Is Ecuador a Good Place For a Single 60-Year Old Woman?

It's a little early to correspond wtih you regarding questions about life in Cuenca, but I'd be happy to keep in touch and tell you of my experience here in the last 4 years. You are not even moving here for 2 more years?
regina

I have lived in Cuenca EC for 4 years. It is a safe and welcoming place to live with many activities, cultural, educational,  and social, many of which cost nothing to enjoy. Please write again if you are coming to Cuenca.
regina

Hi, Regina,

I am coming to Cuenca hopefully on April 24th for two weeks and would like to meet up with you! I should be clearer tomorrow--Tuesday on my flight plans so will let you know. I need accommodation somewhere central for the two weeks that I am there so your suggestions are most welcome. My plan is to return at the end of June with my animals and belongings. 

Keep me posted. It's only 10 days until your ETA. Will you fly to CUE or take the van from GYE? Let me know and we can locate a hostel, hotel, resort, bed and breakfast, whatever your budget requires. Do you have any ideas for accommodations? I know the city well and can at least tell you if what you have chosen is centrally located.
You can phone me toll-free from US 1-877-446-0761
regina

Hi, Regina!

I can't call you toll free from here in Canada. Could you pls forward another alternative number. I know we can't post numbers on this site so I am not sure what to do. However, I have been in touch with a couple who live there and I am now waiting to hear back from them. My questions have to do with which airline is best to use leaving from Calgary..It seems going to directly to Cuenca limits one's choices. I also need to know some suitable place to rent for the 8 days I am there which I will use to make some contacts and secure a pet-friendly desirable abode. Then I will be returning for good at the end of June--for good meaning right now at least a year.  So--any information and support you can give would be most welcome at this juncture and I am sorry for leaving it so late but such was the nature of my situation as I awaited some crucial info regarding available financial resources. Now I have that and it is all good.

Thanks so much, Regina!

I'm sorry. I thought my toll-free number18774460761 was accessible from Canada. If not, may I phone you?
I can help you find short-term accoommodations while you look for a pet-friendly place to rent. I see listings and hear of rentals available all the time.
Try to email me at azuay65 /!\ I AM A STUPID SPAMMER /!\ dot com
regina

Hi ,Regina

Thanks  so much for being so helpful. I really do appreciate all your support for this big leap. Yes, I will send you an e-mail with my telephone number.

Hi Barbara, just checking in, are you in Ecuador? Dying to know how you are doing there! I hope you signed up for the Ecuador Expats on Facebook, That site has sooo much help and information, good for when you are there and can ask where is this or that place or any questions! (of course there are some oddballs too , you just have to look past them! lol,,,ahhh life goes on!)  Plus many of the ladies get together often. I saw a post that said there was a new group of ladies getting together once a month now, Some of the ladies have been there for a few years and want to help out the "newbies!" Isn't that nice!   OK, I found the post, here it is..

"I need to limit our first time to 16 women who are either in Cuenca to "check it out" or women who've lived here less than a year or so. Seven of us Golden Girls will be there to answer your questions, share information and give referrals. It will be a great opportunity for newcomers to connect with the supportive spirit of women who live here in Cuenca.

The cost to you: Your breakfast. The support, encouragement and information: Free! Let me hear from you if you'd like to participate on Thursday, May 1 at 9 a.m. Please PM me at facebook.com/GGICG. Yes, this is for Golden Girls only. So if you have a partner/hubby, he/she can have his/her own adventure in Cuenca that morning. We're all looking forward to meeting you and sharing important information for your new life... Christine"

If you are not on facebook, I sure can relay the message to her and find out where they will be...if you are going to be in Cuenca on May 1st, that is! Just let me know! 

Hope you are having a nice time! And hear from you soon?  Sue (Oregon, Cuenca bound later this year!)

Cindybrew wrote:

Please I need help am a single woman of 27 of age and I will VE traveling alone will that be safe for me? Also I wish I can help with accomondation like sharing the rent pls let me know I plan to visit ending may

Hi Cindybew,

I think you need to give more details. Wha are your plans? Are you coming as tourist? How long you will be here? In which city?, etc.

If you are visiting Cuenca, please contact me at azuay65@gmail.com
I would like to meet you. I have lived in Central and South America for almost thirty years and I consider life in Cuenca very safe.
regina

Hi, Sue,

I look forward to meeting you when you come later this year. Hopefully, by then, I will have a place likely in Cuenca , and will be settled. No, I am not in Cuenca yet and won't be likely until sometime around the 10th as I  am going to Quito first. This is because a very nice warm Ecuadorian lady has offered to help me and also has a place where I can stay She also lives in San Francisco for part of the year. I will keep you posted about my impressions. I will contact the Golden Girls on FACEBOOK--Thanks for the info. Stay in touch, Sue--wish you were going sooner.

Hi, Sue,
I am off to Quito on Thursday and will be staying there with a lady who I met online. She is Ecuadorian and also lives in the States. I am looking forward to this trip very much and hope to secure a place either in Quito or Cuenca. I like the look of both. Quito being quite a bit larger might not suit but I am willing to give it a serious look as I have found out through this wonderful lady --some very decent options outside the city--Cumbaya and another place a little further. I will sure share what I find out with you as I know your plans are to re-locate later this year. Please do stay in touch.

your message could have been written by me.......i have the same plans and also live in LA......planning a trip in Nov 14.... would love to start a penpal relationship and maybe we could run the gauntlet together...we could exchange email addys at some point...Peace & Love.....Eddie

Let me know when you will be visiting Cuenca. I would be happy to meet you and show you the historic el centro where I live. There are gringo gatherings three times a week for drinks and dining and www.meetup.com/cuencasingles has many excursions and day trips to offer.
regina

awesome!.... thanks...i think my plan will be to homeport out of Cuenca for a week and branch out from there....are there  hotel rooms for $10-$20 dollars a night, seriously?....would like to see Loja, some national parks and the culture in cuenca....maybe a night or two in Quito for fun.......from what I can tell ther is sooooooo much to do that a week will only be a teaser....ha....c'ya

I stayed in the centro historico at Hotel Milan when I arrived in Cuenca and would also recommend hostal El Monasterio in your price range. Both offer breakfast in the room rate.
Regina

Whoa...seems like a few fellow Calgarians on the Ecuador Forum.

I am a retired engineer living in Calgary but will be heading o Ecuador in Jan. 2015. Have spent a couple of months last year in Ecuador and now need to return to explore more of the Pacific coast area: Cuenca is fantastic!

I would be happy to share my experiences with the local potential Ecuadorian visitors!

Hi, Eddy,
Thank you for the invitation! Sure--that would be great--write to me at barbara.suderman@yahoo.com. Not to be too snoopy but go ahead and share what you would like to--just a little bit for now would be great! I will do the same. I am currently in Cumbaya just outside of Quito with friends and I am here looking for a suitable place for myself and my animals which I am bringing at the end of June when I move here.
Best regards,
Barbara

Hi, and buenas dias!
It is sooooo good to hear from you and I am from Calgary currently in Cumbaya just outside Quito with friends. I have been here for five days--I think--as time gets away on me here--and will be returning to Calgary on the 20th. I love it here and I am looking forward to being here permanently. I will be leaving Calgary at the end of June. I am looking for a place suitable for myself and my dogs and have seen some places but so far --haven't found the right one. Today--hopefully-the house we are going to see is great and my searching will be over. My friends live here in Ecuador and are Hispanic--they spend part of their time in the States.Anyhow--would love to hear back for a fellow Calgarian!!!!!
Barbara

Hi,  I live in Canada. I am 65 and looking for a travelmate to go to Ecuador in the New Year.  Pen pal to start. Contact: jtenzyf@yahoo.com

Hi, Eddy,
I am back from Ecuador. Did you ever get my message?

Hi Barbara... my apologies but this is the msg i have received...i did just read the previous ones... so its pretty good down there, eh?...... i really am going to try and go in Nov of this year...... heres my email address if you would like to start penpal ing.... edward.larsen54@yahoo.com... cant wait to hear the good stuff..

Peace & Love
Eddie

[Moderated: No free ad on the forum]

I also am a 55 year old single woman looking to retire in Ecuador.  I am just starting to look into it and my biggest concern was safety.  It seems that most of the women on this site are very encouraging and have great suggestions.  Hoping to find a way to travel there early in 2015.

Did you make it there.  I ran across an old post.  I am coming in September of 2014.

John

Hi,
Just read your post.  I'm in same boat that you are...trying to figure out all the options and where exactly in EC that I want to live.  I am going for a visit in November.  I don't think my retirement will be enough at this point, so I will have to find some type of way to make $$$.  I have several thoughts on that subject as well.  I asked the question a while back regarding "Is EC a good place for a single black woman?"  I got some interesting responses.  Most said, the people are warm, friendly and welcoming.  Some said there is racism/prejudice directed toward those of the darker persuasion.  I plan to visit and see for myself.  Hope you post soon about your discoveries and plans.

@wyochick...I found a great 10 day trip on Gate One Travel.  Lots of tours and exploring and time on your own.  Like 18 meals, accommodations and tours included.  That might help you get to EC in 2015.  I hope to go in November.

My wife and I have recently been doing some serious thinking about retiring in Ecuador.
Would like to visit Ecuador first to get a feel fro things.
Anyone have any ideas to share with us about where to start the process of moving there to retire?

Fred

As I promised in a private message to you, I did check with my Ecuadoran friend in regards to your question. The following is what he wrote me. I hope this helps.

Kenneth
Loja Welcome Center
LojaWelcomeCenter.com
----------
Hi Ken:

"Fortunately, we really don't have racism in Ecuador like it is in other parts of the world.  I will not say racism doesn't exist, but in general people don't treat you different because of the color of your skin.  There are not many black or Asian people in Loja, but while I grew up there, I had a few black friends and to me they were no different than me.  I always saw them as equal.  It is the same thing about religion.  We don't care what religion you are.  You can be jew, muslim, baptist etc,  it is irrelevant to most people.  I will say an Asian or a black person will feel very comfortable in Loja."

@MrKMW thanks for the information.  Thanks for checking into it.

"Fortunately, we really don't have racism in Ecuador like it is in other parts of the world.  I will not say racism doesn't exist, but in general people don't treat you different because of the color of your skin. 


That is very nice, just not true.

Racism and prejudice is complicated. Racial prejudice can be almost non-existent or rampant depending on the region you live in. I haven't seen much of that in Loja, but there are so few blacks (or anything other than Ecuadorians) in this city. Of the Ecuadorian blacks I have spoken with (throughout Ecuador), several have said that they feel more comfortable in Esmeraldas, where most of the blacks in Ecuador live. In other words, they have experienced racism.

What you see can be easily misunderstood in both directions. For example, I attended a regional dance performance in Loja at a local school. The dancers honoring the dances from Esmeraldas wore blackface. I thought this was racist (culture ignorance on my part) and found that this was not correct. One has to be very careful in interpreting events  out-or-culture. I would also be careful suggesting that anyone (black or asian) would not experience racism in Loja. This is too optimistic (or perhaps, just charmingly idealistic).

Class prejudice is not uncommon in Ecuador. I have seen this first-hand throughout Ecuador and in Loja. It is ugly. Very ugly, and surprising because most Ecuadorians are, at the least, very polite in almost every situation. But, like most countries, people with money or of pure breeding can be pretty misguided in the way they treat others. You should not be surprised then, that Correa's (and hence, other's) attitude towards indigenous people comes from somewhere back in the middle ages. I like him otherwise, but during the election a few years ago, I did not vote for him because of his disrespect towards  the indigenous people in Ecuador. If he keeps it up, he will have an uprising of the Shuar Indians, who he calls ignorant savages. This would be a monumental tragedy (and we can guess who is ignorant here).

Religious tolerance is quite high. While the vast majority of Ecuadorians are Christian, they could care less what your religion is as long as you are polite and kind. Most of the Ecuadorians I know take people at face value. If you act trustworthy and respectful, the will treat you the same. But, there is that pesky thing called Gringo tax. I have written extensively in the blog about that. But, to summarize, it is not just greed as you might think, and it is easily (and I think legitimately) justified. You have to put yourself in their shoes to understand, and that's not so easy to do. How many of you have had to survive on less than $400 a month for most of your life? How many of you, right now, think that rich people should pay more taxes? See what I mean. In Ecuador, you are the rich.

I think also that white people are not really in a position to give a fair assessment of whether racism exists or not. It is the subjective or objective experience of the person it might be directed at.

Marthy is really helpful and kind--her heart is in the right place. I know because I stayed with her the first time I arrived here in Cumbaya and then the second time when I arrived to stay. She knows pretty well everything expats need to know and will help you settle in. Then you get your own wings.

That's funny--I have never heard that expressiion before --where are you now living may I ask?

Who is your question directed to?

To you--only because I thought being a serial traveller was funny and thought you might answer,

suefrankdahl wrote:

I think also that white people are not really in a position to give a fair assessment of whether racism exists or not. It is the subjective or objective experience of the person it might be directed at.

Such a strange comment. "White people are not really in a position to give a fair assessment..."  Are you implying that white people do not experience racism? Regarding the rest, are you saying that a person observing racism is incapable of understanding or even having a sense of what racism is (i.e. it cannot be defined, described, or felt in a compassionate way). Finally, are you really saying that racism is subjective (i.e. not real in any concrete way?). Tell that to muslims, blacks, mestizos, indigenous people, poor people and all the many others groups  yes, even white people  that experience racism and prejudice. I know personally and factually that they would NOT agree that their experience is subjective.

For my two cents--I have experienced prejudice in the form of ageism, sexism, and racism. I am white, from Canada, over 60 and a single female. You know--barriers exist because of fear --be on the winning side by accepting that and building bridges--not looking for reasons to build brick walls.

Sorry to be misunderstood. There was an inquiry by a black person about how they might be received in Loja. My point is that only that person could be the arbiter of his or her own perception of discrimination be it blatant/ subtle or non-existent.  There were assurances  given that it would not be a problem and others who felt the opposite. For that reason I use the word "subjective." Certainly the black person is in a position to give a fair assessment. How many black people are there in Loja? How do they feel? Certainly I agree with Joseph that racism exists and is painfully observable in so many instances whether it is directed at others or oneself.

I don't know if I am muddying the waters further but if a man told me that there was no sexism in any given organization my first instinct would be to ask a woman.