I moved to South America from the USA in June of 2013 after visiting half a dozen times. I have a condo in Centro Histórico, Quito. I was living in Colombia (December 2016 to mid-2018), including Medellín, the Coffee Triangle and the Ecuador-Colombia border city of Ipiales, Nariño, altitude 9,500 feet -- cool to mild weather year-round. Something I would like to see in Ecuador: the reopening of the casinos, which were closed in 2011-12. Places I visited in 2016-17: Mar del Plata, the 'balneario' of Argentina ... Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay .. Medellín and the Zona Cafetera in Colombia. I twice have visited Colombia in my Ecuador-plated car. I have been a member of the Expat.com Experts Team since 2015 .. was mentored by the late James of our site's Brazil forum .. and am now the senior-serving member of the team in Spanish-speaking South America. Favorite casino game: Blackjack. Other activities: swimming, meditation, travel, searching for better South American restaurants, refining my Spanish-language skills, staying abreast of USA politics. I broke out the Elvis Tribute Artist act on Hallowe'en weekends in Central City, Colorado, in 2011 and 2012 while dealing cards at Fortune Valley Casino. I performed it onstage in an impromptu appearance with a live band at a casino in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013 .. and appeared various times at Quito's then-active South American Explorers clubhouse starting on July 4, 2013. My repertoire reached 20 Elvis hits, including Blue Suede Shoes, Jailhouse Rock and Love Me Tender.
I am a male.
I am single.
I joined expat.com on 14 March 2014.
Expert for Expat.com's Colombia and Ecuador forums .. swimming .. casino blackjack .. exploring Quito and Colombia with side-trips to Peru and Argentina.
Friendly locals, mild weather, massage venues, my car is here.
Must stay alert or else be taken advantage of on the street once in a while.
Traveling and experiencing Colombia, including Nariño, Antioquia and Quindío. Off and on in Colombia and traveling to Argentina, Peru and back to my primary residence in Quito during this period.
Blackjack is available, unlike in Ecuador where casinos have been banned.
Dangerous to drive at night between cities.