Cotacachi, Ecuador - An Up and Coming Expat Destination

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Love this article.We have been looking for a city-country to continue our educational project. In April-July 2012, I started a Cultural Immersion Educative Project for my children . Their local Canadian public school was enchanted that their students could participate in another educative system. We spent 3 months in Peru learning Spanish and Peruvian culture. They attended a public school in Tacna, Peru *NEUSTROS HEROS DE LA GEURRA DEL PACIFICO*where they were fully immersed in a Spanish Catholic atmosphere.( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nuestros-H%C3%A9roes-De-La-Guerra-Del-Pac%C3%ADfico/115968715107445 ).This experience was rewarding to both my children and to their Peruvian classmates. All three children have learned enough Spanish to communicate and regularly watch movies in Spanish. I am writing you because I would like to continue this linguistic and cultural project in Equador,Uruagy,Argentine......I havent decided yet but Equador sounds very interesting .I would like them to attend regular Spanish classes with their peers. I am not expecting any academics (homework, testings, etc) I would just like my children to attend classes in Spanish and make friends with their class-mates. Do you accept pupils as ‘oyentes’ or *foreign exchange students*. This is similar to the arrangement I had in Peru, whereby they attend class as observers rather than full participants. This worked out very well for my children as they faithfully copied down all the board-work and listened to the conversations of their teacher and classmates. Do you think schools in Equador would be open to this project?

I was also here 3 years ago, and moved here in 2012 and would advise anyone looking at Cotacachi as a place to live to consider the following. Cotacachi is very small, with not a lot to do, unless you want to watch "the grass grow", which for a lot of us 60's and 70's gringos is fine. Cuenca is where most gringos go as there is a big social scene as well as the beach. There are some gringos that promote it for their own financial reasons, but where it is fine for some of us, I have seen gringos come and leave.

We moved to Cotacachi four years ago. I was first attracted to this sleepy village by something I read in International Living. "Want to live in Mayberry RFD? Come to Cotacachi, Ecuador... So here we are and couldn't be happier. I will say that our circle of friends does include some expats, but the majority of our friends are Indigenous or Ecuadorian. We came here with the goal of immersing ourselves in the local culture. We love the sweet people, the weather is perfect, the health care is the best, and the cost of living fits our lifestyle perfectly. Duke Driver