Impressions of Ecuador as we leave

As we prepare to leave for Quito's new airport and return home, I'm collecting my thoughts and impressions about this unique, beautiful and strange country, to get me ready for when we come back. These are my views only, and not necessarily management/Mary's views:

• I need to learn more about soccer -- rules, teams, vocabulary, strategy.
• I need to learn Spanish -- to enrich the experience here.
• Anyone can get along with just English, but it's not as much fun and you miss things; but if you try a little, the folks here will help with the rest.
• The indigenous people of Ecuador are a large part of the charm.
• They dress in a really cool way, especially the women; it's hard not to stare
• Smiles go a long way here
• The people are happy, friendly, but reserved
• And they are short; I get lots of stares/glances
• Young people -- students as well as small children-- are everywhere, and are very charming and attractive -- almost all students wear uniforms
• Old folks are obviously respected and cared for by their kids, grandkids and other family
• We need to get cracking on finding out residency visa requirements
• We made many valuable contacts here that will be invaluable if we decide to move or spend lots of time here.
• I need to get in better shape for hiking at altitudes over 8,000 feet; I'm OK for walking almost anywhere, but we've seen some stunning hiking terrain.
• Communicating with family and friends is important -- Skype works well.
• The cities and towns are safe (except maybe parts of Quito); I feel really comfortable wandering around downtown after dark. The cities are also very clean.
• Need to check air quality progress, especially Cuenca
• The politics and economics of this country are fascinating, and shed an interesting contrast with the USA; Ecuador's president is a smart, clever leader.
• Keeping up with Ecuadorian and expat blogs and websites will be important.
• I don't like drinking bottled water everywhere; Cuenca seems OK, though.
• I miss my family and friends, and will be glad to be home
• Next visit will be longer, and we won't be living out of suitcases

Volcano looming over market as it closes

Volcano Imbabura @ 6pm

Breaking down the market @ Otovalo

Mary wanted photos of the market closing to compare with the zoo during the day, so here's one with the volcano looming and catching the evening sunset rays, and another taken at the other end of the block. We never saw the exposed peaks of any of the many volcanoes in our 2 weeks here -- not rain but constant clouds just at the top. Probably different during dry season.

Otovalo/Cotacachi impressions

I'll ask Mary to comment, but I was pleasantly surprised by Otovalo and delighted by Cotacachi.

Cotacachi is a small town located on the slopes of one extinct volcano and across a beautiful valley (Otovalo's) from another. You can walk from one edge of town to the other in less than 15 minutes. In the middle is a delightful plaza, good for people-watching.

Otovalo is much larger and diverse, and very walkable. It is the hub of activity in this very beautiful part of the world. We've already spotted (in our guidebook) many things we want to do, see and experience on our next trip to Ecuador.
I hope to take some photos of the Otovalo market this afternoon, and get them on the blog.

I can't get Mary out of the market!

Tonight after midnight we'll have to take a long taxi ride from Otovalo to the new Quito airport, that opens tonight/tomorrow. So we wandered through the famous Poncho Plaza for some weekday shopping for presents, etc. It's a bargaining market, in which the sellers are insulted if you don't bargain for lower prices. Made for a challenge for us, since Mary still has no voice but was making most of the decisions. Let's just say that all were pleased, and we made 3 separate trips from the hotel to the market, and I made an extra trip to the ATM. Packing for home will be a trick.

A taste of travel on our own through Ecuador

Tuesday (yesterday) we had to get around the country on our own without a guide. I was nervous, Mary's voice was gone (still is!), and we had to adjust as we went along (multiple times). Itinerary as follows:

• 6-7 am: get up, dress, pack, etc.
• 7-7:30 am: good-bye breakfast with staff and owner of Hotel Ordonez
• Alberto told us more of the history of his charming family home (now B&B)
• 7:45-8:00: Hop in taxi, check in at airport
• taxi ride was only 7 minutes from hotel to check-in desk at airport
• 8:00-8:45: wait for plane, which left on time
• 8:45-9:30: flight Cuenca - Quito
• mainly clouds, but caught a glimpse of my first snow-capped volcano
• during dry season, we should be seeing mainly blue skies
• no wait for bags (first time we've checked them other than plane-side)
• 9:30-9:45: taxi from airport to bus station
• 9:45-10:00: getting bus tickets, figuring out which bus to take
• 10:00-12:00: bus to Otovalo
• cost $2 per person
• beautiful trip!
• 12:00- 12:30: taxi to hotel, check in, drop bags
• cost $1 +.25 tip
• Acoma Hotel -- we had no reservations, found in Lonely Planet, $52/night
• 12:30-1:00: Taxi to Cotacachi
• cost $7 -- we splurged - bus would have been $.65 each
• 1:00 - 3:00 lunch and walking around Cotacachi -- Mary likes the place
• rest of day back in Otovalo, nice seafood dinner, saw market being broken down for the night

Cuenca's hidden neighborhoods

This belated post is from Otovalo, during siesta while Mary is resting. More on Otovalo later today in a separate post. I thought I had put a post together for this blog, but nothing appears, so here goes.

Monday (18th) we took an all-day (8 full hours) guided tour of Cuenca -- just Mary, our guide Efrain (of Mio Tours)and I. In the process we covered the entire circle around Cuenca, went in a local mall, did a pretend shopping trip, talked about prices, learned what you can get cheaply and what costs more than in the USA, and what you can't get at all. Learned a lot about Ecuador's politics, economics and tax system as well. Spent time learning about medical care and Cuenca's hospitals, visiting one of them.

We focused on 2 residential neighborhoods, which the guide labeled the "50/50 neighborhood" and the "secret neighborhood" - not the real names but labels for us to use in communicating with Efrain later. Both neighborhoods were just outside the colonial center, but close enough for a short walk, bus or taxi ride. We like both neighborhoods. Detached homes with 3-4 bedrooms and nice landscaping are renting for $300-$350 per month unfurnished. Both neighborhoods are mainly Ecuadorian owners/residents, with a few gringos. 

Our little hotel in Cuenca

Courtyard/Entry Foyer/Breakfast room

View of upstairs walkway to our room

If any of you come to Cuenca, be sure to stay here -- Casa Ordonez. The web site isn't great (www.casa-ordonez.com), but it gives a bit of the flavor of the place. It's a converted family home in El Centro, a short walk to almost anything you'd want to do. The owner (Alberto) inherited his family home several years ago, just after he sold his US home but BEFORE the real estate crash. He has put his cash into restoring and upgrading the place. Alberto's staff is very hand's on with the guests. This has been one of our best lodging experiences anywhere.

Medical care in Cuenca

Staff here at our hotel (more on that later) called a local doctor to come in to see Mary. We were getting concerned that she might not be able to fly out on Wednesday. Doctor arrived within the hour -- pretty good for a Sunday morning on national election day. Doctor speaks fluent English, practices out of local hospital and teaches at a local medical school. Good bedside manner, spent plenty of time with Mary, took a medical history, took blood pressure and otherwise did what doctors do, and was very patient with Mary's lost voice. Diagnosed Mary's condition, told her to quit taking her current medicines, gave her 2 prescriptions that he said would have her up and about quickly, and cleared her to travel once the new medicines kicked in. Doctor was with us about half an hour. Total cost -- $40.

Hotel staffer volunteered to walk with me to the nearest pharmacia -- a block away. He helped with the pharmacist. Prescription filled in 5 minutes. Total cost of meds (steroid nasal spray and week's worth of non-drowsy decongestant) was $22. I was glad the staffer came with me, because I hadn't brought enough cash. Staffer kicked in $5 of his own money to get us out of there.

Oh, and the doctor gave us his personal cell phone number and asked us to call him if we needed anything else.

My new hat, size XXXXL+

Had to take 2 long strolls to get it right!

And it cost $35!

Pollution in Cuenca - Bad News, Good News, Better News

Last night I noticed that I was developing a slight cough -- not what Mary has, but the kind I get when I've been breathing New York City air for more than 3 days or so. You can't miss the smell of it in the narrow streets loaded with buses, taxi's and trucks. So I did a little research today on an issue that could prove to be a deal-breaker for us -- air quality and health.

The bad news is that the city center (which I really like) has air quality about the same as other large Latin American cities. Much of the stuff spews as black fumes (diesel) from buses, and the rest from taxis and trucks. Given the narrow streets and the heavy traffic rushing through them, the air quality suffers. Informal surveys list air quality as the 3rd biggest reason that expats ultimately go back home -- the first two being culture shock and the language barrier for those who refuse to learn Spanish.

The good news is that the local folks have recognized the problem and are starting to do something about it. They've turned a few streets into pedestrian only, but they know they need to do a lot more.

The better news is that they have just started construction on the Tranvia Cuatro Rios, a really cool, clever electric light rail system that will run through the city, especially the old town, and replace the buses and most taxis. The construction started this month and will be done in 14 months. Coupled with this, the city will be closing many more streets to vehicles over a 5 -year period. Look on YouTube for a good video (in Spanish).

Saturday afternoon in Cuenca

I wandered around the area between our hotel and the river -- the heart of El Centro. Made 2 trips to the panama hat place, because the hat still was too small. The city is vibrant with loads of people out on the streets and in shops on Saturday -- old folks, teenagers, little kids, a few gringos. By the way, "gringo" here isn't a slur; it just means someone who isn't Ecuadorian -- Chinese, Italian, North American, other European, etc.

I spent most of the rest of the day indoors, doing research on an issue that started bothering me yesterday -- air quality and pollution in Cuenca. It's involved enough that I'll save it for a separate post.

Late in the day I wandered back out for a double scoop of oreo ice cream and consumed it on a park bench in the Parque Calderon -- the city's center and a beautiful spot -- constant cool breezes, young couples (and some not so young) on almost every other bench. Finished the walk looking upwards, starting to look for possible apartments for our next trip -- probably for a month.

My new friends Davis and Juan just returned from an 8-hour guided tour of the city's neighborhoods with a former New Yorker turned guide. The say the tour has convinced them to move here, even though he was brutally honest with them about what the city is really like.

Saturday morning in Cuenca

Slept late. Mary still sick, decided to stay in bed all day and rest. Great breakfast. Met some neat folks. Mary got breakfast in bed courtesy of her husband. Husband will shortly abandon Mary to explore Cuenca, maybe walking by the river.

Internet access at this hotel sucks, and my tablet computer seems to be destroying emails. Very frustrating.

Some photos in Vilcabamba

Our hotel in Vilcabamba

Avocado in tree -- size of large grapefruit

View from front porch

Bananas

Mary "reflecting" before the national election after sending Allen out for wine

Avocado tree -- many, many fruits

More "election" reflection

Cool plant by front porch

Vilcabamba - Mary's still sick, & delightful evening ottherwise

I've just returned from a dinner with our group at a local restaurant. Mary stayed behind due to her persistent cough and the effects of the medicine we're using to control it. We were joined at dinner by a group of 4 local expats, who gave us the inside scoop on living in Ecuador generally and in this community in particular. I'm scheduled for a massage in the morning, then we're on the road back to Cuenca. Then we will leave our group and have several days on our own before starting for home.

Mary's cough and some international communication

Mary's cough is still with her, worse today.  After our return from the day's travels, we located a "farmacia" on the street a few doors down from the hotel, where we bought something that the clerk thought would work. You don't need prescriptions here, and drugs cost very little.

After a delightful dinner at a nearby Colombian restaurant ($13 + $2 tip for 3 full dinners and beers), we stopped in at the hotel bar, where Mary requested a "hot toddy." When the bartender indicated that he had no clue how to do such a thing, Mary instructed him how to make one, which he did on the spot. Then he said he had a similar remedy for colds, made with cinnamon, some kind of white liquor that looked like rum, and something else that turns the drink red. He delivered his concoction to our room a few minutes ago as he went off duty.

The bartender now has a new recipe for his expat customers, and Mary's feeling pretty good. But still coughing.

Exploring valleys east of Cuenca

 Started today with informal Spanish lessons after breakfast, then a great conversation with a local businessman about lief, real estate and apartments in Cuenca.

Cuenca (valley floor) is about 8400 feet above sea level. Today we went exploring east of Cuenca, dropping down through some beautiful green valleys to Gualaceo (lunch and a tour of a large market) at a little less than 8,000 feet, and back up to Chordeleg (gold and silver jewelry). Spent some fascinating time at the shop of a local (indigenous) weaver who is regionally and nationally famous for his fabric creations using a technique that involves tie-dyeing the strands of thread before the weaving is done by hand in his loom.

Returned to Cuenca in time to visit the museum/production facility for Panama hats (that's right, they originated and are made in Cuenca, not Panama. Tried to buy one from stock, but my head is too big for any of their standard sizes. So they agreed to custom make one for me (size XXXXL); I'll pick it up on Saturday at a total cost of $35.

Finished off the trip with a trip to Eduardo Vega's ceramic studio -- beautiful, colorful work at a spot high above the city. Mary picked up a neat surprise for Sarah.

Tomorrow it's off to Loja and Vilcabamba for 2 days. Lower and warmer than Cuenca. More beautiful valleys ahead.

Expats in Cuenca

There are about 4,000 expats in this city of 400,000. 2,500 from North America and 1,500 from the rest of the world. We're sitting down with a group of them in about an hour. Full report later.

Happy to Be in Cuenca

A small group of conference attendees (15 or so) and a couple of guides caught the morning flight from Quito to Cuenca; flight was about 45 minutes, covering the 250 miles or so down the Avenue of Volcanoes to this beautiful city of 400,000 or so. Overcast skies. City is a ghost town, because virtually all businesses are still closed for Carnival (beginning of Lent). Staying in Hotel Victoria, with the sound of a rushing river outside our window. Took a double-decker bus ride to get oriented. Had lunch a few minutes ago at a small cafe; lunch for 2 (delicious burger with salad and fries, tuna wrap, large beer that we split) was $10.

We can walk just about anywhere in comfort and safety. Cool, overcast temperatures now, but was warm (70s) on the bus when the sun came out.

Neat city, and we're just getting started.

Been up since 4:30, so time for a beer-induced short nap. Big, iridescent blue-green
hummingbird outside our window.

Doing laundry in Quito -- WOW

Got 2 men's shirts, one woman's slacks, 2 undershirts, one ladies T shirt cleaned today. Hotel would have charged $48; Mary thinks our Myrtle Beach laundry would have been about the same. Mary took the stuff around the corner to a no frills laundry. Final bill was $5.

This could be nice....

But nobody is on a schedule around here. Apparently "manana" doesn't mean tomorrow -- it just means "not today." We'll need to learn some patience.

This also could be nice....

Another day in and around Quito

Toured the valleys to the east of Quito today. Impression of rapid growth amidst natural beauty and poverty. Not the sort of poverty you see in the tourist destinations around the Caribbean, but poverty where everyone seems to be working, hustling, doing things with family. Of course, we're here during Carnival, a national holiday, when everyone has a 4-day weekend.

So far on our time in Quito we've met people from all over the world, each in varying degrees of investigating Ecuador as a place to "retire" to (whatever that means) - we've met interesting people from both Carolinas, Canada, Bemuda, the midwest, southern California and more. We've met a good many expats that live here.

Quito has beautiful parks, interesting and varied neighborhoods, but for my taste a little bit larger than I like. It has world class medical care, loads of colleges, a booming economy, and of course nearly perfect climate. With 2.5 million people, it's like Manhattan with better weather and nicer people.

So at this point in the Jeffcoat rankings, Cuenca is still in first (sight unseen), Cotacachi is in second (Mary hasn't seen it) and Quito is third.

On to Cuenca in the morning!

See the island shaped like a guinea pig?

It's actually the remnant of a collapsed volcano; the lake is called Laguna de Cuicocha, located a few miles outside of Cotacachi in northern Ecuador.

Same from above; supposed to be a trail around the top of the ridge/rim, but my legs and lungs won't do it in this life.

Quito is a happening city at night

A couple of dozen of conference folks chartered a bus to Old Town Quito tonight, and had a fun tour (walking) of the heart of the city. Large numbers of Quitenos (including lots of little kids) walking about, bars and restaurants hopping, within very old buildings. Ann, reminds me of Granada. But we stayed out way past our bedtime, finishing dinner about 11 pm. The local beer is really good after a walk, and really cheap. Hotel staff just delivered a comforting letter that the hotel was unaffected by the earthquake. Good; I'll sleep a little better tonight.

Tomorrow it's off to Otovalo, Cotacachi, and areas north of Quito.

Why is this room moving?

In the middle of the seminar this morning, while Mary was down the hall, our giant seminar room started gently swaying from time to time. It lasted only a few seconds, but I quickly realized that I had just experienced my first earthquake. We learned later in the day that it registered about 7.0, and was centered about 180 miles north in Colombia.

I'll have some better observations tonight, but now Mary and I are off for a tour of Quito, with walking, riding and a folk ballet in store.

Obviously Mary is better, but still has a cough.

We met some interesting folks today, but still haven't ventured outside the hotel.

Good blog about Cuenca & Ecuador

Check out the blog at www.ecuadorgeorge.com. This fellow is prolific and is making his visit to Cuenca a few days ahead of us. Good photos.

With a little luck we may meet him.

Politics in Ecuador

We arrived just in time for our Ecuadorian civics lesson. We're right in the middle of the national congressional and presidential election campaign, which in Ecuador lasts only 6 weeks! Election day is a week from this Sunday, when everything shuts down. All citizens are expected to vote, and foreign residents are encouraged to vote. Refreshing, no?

Second day of conference

Full day of classes, including stories of how people got here and why, areas north of Quito and on the northeast coast, legal and tax issues, real estate purchase considerations, and areas in the southern highlands. Cuenca, Loja and Vilcabamba looking more and more promising, even though we won't explore that area of the country until later in the week. Legal system is very different here; hope to line up a relationship with a local lawyer tomorrow. Mary still under the weather; we haven't ventured much beyond the hotel in 2 days. I think I've had a touch of altitude sickeness as well.

First day of International Living Conference

We have over 400 people attending this conference. The first 4 talks were interesting, useful and challenging. The reception following the talks gave us a chance to talk to several people that are ahead of us in our research and visits, and gave us a lot to think and talk about. Although we haven't had our Quito tour yet (not until after the conference), I'm less interested in Quito and more looking to Cuenca, Loja and Vicabamba. The talks will focus on Cuenca and the southern highlands tomorrow, when I hope Mary feels better.

First day in Quito and Mary's sick

Mary was coming down with a cold before we left Myrtle Beach, and it's steadily getting worse. We did get to sleep in this morning, then we stumbled downstairs for breakfast, after which we took a short stroll down the street to buy some bottled water. It's now time for lunch, but looks like I'll be going by myself -- Mary's cold has morphed into a cough and slight fever, and she's been sleeping all morning. I've spent the morning digging into the guidebook for a good seafood lunch for today or tomorrow.

Our conference begins late this afternoon, with classes ranging from 20 minutes to an hour.

Weather is very nice -- partly cloudy and cool, with some good, intense sun at times.

Made it to Quito!

Landed in Quito at 8 pm. Not a bad flight, other than the 6 hour layover in Miami. Pleasant (60 degrees), no rain, light fog. Friendly people. Conference hotel is a luxury one, not typical of the rest of the trip. Met some other conference attendees (Roger & Jody) on the ride from the airport. We will take it easy tonight and tomorrow as we adjust to the altitude.

Cool and rainy?

Weather forecast for the week calls for light rain and cool for both Quito and Cuenca. Not the "perfect weather" we were expecting. But plenty of interesting things await us, no matter what the weather. On the plane from Charleston to Miami to Quito in the morning.

Why Ecuador?

Cuenca

For years we've been looking around for interesting places to visit for extended periods of time. A little over 5 years ago I started reading International Living magazine, which reviews great places to retire all over the world. For most for the last few years Ecuador has ranked in the top 5 or so places. In our research we've focused on the northern and southern highlands of Ecuador, and in particular the cities of Quito and Cuenca (my personal favorite). The terrain is spectacular -- high valleys bordered by even higher mountain peaks of the Andes range. Even though the place is on the Equator, the altitude makes for year-round perfect weather -- highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s. Cost of living is low, medical care is good, country is stable, same time zone as eastern US. And the 2 cities we're visiting are amoung the most beautiful in South America.

Roasted guinea pig - Mary's favorite

We expect a few challenges on our trip, from what we've read and heard from friends -- water quality, language, altitude sickness among them. But we're at least mentally prepared for these chanllenges. However, the most interesting challenge will be food -- what to eat, what to experiment with. Our Lonely Planet guidebook mentions a few specialties for the gastronomically adventurous, all of which Mary has already vetoed -- roasted guinea pig (image), bull penis soup, and cow hoof soup. If this keeps up, we'll lose a few pounds.

Our first trip to South America since 2007

Our only other time in South America was our 30th anniversary trip to Patagonia (photo), at the southern tip of the Andes range. Our trip this week takes us to the northern end. This post is to test whether I can manage to upload an image to our blog.

Tuesday afternoon takes us to Charleston, where we spend the night before boarding  a plane Wednesday morning for Miami, endure a 4 hour layover, then take the afternoon flight to Quito, Ecuador. We'll spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the International Living conference in Quito. Monday of the next week will see us touring Quito on our own. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we will be on a guided tour to and around Cuenca, the city that has interested us for years. After that we have 6 days on our own. We are thinking about spending some of that time around Loja, but we'll be footloose until we get back to Quito on the 20th in time for our flight home on the 21st.

Welcome to our travel blog. Mary and I are leaving for Ecuador this week to visit Quito, Cuenca and Loja -- cities and towns in Ecuador that interest us for retirement prospects. This is our first blog, so we feel a bit awkward. We'll also keep a written journal, the old fashioned way.