Cuenca, Ecuador

Salinas is a fine place for an expat. If what you're looking for is a beach community with magnificent weather, and a welcoming expat and Ecuadorian community, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. I had always wanted to live by the Pacific, and for two years, we had a beautiful place - a penthouse overlooking the Ocean. You can see the view from there in the gallery above. 

But after two years, we were informed that our lease would not be renewed. We were saddened by this, we considered it our home. But after two years of living by the Ocean, with its definite downsides - mold, rust and relentless noise, and after failing to find another place in Salinas that could accommodate our library (5000+ books takes a lot of room) we decided to move to the first place that had captured our hearts when we first scouted Ecuador to be our home - Cuenca.

So we said our sad goodbyes to our dear friends in Salinas, and moved from the Coast up into the Andes. Are we happy with the change? We're delighted! Cuenca is a beautiful city, cosmopolitan, welcoming, with an amazing arts scene, first class cuisine, and cooler, less humid weather. The altitude (8300ft) took some getting used to, and the move was exhausting, but we're delighted to be here. 

There's a gallery above to give you a taste of Cuenca. I'll always be glad to have lived out my childhood dream of living by the Pacific, but our new home, between two rivers and across from a beautiful botanic garden is all we could have wished for.

I was raised in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, and many places in between. I have lived in NYC, Washington DC, Dallas, Charleston, Fort Benning, Charles Town, and several other places. This is, by far, my favorite. 

About thirty years ago I decided that I was going to get off the paycheck hamster wheel and spend my days writing, traveling, and reading. Since I wasn't born into money, the way to do that seemed to be building up several small pensions and investments into an income I wouldn't have to work for. That way, I could write what I pleased without worrying about whether it would "sell." It took thirty years to do it, but with Kathleen's help, we've finally managed it.

We spent years planning and scouting our eventual destination. It needed good weather, peace and quiet, political stability, and access to travel and cultural opportunities. It was crucial that it have a low cost of living, good internet, excellent health care and a welcoming populace. We scouted in Spain, Italy, and many other places. In the end, we settled on our place here - a penthouse condominium overlooking the Pacific in Salinas, Ecuador. We have since moved to a beautiful new home in the magnificent city of Cuenca. This is a wonderful place that meets all our needs more than amply.

Whatever we please. The only thing I do every day is write. Some days we walk around town and explore. Some days we plan our next trips to Europe and Asia.  Some days we travel around Ecuador - one of the most diverse places on Earth. Some days we just sit on the terrace, cook, and relax. It's a fine life. I recommend it.

It seems unlikely in the extreme. I don't like what American culture and politics have become. I have yet to run into anyone in a coffee shop toting a military grade rifle, and the gangsters here have the courtesy to confine themselves to very occasionally shooting each other. The political scene here isn't as intrusive into everyday life, and the constant competitive hustle that American life has become just isn't a thing here. People, on the whole, have less, and some folks are very poor, but the pace of life is far more congenial.  And most Ecuadorians are just plain nice. Oh, and finding fresh food and produce at very reasonable prices is much easier. We're healthier here than we have been in years.