I didn’t know where I was. Well, that’s not totally accurate. I had decided to walk home through a neighborhood I’d never visited before. I was aware of my general location and direction, and I had a sense of how long it would take to be sitting at the dining-room table… so I didn’t need to know my exact coordinates to enjoy my spontaneous exploration.
I didn’t know where I was. Well, that’s not totally accurate. I had decided to walk home through a neighborhood I’d never visited before. I was aware of my general location and direction, and I had a sense of how long it would take to be sitting at the dining-room table… so I didn’t need to know my exact coordinates to enjoy my spontaneous exploration.
When my now-grown son was a little boy I used to take him to Baskin Robbins for a cone. He would stare and stare at those 31 flavors. They were all so tempting, and I watched him grow physically agitated as he agonized over his decision. Inevitably he would always pick—chocolate chip. The same thing can happen now to folks scouring the Internet for possible retirement locations.
My young guide in Quito put it well: “There really is no excuse not to buy your girlfriend roses when they cost so little…” In the Cuenca flower market, for example, roses are $1 a dozen—a fresh bouquet will be made for you, while you wait. In Quito, in the lobby of the J.W. Marriott, an enormous bouquet that must include at least eight dozen perfectly-matched white roses beautifully dominates the lobby.
IL correspondents sometimes share their monthly budgets to help readers get a feel for the ongoing costs of living abroad. Items such as rent, utilities, and food are self-explanatory, but what about that nebulous “entertainment” category? Expenditures can vary wildly from person to person depending on individual interests and taste.
My young guide in Quito put it well: “There really is no excuse not to buy your girlfriend roses when they cost so little…” In the Cuenca flower market, for example, roses are $1 a dozen—a fresh bouquet will be made for you, while you wait. In Quito, in the lobby of the J.W. Marriott, an enormous bouquet that must include at least eight dozen perfectly-matched white roses beautifully dominates the lobby.
IL correspondents sometimes share their monthly budgets to help readers get a feel for the ongoing costs of living abroad. Items such as rent, utilities, and food are self-explanatory, but what about that nebulous “entertainment” category? Expenditures can vary wildly from person to person depending on individual interests and taste.
I was in Mexico’s Colonial Highlands recently, strolling through a handicrafts fair, when I saw a display of little mirror-compacts with casings made from decorated, beaten tin. I thought they’d make perfect little gifts for girlfriends—a useful item they could toss in their handbags.
In Vilcabamba, Ecuador, you feel like you could live forever. It’s no wonder that this boasts of being the “Valley of Longevity,” where long, healthy lives are common and many of the locals claim to be centenarians—living well into their 100s. Perhaps it’s the climate. Just shy of the equator in southern Ecuador and at an elevation of 5,000 feet, temperatures in Vilcabamba average between 65 F and 81 F.
One of the major concerns for retirees considering relocation abroad is being separated from their grandchildren. My wife and I weren’t grandparents when we arrived in Cuenca, Ecuador over two years ago. Now we have a 1-year-old granddaughter and two more grandbabies on the way.
One of the major concerns for retirees considering relocation abroad is being separated from their grandchildren. My wife and I weren’t grandparents when we arrived in Cuenca, Ecuador over two years ago. Now we have a 1-year-old granddaughter and two more grandbabies on the way.
In Vilcabamba, Ecuador, you feel like you could live forever. It’s no wonder that this boasts of being the “Valley of Longevity,” where long, healthy lives are common and many of the locals claim to be centenarians—living well into their 100s. Perhaps it’s the climate. Just shy of the equator in southern Ecuador and at an elevation of 5,000 feet, temperatures in Vilcabamba average between 65 F and 81 F.
It was time to stop putting life on hold…and time to start living it. “We saw the value of our savings plunge as we were nearing retirement age,” says Edd. “Rather than continue to work for too many more years trying to correct this problem, we decided to retire, relocate, and enjoy the rest of our lives.”
Exhaustive research turned up a city we’d never heard of called Cuenca in the highlands of Ecuador, a country we knew next to nothing about. But Cuenca appeared to meet all of our criteria, and a “look/see” trip confirmed this could be The Place, so we took the plunge… our standard of living exceeds the lifestyle we enjoyed in the States with two six-figure incomes.
I put down the phone, not for the first time that sunny Sunday morning, and gazed out of the wide lounge window that looked out over Quito’s skyline. The rugged eastern cordillera of the Andes shimmered in the distance under a tropical sun.
Even most Ecuadorians haven’t been to Loja, despite the fact that it’s one of the country’s oldest and most historic cities. Spanish conquistadors set out from here in their search for Andean gold and to explore the Amazon River basin. The great Simón Bolívar himself visited Loja in his campaign to unite Gran Colombia, and it was from Loja that Ecuador declared its independence in 1820.
Congratulations to Americans Barry and Denise Luckenbach who are the lucky winners of International Living’s Win A Dream Retirement Overseas competition. The couple will spend a month “test driving” an early retirement in Cuenca, Ecuador, all expenses paid. The prize includes round-trip airfare for two, a 4-week stay in a furnished apartment and $1,500 spending money.
The Pacific Coast towns of Montanita, Olon, Playas and Salinas in Ecuador are worth exploring. Continuing north along the coast, two other areas of note are Ayampe and Puerto Lopez. Both are of the picture postcard variety, where luxuriant green hills close in on the beach. Puerto Lopez has been one of my all-time favorite Ecuador beach towns since I first saw it in 2001.
Everything is old in Loja. Of course, that’s not literally true…but stroll through the historic colonial heart of this city in southern Ecuador and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. If you wish away the cars and buses and try not to see the youngsters with their stylish hair-dos and piercings (this is a university town, after all), you can sense what this city must have been like, oh…nearly 500 years ago.
This place boasts the world’s best climate…averaging daytime temperatures in the mid-70s every day of the year. So where am I? In Loja, a manageable city of about 180,000 people in southern Ecuador. At 6,750 feet above sea level, Loja is at a lower elevation than many of the country’s other major cities perched along the spine of the Andes mountain range.
Rent overseas before you buy. That’s good advice for anyone looking to try a new country on for size. Despite its incredibly low real estate costs, Ecuador is no exception. Fortunately, rental costs in Ecuador are very affordable, too.
Ecuador’s north coast is one of the finest stretches of Pacific coast you will find. Steep, bright green jungle-clad hills rise from the flat blue ocean. In places, rocky coves sculpt sandy beaches. Here would be a great place to have a beach home.
If I owned a beach house here, I don’t think I’d rent it to anyone. I’m not sure I’d want to share this place, here on the finest stretch of Ecuador’s coast. I’d want to be here…feet dangling in the lap pool, face in the bright sun and warm breezes…all the time. Well, maybe at sunset I’d amble down the steps to the beach for a dip in the mighty Pacific…
We started researching retirement property, making full use of the Internet, libraries, networking, country visits, and, of course, International Living. It was a part-time job for us…and in no particular hurry, we passed on properties that didn’t measure up; settle for less, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. In July 2006, after searching for five years, we found a property in Vilcabamba, Ecuador.
He had a huge panoramic photo of his home—although you really couldn’t see the house for all the brilliantly colored bougainvillea tumbling over the walls and the fruit trees in the yard. Mango, lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, passion fruit, banana, and much more we weren’t familiar with…even coffee.
next »1 of 7
