A number of you have asked for our comments and experiences since arriving in EC. As a person who really loves to write, this whole experience has, of course, spawned a writing exercise...prompted somewhat by our encounters with the wonderful Senora Margarita in Otavalo when we first arrived. My ramblings are not intended to be conclusive in any way, and are only as seen through my eyes, and with a tinge of humor. This is only the introduction, and I hope the rest may be of assistance to newcomers and potential newcomers. All comments are appreciated.
ECUADOR FOR EX-PATS, OUT EXPERIENCES.
• CREDITS AND DISCLAIMERS
o Unfortunately, disclaimers MUST be a part of any book of this nature. It is rather like the “Fodor” guides on the day of publication when they find that at least 6 of their highly recommended establishments have closed, and that a major political insurrection has made travel in that particular country virtually impossible. Unlike Moses and his tablets, expat life is NOT written in stone, and is subject to change on a minute to minute basis. So, keep in mind that reading this book does NOT relieve you of keeping abreast of changes such as visa requirements, etc. Use the reference and research tools I present to keep yourself as current as possible on an ever-changing field of play.
o Also, keep in mind that although I am writing specifically about Ecuador, much of the material presented here is applicable to just about any country you may chose as a new home.
• INTRODUCTION
o The concept for writing this book came out of pure ignorance of all things Ecuadoran. It came out of meeting a fascinating and exceptionally knowledgeable woman in Otavalo, Ecuador. It came about from jumping off the deep-end at the age of 65, selling every worldly possession we owned and flying, sight unseen, into retirement in a country that neither of us had basically never heard of or knew diddly squat about. There is a certain insanity that must set in at a certain age in our lives when we are likely to do the most outrageous things, and, in our case, with no family with powers of attorney to stop us, we were free to jump ship in the United States and head out to new horizons. Thinking back, neither of us can really remember when the seed for this Quixotic adventure was planted, but I think it began in my office at University of Central Florida one day when the subject was locating cheap places to vacation. Somehow, over several days, this conversation morphed into seeking out cheap places to retire. One fact that all could agree on was that there was basically no way for any of us to retire in the States. It was an accepted fact that we would all have to work until the day we died in order to barely survive in the US economy. Somehow, and insidiously, the name “Ecuador” began to creep into the conversation. Ecuadoran connections began to crop up among employees of the university. Turns out that the guy who maintained and fixed all of the elevators on campus was married to an Ecuadoran and owned property and a home outside of Quito. Our official university translator, Tanya, turns out to be a native of Quito, and she and her husband Rick will retire there when they can. It just began to seem that there was something Ecuadoran under every rock……people we would never suspect had some kind of tie to the country, and it all began to sound very good to us.
o So, based on the fact that we could never retire in the States with any kind of quality of life, we sat cross-legged on the floor of our den, each with a lovely glass of Chardonnay, staring intently into each other’s eyes, and, with all the solemnity of a Papal High Mass, posed the question: Ecuador, Yes, or No? Seemingly without hesitation (like we really knew what we were committing to), the answer was a confident and positive YES. Such was the beginning of this new adventure in our lives, one that neither of us ever, in our wildest imaginations saw coming at us……. but, as they say, “God works in mysterious ways…..etc”.
o Thus began our version of “Alice in Ecuador Land”, a very surrealistic year of preparation, research, and, of course, the never-ending support of our nearest and dearest family and friends…..something like this:
? “You’re doing what!!!!!!”
? “You’re going where??????”
? “Are you both “flipping” crazy????”
? “Where the Hell is Ecuador????”
? “Have you seen your doctor? Maybe he can give you something.”
? “Don’t worry, it’s one of those phases…..you’ll get over it.”
? “Oh, wow man, that’s really cool. Ecuador, that’s in Texas isn’t it?”
? “You know, they have foreign people there don’t you?”
? “We’ve started a pool at the office for how long it takes before you come back.”
o Well, you get the drift. Eventually, if you are lucky, they will begin to give some real support, however still with slight disbelief, and of course, they are NOT giving up that pool.
o So, having said all that, now, in the words of Bette Davis: “Fasten your seatbelts boys, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Because you are about to set out on one of the most ambitious, exciting and challenging undertakings of your life, and it is not for the faint of heart……….BON VOYAGE!!!!!
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