{"id":38906,"date":"2013-08-11T05:39:53","date_gmt":"2013-08-11T09:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=38906"},"modified":"2020-08-19T05:53:52","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T09:53:52","slug":"ecuador-exit-stage-left-5-reasons-expats-leave-ecuador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/ecuador-exit-stage-left-5-reasons-expats-leave-ecuador\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecuador: Exit Stage Left – 5 Reasons Expats Leave Ecuador"},"content":{"rendered":"

I know, I know.\u00a0\u00a0 I can hear it now, from our editorial team to many readers like yourself.\u00a0 Keep it light, keep it fluffy…keep it cheerful.\u00a0 We are supposed to be \u201chappy, shiny\u201d people.\u00a0 I will leave that to the \u201cother guys\u201d.\u00a0 There are plenty who believe that operating a website that promotes a particular global region means you can only highlight the good, while plying smoke and mirrors to hide both the bad…and the ugly.\u00a0 Well, that\u2019s just not me.\u00a0Truth is for many, Ecuador is a wonderful, life-inspiring and quite enjoyable place.\u00a0 They come…they see…and they certainly don\u2019t want to leave…ever!\u00a0 However, Ecuador is not for everyone<\/em>.\u00a0 No place is. Here are some of the major reasons why some folks come, stay and, quite candidly, eventually leave – Ecuador Exit Stage Left !<\/p>\n

The language barrier:<\/strong>\u00a0 Why can\u2019t they learn to speak…Spanish!\u00a0 Ok, truth is, you don\u2019t generally ever hear an Ecuadorian say that.\u00a0 However, you have many expats who think that, mostly about themselves.\u00a0 To some, the omnipresent thought becomes too much, over time.\u00a0 The effort (or lack thereof, for some) to learn the language and the occasional diminished returns, can become too much, for many.\u00a0 They find it easier to return to a place where not only does everyone know their name, but can properly pronounce it.<\/p>\n

The best solution, to avoid this fate?\u00a0 Start your Spanish lessons before you even arrive.\u00a0 Are you even starting to think about Ecuador?\u00a0\u00a0 Then now is the time to enroll in an introductory Spanish course, or buy one of the many computer-based, home-study programs.\u00a0 Don\u2019t waste a second of time.\u00a0 You won\u2019t regret it, or, if you do, the regret might set in prior to making a long haul move here…and back.<\/p>\n

Culture shock<\/strong>: <\/b>Come on, we have all seen them.\u00a0 Those cute, fuzzy, cuddly little creatures known as \u201cguinea pigs\u201d.\u00a0 Perhaps you had one as a pet when a child.\u00a0 Perhaps one of your children currently has one as a pet, right now.\u00a0 Yeah…well….here in Ecuador, they eat them.\u00a0 No, seriously, on a skewer!\u00a0 I am not making this up.\u00a0 It is called \u201cCuy\u201d and is a Sierra region delicacy, much savored and sought after. So, if you suddenly got an urge to run to the medicine cabinet for some mouthwash, perhaps you are not quite ready for Ecuador, just yet.<\/p>\n

Now, it does not have to be anything as \u201cextreme\u201d or, to some, \u201cdistasteful\u201d as guinea pig eating.\u00a0 There are plenty of other culture shock factors that require some getting used to.\u00a0 For example, when you first discover that while standing in a long line at a service counter may be perceived as a \u201cgreat inconvenience\u201d in your country of origin, here it is merely an accepted badge of honor and right of passage.\u00a0 Or when you discover that when you ask for a factual opinion, such as directions from point A to point B, you will generally get six different answers, from four people.\u00a0 Perhaps the realization that while you may have an urgent customer service matter at hand, it is not going to keep that employee from going home and having lunch with his family for an hour, which generally means two hours, here, in \u201creal time\u201d.\u00a0 The customer may always be \u201cright\u201d, but they aren\u2019t always necessarily \u201cright now\u201d.<\/p>\n

The list goes on and the irksome annoyances to some, just keep piling up to the point of no return.\u00a0 The cultural differences become too great and the shock effect impacts them head on.\u00a0 A few weeks later, there is a garage sale and two less folks running for the mouthwash, whenever they hear mention of \u201cCuy\u201d.\u00a0 My \u201csage\u201d words of advice, think about it.\u00a0 If you want the place you are moving to, to be just like the place you are leaving from, then why are you leaving in the first place?\u00a0 A new place should be full of \u201cculture shock\u201d.\u00a0 It should be new, exciting, invigorating…challenging to the senses. If not, much of the joy and excitement of exploring a new land and making it your new home, just seems to fade away onto a blank canvass of blandness.\u00a0 LIve life to the fullest and embrace that culture shock!<\/p>\n

Cost of living:<\/strong> What, you say?\u00a0 Cost of living?\u00a0 Have I lost my senses?\u00a0 Why everywhere you turn, one can hear Ecuador described as \u201ccheap\u201d, \u201cgreat value\u201d and \u201ca bargain hunter\u2019s paradise\u201d.\u00a0 Well, Ecuador is all those things, within reason.\u00a0 You are not going to come to Ecuador and \u201clive like a King\u201d (or \u201cQueen\u201d, either) for $900 per month.\u00a0 Not if you want to see the light of day, enjoy the occasional meal out, have a Margarita or two, and actually, well…live a little.\u00a0 If you want to hole up in a cave, read by candlelight and socialize with no one except shadow puppets dancing across the walls of your \u201ccave home\u201d, well, $900\/month will suit you just fine.<\/p>\n

Sadly, the needless overselling and hype associated with the great values that can truly be found in Ecuador, leads to a reality disorientation amongst some new expats.\u00a0 They are simply not satisfied with the good prices and great values.\u00a0 They were expecting more…promised more.\u00a0 No gold paved streets and ready servants at their command for every whim.\u00a0 Well, some just can\u2019t tolerate the dashed hopes and broken dreams, returning home to a life filled with even less value…but, alas, also less hype and promise.\u00a0 Unmet expectations can often trump harsher realities.<\/p>\n

Pollution<\/strong> (yes, \u201cpollution\u201d) and other health factors: <\/b>How can there possibly be \u201cpollution\u201d in this pristine, ecologically abundant and tourism friendly country?\u00a0 Well, there isn\u2019t…not everywhere.\u00a0 However, certain major cities like Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil not only have pollution, but you\u2019d swear the fragrance \u201cOde d\u2019 Diesel\u201d was the most popular perfume of the land, wafting through the breeze, just about everywhere.\u00a0 No different than the USA of the 1970s, Ecuador is quickly coming to terms with the need to control matters of litter and pollution.\u00a0 I have no doubt that success is imminent.\u00a0 However, such future resolve is of little value to someone with current respiratory problems, looking to move to the more densely populated sectors, of the major Ecuadorian cities.\u00a0 These facts, especially referencing the oft promoted Cuenca region, are usually left out of tourism guide books and colorful regional newsletters.<\/p>\n

Additionally, those suffering from certain heart and respiratory ailments should think twice before relocating to the Sierra region.\u00a0 The high altitudes can wreak havoc with certain physical conditions, such as COPD or CHF.\u00a0 One should always consult a trusted medical\u00a0 professional for advice.\u00a0 However, since such topics are seldom ever discussed, some expats move here and discover that the relocation has been great for their wallet, but poor for their health.\u00a0 Some relocate within Ecuador, but others choose to lock and leave, permanently.<\/p>\n

The weather<\/strong>: <\/b>\u00a0No, seriously…the weather.\u00a0 Allow me to explain.\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell you the number of times I have heard certain parts of Ecuador, mostly in the sierra region, defined as a region of \u201ceternal spring\u201d.\u00a0 More like \u201ceternal optimism\u201d, unless your definition of \u201cSpring\u201d comes complete with never-ending rainfall and nighttime lows in the 30s (fahrenheit). Remember, there is no central heat in apartments or hotels here, so…a low in the 30s will be felt to the bone.<\/p>\n

Now, I don\u2019t want to seem like I am picking on the Sierra region.\u00a0 So, let us discuss my beloved coast.\u00a0 Fun, surf and sunshine.\u00a0 Sure…except some regions have surf waters so rough that only the genuine \u201cHang Ten\u201d crowd need apply.\u00a0 There is a region not far from where I live, where, sadly, one person is lost almost every month to the heavy undertow.\u00a0 Likewise, certain coastal areas, especially in the rain band, can experience a great deal of sunshine…for 8 months per year.\u00a0 The other four months are cloudy with the occasional chance of never ending rain.<\/p>\n

Then there is my personal favorite, \u201cEcuador is tropical\u201d.\u00a0 Yes…in the Amazon.\u00a0 Some parts of Ecuador cannot be further removed from the expectations of you \u201ctropic loving\u201d denizens.\u00a0 Where I reside, the Salinas area, our weather is literally desert dry.\u00a0 Like taking Las Vegas, minus the extremes in heat, and placing it smack dab next to the Pacific Ocean.\u00a0 So, other than the occasional palm tree, not much in the way of tropical green to gaze at across the landscape.\u00a0 Caveat emptor.\u00a0 Do your homework, when choosing a region, if you want your preferred weather pattern to hold. Otherwise, you might find yourself on an outbound plane to \u201cSt. Somewhere\u201d, disappointed with your Ecuadorian experience.<\/p>\n

This is a fabulous country, with a wealth of inspired natural beauty and immense capitalist opportunity.\u00a0 However, it is not for everyone.\u00a0 Rather than become another jaded round-tripper, come down and visit…stay for a while…make sure the land of ma\u00f1ana is right for you.<\/p>\n

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