If you are looking for a home in Ecuador, don't forget to check out what I call the triangle, Otabalo, Cotacachi, and Ibarra. All three cities are on the Pan American Highway, east of Quito. Otobalo has the largest indigenous market in South America and a well developed infrastructure with all the goods and services. Cotacachi is a major expat focal point. Unfortunately, prices here for food and housing are substantially higher. Ibarra is comparatively less discovered with very few expats and lower prices as well as a well developed infrastructure. Ibarra es muy tranquillo and it is here that we have chosen to live.

print this one out and use it, I couldn't have said it better myself. Especially the cultural mentor....a definite must have for any country in Latin America as culture is tied to language, government and business on every level, so a good understanding of their history and culture will take you a llllooooonnnngggg way! I have just returned from Guat..I plan to relocate there.You hit the nail on the head when you talk about expats trying to look superior..I was a bit taken aback at the way they spoke to and about the Mayan people ..My adopted daughter is Mayan..I take it very personal..I would definately go native while living there..Thanks for confirming what I was thinking and feeling .

Thank you all for the tips on the architects. Jay I am sorry for your experience, but appreciate your sharing it with us, so we don't have the same. We have a house in Punta Colorada, which of course always needs something :-) I would very much like to know the name of the unscrupulous contractor you worked with,, and we will avoid him at all costs. When you provide me with this info, would you mind telling me what occurred? Thanks, Allison

I have lived in South America for 13 years in three countries, Chile, Argentina and now Quito. Equador. I know Chile and love it.. Cannot afford it anymore so I visit my friends there. And many aspects of CHile have changed dramatically in the past 13 years! What is this' nearly Fourth World' characterization of Ecuador in this KP article? EC. certainly is a very tough place to immigrate, and the govt. bureaucracy , banking and other systems are not easy. But the truth is immigrating for each of us involves a huge desire to take risks, doing all of your homework, learning the local language and resiliency and PATIENCE above all with yourself as well as others. As a Chilean artist friend told me " es muy alta, muy bajo' -- I am a woman, psychologist and teacher and it has not been easy here for me. I have been cheated by Ecuadorians ( owed me money for agreed-upon professional services), struggled for 10 months and spent way too much to get my immigration visa, I am practicing language skills daily etc etc.. Lots to learn in the 14 months I have been here. K. P. is a bit of a fraud, IMO -- she used to sell EC as a good, 'cheap' place to immigrate , seems her tune has changed -- "less stable" than what?? and what is "less accessible" about this little country? There is a lot of money to be made by IL types on people's dissatisfaction living wherever they are in the world... Prices are going up here, this is not a "cheap "place to live, only comparatively , it is a developing country and people everywhere in the world want to live like the First World - prices go up, rarely I have seen them go down. If you are willing to immigrate you gotta accept that life is DYNAMIC and change is constant... there ain't no free lunch and no paradise (except in the movie in your mind) The key is wherever you go, there YOU are... if you are happy within, you will have a better chance of adjusting well anywhere you go (even if you repatriate to wherever you came from)-- so open your mind and keep learning! Hi, excellent listing of retirement alternatives. I know most of them, and find the pro's and con's being very accurate. Though, it is difficult to publish a list in 'fit for all' manner. It depends very much on the individual budget and your life style. As I go for tropical climate only, Ecuador, Uruguay, and France aren't any option for me. For example Cuenca, Ecuador, can be a very cold place at times. The slogan of "everlasting spring in Cuenca" is misleading. One thing is sure, it is not an easy decision where to spend your retirement. Vern

Good luck! Uruguay is a really beautiful country. Rouy, Thank you for the very helpful reply. I will contact the Aeroclub of Uruguay for further details. I would think a small plane in Uruguay would be more useful for international trips to Argentina, Brazil, etc than travel in Uruguay itself. The geography and road infrastructure within Uruguay seem pretty friendly toward driving. Possibly having the plane there would allow living in a smaller community but still get easy access to Montevideo and the beach areas. We'll see. Thanks again!