember the vendor who gave you the food with chemicals was difficult to remember at best as Feria Libre is huge!! We were in a pickle of sorts and have almost just quit going to the Mercado...it has gotten that bad.
In the latter stages, tired of getting bloated and nauseated, we would look the vendor straight in the eye and ask, “Have these been dipped in chemicals?”. Sometimes the ladies will say, “Not these ones” or “Not today they haven’t”, while lowering their heads and becoming shifty eyed. Sometimes we would buy the produce and low and behold we get bloating and cramping once again.
In the last year or so, going to the Mercado has been more trouble than it is worth and that is why we have almost stopped going. We haven’t been in two months and we really don’t miss it. Our grocery bill is just about the same because we buy at the regular grocery stores what’s in season. If it is not in season we either reduce purchase or don’t buy it at all.
BTW, we already figured out they were putting something on the chicken (it looks rubbery and fake) and other meats because otherwise they would rot…and obviously some of it has rotted according to the smells in that particular area of the Mercados.
Is It Raw Honey or Is It Something Else?
When I eat refined sugar, even just a tablespoon it goes directly to my feet and that’s how I knew that after a few months of eating honey bought at the Mercado, it was not raw honey; I immediately quit using it and found a new source for getting raw honey.
It was a few months later that I was having a conversation with my next door neighbor about the “so called” raw honey I was buying at the Mercado and she told me that they mix the honey with corn syrup. This only confirmed my suspicions!
Corn syrup is extremely unhealthy in the long run and chemicals sprayed on foods after they have been picked to preserve their life is making people sick!
Bottom line: Sadly, knowing what we know now, it keeps us from buying other products from the Mercado, and to even recommend the Mercado like we used to. If you have a favorite vendor(s) that you always go to and you know for sure they aren't tampering with the food with a post-chemical that's great!
Organic Produce or Not?
A kind reader wrote in sounding as if she was gently correcting us to say that the produce at the mercado is not organic. This made us think that our previous articles perhaps made it sound as if we were saying that the produce at the mercados is organic.
In fact we have always said that it is a toss up, some of it is and some of it is not. It's just that lately we seem to have run into a lot more of the non organic produce than ever before. And we think you should know, that non organic and potentially chemically laden produce seems to be on the rise at Feria Libre and we have the symptoms to prove it, at least to ourselves.
It’s really sad, however on the upside we have learned to accept the reality that not all is as it appears in Cuenca Ecuador. Wink!
If you liked this article, you might like these ones about the food in Cuenca too.
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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