When we left our couple in the buckboard they were headed over the hill with their dog and cat still searching for their elusive dream, a place to put down roots that was safe, warm, and secure.
As the camera lens opens this week we find them in green hills with mountains on both sides, both near and far. The sun is shining and it is obvious that it is warm and pleasant. The road is winding and as they round a corner they are met by a darkly tanned man, dressed in unusual colorful attire, walking in the opposite direction. They stop and converse and it is obvious that there is some language difficulty, but eventually they move on and their anticipation mounts. Finally they crest a rise and below them is a small Spanish style town with a river running through it and small houses rising up either side of the valley. A church bell tolls softly in the distance. They have arrived!
The End
I was going to try to continue my little ode to Saturday serials for ten episodes along with our ten reasons for moving to Ecuador but I decided that you are probably as tired of it as I am. Getting too cute by half! So I'm going to squeeze as much into this post as I can and move on. Without further ado, here goes.
One of the things we wanted to accomplish with this move was to simplify our lives. Get off the treadmill and attend to what is really important. We were looking for a different culture and somewhere more laid back and less hectic. Here, most everyone still takes a siesta mid afternoon, something I incorporated into my life a number of years ago. Now some of you will be frustrated by the fact that almost everything here is sold from small shops and the shop you wanted to visit is closed for siesta when you get there, and won't be open until 4pm. Rather than get upset, you are supposed to either go home, relax and have a nap, or get yourself a coffee and go to the park, sit on a bench and relish how lucky you are to be alive. Then go back to the shop at 4pm and have a long friendly conversation, in your broken Spanish, with the shop owner who by now knows you personally. He won't have what you want but he will know someone who does or he will go out of his way to get it for you. You might go home empty handed today but you connected with another human being and, since you no longer have a deadline for anything except living well, life is good. Welcome to Loja. And the weather is always good.
But here comes the warning! If you can't drop your type A personality and adopt the "go with the flow" lifestyle, then perhaps here is not for you. And there are other advantages. The country is, for the most part ,very safe. Like everywhere there is crime, but here it is mostly petty crime. Maybe we are foolish but we walk the streets here without many worries at all times of the day. There are areas in every city I have ever been that I wouldn't walk in at three in the morning. But I'm in my seventies, I can't remember the last time I was awake at three in the morning!
And speaking of being in my seventies, health care here is great. There is a national health care system which you can only access once you become a temporary or permanent resident with a government issued Cedula (identity card). But fear not, there are a number of very good private hospital plans that, depending on your age etc., will run anywhere from $100/mo. to $250/mo. And most plans are connected to private hospitals which have excellent facilities and well trained doctors who most often speak English. Once you get your cedula you can access the national health care for approx. $75/mo. if you wish.
If you have pets there are vets everywhere and the cost will be about 10% of what you were paying at home. You can walk everywhere within about twenty minutes and if you decide to live further out there are regular buses everywhere for about 30 cents. Around town a cab ride is $1.50 and every second car in the city is a cab so the wait is usually less than 3 minutes to flag one down. So you will probably be walking everywhere and before you know it you will have lost weight and be in far better shape. I have lost 50 pounds in eight months without even trying. Well, I tried a little.
So there you have it. The remaining five reasons we are here.
1. It's Safe
2. It has good affordable healthcare.
3. It has a simple laid back lifestyle.
4. It has a vibrant arts and culture scene
5. It's a convenient stepping stone to more exploring.
I'm sure I could think of a few more reasons but you're probably packing already. I will leave you with one story. I was talking to our landlord the other day( in my completely fluent and grammatically perfect Espanol) and I mentioned that I had to go to another city, about four hours away, to complete my visa process. He instantly offered to drive me and two days later we made the 10 hour round trip so I could do the required paperwork. Without him it would have been two days on a bus and a night in a hotel in a strange city. A small sample of why we feel completely at home here. And did I mention that the weather is always good?
