Where I live in Yunguilla valley all the homes being built are second homes for people in Cuenca, and it is good for property values here and there are several under construction.
I loveeeee listening to your podcasts every morning to start my day or on my drives to work. I am moving to Ecuador in a few months and can’t contain my excitement! I wrote you all via WhatsApp just the other day, but I want to comment here too :) I grew up between suburban New York and a small rural farm town in Italy and always felt out of place in the US. Especially in New York where everything is about productivity and how fast you move. I’ve always been a slow paced person, but never contributed it to having grown up in a slower paced environment until later in my life. When I visited my boyfriend’s family in Ecuador, I never felt more at home. And after visiting again this February, that really did it for me. I realized I can no longer stomach the culture that is now America and desperately need to be in a place that is slower, freer, kinder and more respectful. I hope I meet you all one day because I certainly have a lot to say!! Thank you for your wonderful, encouraging and relatable content! 🤩🙏🏼
Wow - thanks for sharing Judy🌹! We appreciate your feedback and are happy you relate to our content! How exciting that you’re moving to Ecuador!!! What part? Send us a note to info@abecuador.com and we’d love to connect and hopefully meet up and share a meal when you’re here! 🙏 ❤️
As one who has lived here in Vilcabamba ten plus years off and on, mostly on....I will attest to these gentlemen nailing the "feeling" of this valley. The good and the not so good. The good is fantastic, balm for the soul. The bad is just minor irritants and inconvenience that fade with time. Instant gratification being one that fades. Don't mean you'll like it, but if you are curious, come on down. On quality of life, Vilca is the second opinion, experience it.
Great discussion, gentlemen. I'd like to formally submit a nickname for Vilcabamba.... if it hasn't already been taken. You know how in the States (esp. Cali) - and maybe other places - there are enclaves of people from other countries that live and do business in close proximity? They live in places they call China Town, Little Saigon, Little Tokyo, Little Bombay, Little Havana, etc. There may be enough restaurants with different foods from around the world located in Vilca to give it the endearing title of Little Epcot. What do you think? I wonder if Ecuadorians who have been to Epcot would see the humor in it. I definitely don't want to gentrify Ecuador. 🙂 Christine and I look forward to catching up with you guys in the Fall.
Great show guys! Your comments on the taxi drivers covering their arm reminding me of a question that I've had for awhile now. Can you guys explain the Latino view on sun, sunburns, and skin cancer. Here in the states many boomers warn constantly of the dangers of skin cancer. They say things like "no amount of sun is healthy for light skin" or "Just wait until your my age and you will have to get dozens of pre-cancerous skin spots removed every year" or "Us white folk didn't evolve near the equator, we need to be extra careful to lather on the sunscreen". Then at the same time I hear doctors saying "Almost everyone in North America has a vitamin D deficiency, because we just don't get enough sun" and then at the same time I look around and the immigrant workers in the US with dark skin are completely covering all of their skin with clothing while they work in 90+ degree weather, and the white guy right next to them has on a tank top, board shorts, and ray bands with no hat on. What do the Latinos know about sun dangers that perhaps Americans are not aware of? Are the boomers correct or just in a big Pharma trance per usual? Are the doctors dishing out propaganda, or genuinely trying to correct an epidemic vitamin D deficiency? I would love to see ALE help get to the bottom of this.
I'll chime in with a fact that I learned earlier today: There were rare incidences of skin cancer prior to 1950. Since 1950, skin cancer increased to 3000+ percent. What changed? Coppertone released the first commercially available sun screen lotion on the market. Think about that. It wouldn't be the first time a company made up demand for its product. You'll remember doctors used to recommend smoking and although hemp was superior to paper based products, that demand was squashed due to the monopoly of Hearst. Same for oil and the Rockefellers. History is littered with such examples of false advertising and suppression of superior alternatives.
@@elpatrondelpaisaje You're welcome. It goes deep. I've realized years ago that my hair was better when I didn't shampoo it everyday. Used to have dry hair and the hair products was stripping out essential oils in my scalp. After that was when I became skeptical of many products.
I have to thank you fellas for reassuring me that Vilca hasn't changed, or has very little. I will finally be able to make it back there permanently in a few months (I am so anxious!!!) and have recently feared too much gentrification of the area had ruined it. The reason I fell in love with Vilcabamba 7 years ago, and on my return trip 4 years ago, was because it and the people (even the expats) were real and reminded me of the semi-rural life I had as a child in the US Midwest. This is no longer a place with the kind and caring culture that I want for the remainder of my life... Again, thank you. Keep it up!
1:19.43 Never intend to watch your entire videos. But time flies when I watch you guys. Question ? How much money dose a typical . Small restaurant need to gross per month to happily survive ?
Thanks for watching! I wish we could provide a simple answer for you, but it requires a multivariate analysis. Restaurant business is tough anywhere in the world and competition is fierce here in Vilcabamba. If you have some specific ideas or plan, we’d be happy to help talk through it with you. Send us a a note to info@abecuador.com
Future topic suggestion would be update on Naboa and any political changes, especially since the Mexican embassy entry machismo drama and since it’s been a while since TV station/cartel stuff plus anything about local politics. You guys do a great job.
There is also in the USA not quite yet popular law movement that is growing and becoming more main stream focused on natural law, universal law, personal sovereignty and and creating parallel systems based on volunteerism. Maritime law has served its purpose. Yippee!
Carl we just visited a for sale property over the “dna spiral” bridge. It was a 15 minute walk to the left. It has very beautiful food forest. I had a good feeling there. There are some expats around. I have a feeling it’ll be a town someday
@1:08:33 began conversation about what my wife and I are looking for our children. We want to get away from the exposure of fast food, instant gratification, commercialism ect. We also want to “force” ourselves and our children to become Fluent Spanish speakers. I think that in the future, speaking Spanish fluently will be a life skill just like swimming for example. We want to part of a community. We are also looking for a safe harbor so to say when the next Depression hits the world economy. Keep up the great work guys. I agree that y’all are doing God’s work. ❤
Wow, thanks for sharing Bert! Where in Tennessee do you currently call home? Do you have a plan to come visit? Let us know if we can help: info@abecuador.com 🙏 ❤️
We live 30 minutes west of Nashville. We currently have our cattle farm up for sale. Looking to become debt free and get new experiences. It is a bit scary because we have younger and older children and see all the craziness going on in the world. My wife tells me that if I look for crime videos about Ecuador then that is all I will see. I would love to come visit. I was trying to find some information about the October retreat and exactly what it even is. Did not see much information about it just how to register??
Send us an email to retreats@abecuador.com and we’ll send you all the information about our retreat. We’re biased, but we really believe it’s a great way to get all your questions answered and concerns addressed. I trust you’ll complete the retreat knowing full well if Ecuador is right for you and your family. But don’t just take our word for it, check out past participant reviews: www.wetravel.com/users/abundant-living-retreats
I have questions about moving family from Tennessee to Ecuador but have seen lots about increasing crime from gangs. Haven’t seen any real replies to this topic. I assume Cuenca is safer than coastal areas and the capital. What is y’all’s opinion about crime in Ecuador
Hi Bert - thanks for your question. We discuss the crime in Ecuador often. The crime we read and hear about online in the mainstream media is often fear based, headline grabbing “reporting”. Most of the violent crime/murders the hit the Wall Street Journal articles are related to the international drug trade and concentrated near the port cities. They also primarily involve criminal on criminal actions. We haven’t experienced fallout from that specially down here in southern Ecuador. We also live in a small rural series of valleys and not a large city like Guayaquil or Quito. The velocity and occurrence of crime is generally higher in larger cities relative to rural areas anywhere in the world, Ecuador notwithstanding. Send us a note to info@abecuador.com and we’re happy to discuss further. And check out our other pods for additional discussion! Thanks for watching! ❤️ 🙏
Oh the Ecuador expert who's never been here. Love 'em. I was warned against "Spiders the size of dinner plates". Eh? havn't seen any yet. So someone is scared of non existant giant spiders thousands of miles away. Great that they have the time, being afraid of so many other things, stuff just as imaginary as the spiders. Imaginary spiders keep them away but clean water, air, fresh natural food, nice people, pleasant weather...can't draw them here and remove them from the rat race up north. Que pasa? As they said on the airplane, "put your oxygen mask on first....then help others" We did save ourselves first. Then we help others, or try to.
The primary reason people think that Ecuadorians are a very poor group of people is due to the constant reminder by other influencers on Ecuador that the income level is so low and the monthly minimum wage being only $460 a month put most Ecuadorians into the house And very much living in a high state of poverty. so you cannot blame the fact that people are not living there as a reason they don't think Ecuadorians as multiple homeowners the reason they think this is because they are to believe that Ecuadorians are living in poverty for the most part
Perhaps that’s part of it. I can only speak for our content, but we often discuss and share cost of living expenses that should (we hope) provide color and context to Ecuadorian incomes. Not living here and understanding both the differences in cost of living and nuance of life here does play some role in understanding things like this. Thanks for watching and chiming in! 🙏 ❤️
Does it ever occur to anyone when they see homeless people, just what a shitty family they most likely came from? Or, do you WANT to assume mental illness or drug abuse as the reason?
What is Club? LOUD and ALL Night parties are horrible where I live in Ecuador.Plus there is tons of dog crap all over the town, hundreds of street dogs.
Do you ever get "Dirty Bastard" beer? 8.5 percent... It'll put hair on your chest. Michigan has a lot of drunks. Potheads too. It's not an attraction to me.
