Inaugural Post

In this my inaugural post I want to express my gratitude for all those that have taken the time to provide a rich base of knowledge for those would-be expatriates to Cuenca, Ecuador.  I have learned so much and will continue to do so.  Your knowledge sharing has without doubt informed our decision to move to Cuenca and is making the early steps in our adventure much easier.  Thank you.


My wife Linda and I plan to move to Cuenca around June 2011.  We have eagerly followed the informative blog posts since last February when we first started to inform ourselves about living abroad.  We both took the bold step into early retirement in October and are enjoying every minute.


We travelled to Cuenca over Christmas this year with our two youngest children and had a very positive experience.  Alberto and his family at Casa Ordonez could not have been more welcoming and helpful.  I would recommend his inn to anyone going to Cuenca for a short stay.  We were assisted in our first visit to Cuenca by cuencanos and expatriates alike.  Special thanks go to Doug Willis whose orientation to Cuenca was first class.


We met a number of very pleasant and helpful people at the usual establishments:  Kookaburra, Eucalyptus, California Kitchen and Carolina Bookstore etc....  We made two great new friends in Shelley and Guy (see HurstTraverse).  


Linda and I walked all over Cuenca - a very positive experience. We loved the walking paths along the rivers and the lovely parkland.  Our concerns about the air pollution in El Centro were confirmed and we will certainly look for accommodation outside of the downtown core.

I was struck by the "family oriented" nature of the local culture.  Children are central to the life of the Ecuadorian people.

We made contacts with an immigration lawyer and with people that were prepared to help us with organizing accommodation etc.  A very productive trip.  Like many of the expatriates our greatest challenge now is helping our families understand why our planned move is a good one for us.  My hope is that this blog may help others that are considering this decision or who are in the throes of earnest preparations.


The journey of several thousand miles begins with the first step.  
Regards, Dave.