Costa Rica has got to be expensive with the same frontis you left the States to get away from. Panama is a corrupt police state and filthy. Never been to Peru. P.I. is a country where you better know what the hell you are about, unless you're a sailor on shore leave just looking to get laid or like benni boys. Ecuador is civilized, beautiful and stable. I speak Spanish well enough to get by.

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You must be getting a lot of misinformation and rosy glasses Point of View from International Lyin'...That's where I started, The CIA has very accurate crime stats that cover these countries. Also google such subjects as Panama Slums, Belize street scenes Phillipine drug crisis, and lots of other sites. use your own judgment and think beyond the glossy photos, taken, usually from gated communities, glorified minimum security impoundments. Look up specific items which interest you. health care, safety, cost of living quality of life, Available culture (symphony? Opera? Arts?) Costa Rica is hugely expensive nowadays, as is Panama. Venezuela used to be a fabulous country, especially Isla Margarita, but today it has the highest crime in the region. People fight in the streets for food. If you plan to enter your final glide path, you want it to be long, smooth and comfortable. The old Idea that seniors sufficiently armed can fight their way out of about any scrape, but it's better advice to avoid those opportunities to validate yourself. Ecuador has a lot to offer, and deserves your best attention.

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I move around. It's a diverse country.

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Freedom16

I chose Ecuador five years ago
vs Panama or the Caribe or Philippines because of the climate.

I stay because of that and the very low cost of living, The interesting people, the chance to practice Spanish daily.

My Spanish is mid level but quite useful. Nothing like soaking in a Spanish speaking culture to help improve fluency. Add a few words a week and the vocab grows.

An indication of how much a lot of us like Ecuador is that we are kicking around ideas for the "Senior Trip" the waiting room for the after life. Some roll your own old folks colony. It would be affordable in Ecuador.

To paraphrase the flick, the USA ain't no country for old men.

sinego

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00abuse

The people, the culture, the cost of living, the dollar, learning spanish, the coast

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Outside of the rents and home prices where are the major price differences between Ecuador and Costa Rica that we may buy regularly.

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I have been living in Ecuador on the coast for over 8 years. I live in the Province of Santa Elena which has an excellent infrastructure, partly because it is a newer province.

I spoke very little Spanish coming here. I had a couple of years of HS Spanish and living in NY and then south Florida probably helped. Now I can get by enough, A large English vocabulary helps with all the words that are similar, and the kindness of the populace makes it a pleasant language to learn.

Living in South Florida made me want to avoid areas that would be the same type of tropical humid and wet, The excluded the central American countries of CR and Belize, and Panama, and of course the islands, which have their own issues, mostly that they are expensive. Santa Elena was my best choice, being half arid and dry forest. When I want more green and tropical, I just come north to Montañita.

I came here when the opportunity presented itself for my health. As many here now I am a person who suffers from depression, specifically what was called manic-depression (like Carrie Fisher) and one of the leading causes of both the ups and downs is the change of seasons and change of light as days get longer and shorter. Ecuador, on the equator, has 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, 365 days a year. That has been hugely beneficial and for me the ultimate treatment. You can´t bottle that and you can´t work around it (not with exercise, vitamin D or a light box). My health and my future are much improved and there is no greater value than that.

It has not been an easy 8 years -- again, those who have followed me here and on my other pages know. But it has been worthwhile. Ecuador is my home. Come visit.

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10abuse

I chose Ecuador because I married an Ecuadorian. I live outside of Guayaquil and I speak no Spanish.

I have been to P.I., Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Mexico and have lived in Panama.

I'll take Ecuador anyday.

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We will be coming to Ecuador in a little over a month and we can't wait ! We are enjoying on the banter about a Senior place. I've been an RN for 30 years and my wife is a Financial Advisor so we might be able to help out along the way..... We will keep track of what's happening along the way. Looking forward to seeing your wonderful country soon !

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00abuse

Weather and lack of violent crime played a part in deciding on Ecuador.

Ecuador, Yes: Quito in the highlands has room temperature weather in the daytime year-round.

Costa Rica: No.
I visited in ’97. Wrong place, wrong time. El Niño made San José much hotter than usual that January. I also walked into a late-night situation with a pair of ‘ladrones' .. got knocked out (possibly was drugged), robbed and left unconscious in the street for 20 minutes. That experience took Costa Rica right off my radar for future travel or more.

Panamá: No.
Panama City was the hottest, most humid place I had ever been to, except for the Philippines. David (dab-BEED) and Boquete (boh-KET-ay) somehow never got onto my radar.

Peru: No.
Lima is humid for many months of the year. I liked the Miraflores section of Lima when I visited last year.

Philippine Islands: No.
Cebu was a sauna.
Manila was hot with unbelievable traffic.
I spent three months in Baguio City, a city built by the U.S. after it took over P.I. following the Spanish-American war. It was rainy season when I was there, and I’ve never seen so much rain -- including lots of torrential rain -- anywhere else at any time. Baguio, at higher elevation than most areas of P.I., was the location of the summertime presidential palace for years. Still, it’s humid as heck, so any moving around and you’re schvitzing after a couple of minutes.

cccmedia

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