Translation Confusion

As you know, we don't speak much Spanish but are working on it. But for now we are thankful for the online translators that help us figure out what we're reading. Of course this has drawbacks, not matter which way you are doing the translation.

For example, our friend Emilio posted on Facebook that he was at the airport waiting for his clients and their flight had been delayed. He posted, "Buelo atrasado tengo q esperar q que lleguen mis pasajeros."

Using various translators, this is what they told me he said:

• Late Buelo have q q coming by my passengers wait
  (Translated by Bing)
• q delayed flight I expect my passengers arriving q
  (Translated by Google)
• Late Buelo have q q coming by my passengers wait
  (Translated by SpanishDict ~ Microsoft Translator and Babelfish)
• My late grandfather's deaths expected q q that reach my passengers
  (Translated by SpanishDict ~ SDL)
• Backward Buelo I have q to hope q that my passengers should come
  (Translated by SpanishDict ~ PROMPT)

Since I don't speak Spanish, I have no idea which is closest to what he actually said but I think you can see the issue here. So I have to wonder what my writings, posted in Spanish using on of these translators actually says....

Got to keep a good sense of humor!

Living in Ecuador - What's our budget?

The one question we get asked a lot is "How much does it cost to live there?" Needless to say, this can vary drastically from person to person based upon lifestyle choices. These are just OUR numbers and will change as we live here longer. Unlike most others, we still have US based expenses since we own property there and plan to eventually move back. Property taxes, memberships, scuba insurance and our timeshare, for example. These numbers are NOT included below.

The original budget we developed after our visit here in April-May 2013 was based upon what we saw and heard during our visit as well as what we had read from fellow bloggers living in the same area, Cuenca.

Rent	600
Utilities	100
Cell/Internet/TV	150
Food	300
Entertainment	200
Transportation	100
Medical/Insurance	100
US Trip	200
	1750

Our current budget has been amended to reflect some actual costs and some costs are still projected.

Rent	400
Utilities	50
Cell/Internet/TV	100
Food	300
Entertainment	150
Transportation	75
Medical/Insurance	100
Housekeeper	50
US Trip	200
	1425

We originally planned to rent furnished but fell in love with our current unfurnished place so our initial "get settled" costs rose with the cost of furniture and appliances. The bedding and decorations would have been bought in either case.

Our utility estimate is still an estimate but is based upon what our downstairs neighbor is paying for water, electric and propane. Our first tank of propane, used for cooking and hot water, lasted us three weeks and three days. The gas man comes and swaps the empty tank for a full one, all for the cost of $2.50 a tank.

Our cell phone is still pre-paid and we use very little, a couple of dollars a month IF we call outside other Claro (our cell provider) users. The $10 I put on during our first visit still had $4 on it when I recently added another $10. Currently we have free Internet provided by our landlord but it's at a slower speed than we need to get good TV reception and we share it with our downstairs neighbor. We are working on getting our own line installed and then will pay about $60 a month for a higher speed line. The additional costs will come from subscriptions to our VPN provider - Strong VPN, NetFlix and possibly Hulu.

Food is one thing we really don't have a handle on yet so that is still a projected cost. We are still stocking basics like condiments, spices and cleaning supplies. We're hoping February will give us a more accurate number. Finding a little storefront mercado five minutes from home was this week's bonus. Great fruits and veggies there at a lower price will be much better than the supermarket.

Entertainment includes eating out, tours, movies and the like. Transportation has dropped and will continue as we use buses more and taxis less. We are also walking more. We got our bus passes and since I am over 65, my rides are 12.5 cents, Stu's are 25 cents. Still a bargain! Medical and insurance is still a guesstimate as we evaluate various insurance plans. We also haven't bought any prescription medications yet so we anticipate this amount may rise.

We had no real plans to hire a housekeeper but when we ran into one of the maids from Apartmentos Otorongo as she was working at a house a block away (for some other expats), we quickly arranged for her to come and clean for us. She comes every other week and I no longer have to worry about cleaning bathrooms! <insert big grin> She does a lot more (dusting, mopping, cleaning all the nooks and crannies) and is worth every penny. We might have found someone cheaper but this is someone we know and trust implicitly.

Our US trip number is for our annual trip back to the US to see family. I'm pretty sure it won't cover everything but it's a good start. Our first trip will be next August-October and we will see what the numbers really are when that time comes. Airfare, transportation to Guayaquil and back to Cuenca, rental car in Florida, gas to our property in Tennessee and fuel to take the RV to Maryland and back. Food would be bought regardless. Time will tell...

I will take an annual look at this budget here on the blog, maybe more often, not sure. I hope this helps others build their budgets based upon their lifestyle. If you eat out a lot, like to entertain, enjoy gourmet meals and hard liquor or fine wines, then your costs will definitely be higher.

Books to research living in Ecuador

Many folks have asked us why we chose Ecuador and more specifically, Cuenca. We've written about our reasons before but the top reasons are:

1. Cost of living - Quality of Life
   The cost of living might be comparable to a few more rural spots in southern US but we have the advantage of being in a location with a wealth of history, free symphony concerts, free or almost free museums, and a wide variety of new experiences.
   
   We can enjoy a good standard of living here that will allow us to save significantly, allowing us to return to the US in 5-6 years with enough saved to be mortgage free when we build our log cabin (or close to mortgage free).
   
   In the meantime we get to experience a whole new culture in a new country on a new continent. Our grand adventure!
    
2. Medical Care
   The medical facilities in Cuenca are very good and compared to the US, very inexpensive. We have yet to research insurance but will soon. For comparison, the son of a friend recently had emergency appendectomy surgery. Due to an infection from the burst appendix, he was in three days instead of two. Total cost: $3000.
   
   Most medication is low cost without a local doctor's prescription, some require a written Rx often obtainable for an office visit of under $25. One hospital offers free visits and written Rx. It varies across the city.
   
   We have seen recommendations for many specialties including endocrinology, dermatology, cardiology, retinal specialist and more.
    
3. Weather
   This is weather we can live with and enjoy. It's rarely into the 80's although being at this altitude (over 8000 ft), when in the sun it can feel warmer than the actual air temperature. It's also rarely below the 50's at night. Now, in the winter months (summer in the US), it has on occasion dropped into the upper 30's but that is rare; in the summer months (winter in the US) it has been known to be in the 80's but again, rare.
   
   The humidity is low unless we are in the rainy season. We haven't had much rain since we arrived in mid-December, less than we experienced last April-May when we first visited. But we know it will come. The winter months tend to feel cooler because of more rain and less sun but we know to dress in layers and we also lucked into an apartment that has morning sun in the living room and afternoon sun in the bedroom. That helps warm the apartment along with the skylight that keeps it brighter inside.

Those are our three main reasons but they may not be your top reasons for selecting a retirement area. For some our city, Cuenca, is too cool or too high. There are other places in Ecuador that might suit. Some love the coastal areas with their more laid back lifestyle and warmer weather. We will visit but it's too hot and humid much of the year, at least for us.

Here are some book recommendations from Amazon that will give you varying views and opinions of living/retiring in Ecuador. Some of blogs turned into books. Some document their vacation trip here. Others do an excellent job of showing the good AND the bad of the country. But they are all worthwhile reads.

In order of usefulness FOR US: [Note - the first four are actually tied for first place]:

Living and Retiring in Cuenca: 101 Questions Answered
Expats in Ecuador: Life In Cuenca
Becoming an Expat in Cuenca, Ecuador
Why Ecuador? [free pdf file]
Our Ecuador Retirement...The First 8 Months **On sale for $.99 on Feb 6-8, 2014
Why Ecuador for me
ECUADOR 2013 - RETIREMENT FACT FINDING TOUR

Please feel free to post your questions in the comments and we will do our best to answer you!

Yes and No

Yes, Ecuador is considered a third world country. Yes, there are parts of it where the poverty is staggering and we know we couldn't live there. Yes, it's a country of haves/have-nots (as are most 3rd world countries).

No, we won't be living uncomfortably. No, we won't be eating bugs, grass and sticks. No, we won't be raising our own animals and growing our own food (although several of our friends are).

Yes, we will be walking a LOT more. No, we won't own a car (but possibly a small scooter or motorcycle). Yes, we will be learning Spanish. No, we don't think we'll be truly proficient but we will get by. Yes, we will hang with other expats/Gringos. No, we won't avoid making friends with other Ecuadorians.

Yes, the weather will be cooler in Jul-Sep, but still warmer than Dec-Feb here in north central Tennessee. No, we won't come back more than once a year unless there is a real family emergency (it is expensive to run back and forth plus we are only allowed 90 days each year out of Ecuador). Yes, we will miss our families but we miss them now!

Finally, not a yes or a no, but here is what we have coming to our town in Ecuador! A downtown tram system; the contracts were awarded in June. Originally slated to be operational in 2014, it is now projected to be 2015.

We are excited, not because we will walk less but because it will decrease the fumes from buses in the historic downtown area. [more here]

Learning more about Ecuador

When we mention Ecuador we get some interesting observations, like "Do you speak Ecuadorian?" or "Why do you want to go to Africa?" While we smile and change the perception, it makes us realize that many folks might not know much about Ecuador. So here are a few links to quickly acquaint you with a country about the size of Nevada with four distinct climate areas (we will be in the highlands) as well as other informational sites.

• Simple Wiki page
• Full Wiki page 
• US Gov Travel page
• CDC Ecuador page
• Ecuador - a world apart

Q&A - A few little notes....

As always there are things that I forget to put in the blog that might interest others about this journey to living in Ecuador. Here are a couple that popped into mind after a great night's sleep here in the US after 36+ hours of unbelievable traveling.

• Q: Doesn't tossing used toilet paper into a trash can bother you?
  
  Nope, not at all. But then again, we've been RVers for more than a few years and have done this ourselves to help the waste tanks in our rig perform better. You dispose of it frequently and there is no real odor.
   
• Q: Did you have trouble living at over 8k feet (altitude)?
  
  Not really. We did get an Rx from our doctor here in the US for Diamox (which can have some side effects). We took it two days before and after our arrival. The only side effect either of us experienced was a little tingling in extremities on the last day.
  
  It really helped us survive both the altitude and climbing the mountain of steps that first day. Then we stopped at every landing. By the time we left we were stopping mid-way only. Every day was different. For me, if I was talking while walking uphill, I had to slow or get out of breath. But in general, no major issues (maybe a little insomnia).
   
• Q: Is it true that you can't use any bill higher than a $20?
  
  Pretty much. A twenty is the largest bill bigger places will accept and many won't have change for that. We also got a lot of Sacajawea dollars back in change. Why? Because they outlast paper dollar bills. :) We'll get a couple of rolls to take back with us.
  
  It does seem strange to travel with a pocket of change after years of using a change jar on the counter. It's especially important when out and walking a lot - some public baños (restrooms) - cost a dime. At the mercado (market), it's best to have exact change whenever possible.
   
• Q: Do you have to shop at the open markets? Isn't there a Wal-Mart?
  
  No, you don't have to shop at the open markets. We did a little but know we got gringoed (overcharged) because we weren't fluent enough in Spanish to haggle. There are Wal-Mart type stores such as Coral that carry everything from groceries to baby items to appliances to minor construction equipment to musical instruments to...well, you get the idea. There is also SuperMaxi for groceries and a few household items. We picked up our pillows at our first SuperMaxi trip.
  
  Of course this all applies to Cuenca. Quayaquil and Quito are also large cities and have their own flavor of stores, including department and specialty stores. The coastal towns are smaller and there are many more rural areas where the markets are your only shopping spot.

Got a question? Post it in a comment and we'll try to answer in a future post!