Guayaquil or Cuenca

Dear Danny,

Since this thread is dedicated to new-member

introductions, I have responded to your post

on ¨The work culture in Ecuador¨thread.

That thread is clickable at the Ecuador forum

welcome page.

cccmedia

@dannyboy19111 I would recommend Cuenca over Guayaquil for a couple of reasons. First, the crime rate on the coast, and including Guayaquil, is high. This is because of the drug cartels and their problems that the government needs to address. Second, the proportion of expats is higher in Cuenca than in Guayaquil or pretty much any other city in Ecuador. This would be important unless you are already fluent in Spanish and have read up on Ecuadorian culture and social norms down here. I hope that you have already thought through your motivations in moving to Ecuador and becoming an expat. Doing so is one of the first and one of the most important things to have done. I wish you well and welcome you to a really wonderful country. Please let us know if you have other questions. But, as has already been noted by cccmedia, please start a new thread should you want to discuss things beyond introductory matters.

Hello everyone,

Welcome @dannyboy19111

Please note that I have created a new thread from your post on the Ecuador forum so that you may better interact with members.

All the best

Bhavna

My #1 question would be if you intend to start a business here, or if you have expectations of getting hired by an existing company. If it is the latter, you might want to think strongly on that. If it is a former, there is quite a bit of risk, like starting any business, but I think you will probably be more successful.

The issue is that Ecuador does not pay great, in general, & I'm assuming you want to at least maintain a similar (i.e. middle class) lifestyle, not regress backwards. For example, I am far from retiring as well, & I work on-line for a US company, earning US style income (though on the lower end). Also, if you don't speak Spanish, that would also be an issue.

Incidentally, I also am originally from PA. I used to live up in the Lehigh Valley.

Damon.