Book Explains many of the pitfalls, obstacles, challenges for expats in Ecuador

CURRENT EXPATS IN ECUADOR RECOMMEND THIS IS ONE BOOK THAT SHOULD BE READ BY ANYONE MOVING TO ECUADOR

“100 POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MOVING OR RETIRING IN ECUADOR” may be a book of interest to you if you are researching the possibilities in living in Ecuador. There are many publications that tout many of the positives of living in this tiny Andean country. However, while the positives are important reasons to move to a location, potential expats often overlook and or fail to carefully study the pitfalls, obstacles, challenges of moving to a country such as Ecuador. By reading this book you will develop a much clearer understanding of the challenges you may face as well as the cultural differences. One feature of this book is the myriad mentions and list of cultural do’s and don’t s along with cultural practices of Ecuador.

Here are a few reviews for the book written by expats living in Ecuador and most mention that they should have read the book before moving to Ecuador. The book is available on Amazon for Kindle. If you don’t have a Kindle, Amazon offers free apps so you can read on the device of your choice. Also, if you are already an expat you will find this book invaluable in your continuing  understanding a very complex culture.

– I hesitated before pulling the trigger and buying this book. Since I’ve been living in Ecuador for nearly 4 years, I felt it would have to go a long way in filling me in on the unknown details of interest (to me). Well, I read the book and it did that and more. For example, I am fascinated by the indigenous culture. There was quite a bit of good writing in that area. I feel that my money was well spent and I say Kudos to this author! I have paid a lot more and received a lot less value in return. Many thanks for writing a truly informative and interesting book on my beloved Ecuador.

– I have been expatriated to Ecuador for seven years. This book would have save me many problems had I read it sooner. Ecuador is a complex culture, and coming here with your USA values and USA paradigm is a recipe for disappointment and disaster.

– Ignore the bad reviews for being too negative. That is a broken record with some current expats and organizations that profit from people moving to Ecuador. The book is truthful. It tells potential Ecuador residents what they NEED to know. Many expat blogs and expat Facebook groups attack or block people for telling the truth when they are perceived as saying anything negative. This is a great book and a must for getting the truth about living in Ecuador. BTW I live in Ecuador now and wish I had read this before getting here.

– As an expat living in Ecuador for over two years now I enjoyed this book- kind of like an “Expat Forum” on steroids. Worthwhile, useful stuff for expats or future expats… try it, you’ll like it.

– I wish this book was “required reading” for anyone considering moving to Ecuador, or even for those already here. We have been living here in Ecuador for almost 5 years and often talk about how useful it would be to have a book to explain to newcomers what life is REALLY like here…well, this book is it! So glad we found it! There truly is golden info in here about what life is really like in Ecuador – not the fancy, shiny, poster-image “it’s paradise” sugar-coated kind of tourist info stuff – the REAL deal about life here from someone with over 30 years experience with this culture. Golden. I found this book fascinating, insightful, very informative and even entertaining – in a way perhaps that one only can after living here for years and seeing how things really are! If you’re considering moving to Ecuador, or have recently made the move…do yourself a favor and read.this.book – it could save you untold heartache, issues, losses and misery…definitely worth it for $5!

– My husband and I have been living in Ecuador for over 4 years and it was refreshing to read a book that is honest about the culture differences. My husband advised me not to read the book since it validated my intuition of Ecuador and Ecuadorians in a very short period of time after moving here. We had visited Ecuador before making the final move (3 times for me, 5 times for my husband). There is a vast difference between visiting and living here. Once living here, our intention was to relate mostly to Ecuadorians and get more involved in the culture. We were in a situation where it was easy for us to meet Ecuadorians and be more involved from the very beginning. There was not a positive outcome from this intention. We were very naive in reference to culture differences. For me, personally, it is easier to accept the culture differences when there is the honest look at reality. Living here without acknowledging the culture differences is like having an elephant in the room. Everyone sees it, but no one talks about it.

Before moving here, it is good to take an honest look at oneself and the culture differences before making a permanent move. They may dress like us and seem like us in many ways but that is an illusion There are vast differences! No better or worse, just different!

Ecuador is a beautiful country and there are many +’s to living here. However, reading this book before making a permanent move is highly recommended!

– This is an outstanding book, crammed with information about Ecuador that you will not find elsewhere. Nick Crowder has focused on issues other writers and bloggers simply ignore but which are vital to anyone considering moving to this South American country. Since I already live in Ecuador I doubted I’d find the book of much value but I was very mistaken. The author’s insights into Ecuadorian culture are, in my experience, dead on. His list of cultural do’s and don’t is invaluable. Particularly compelling are his interviews with expats who have decided to return to the U.S. as more than half of all who move there do. The stories of those dealing with the criminal legal system are heart wrenching. Ecuador is a lovely country with many virtues but as Nick Crowder’s fine book reminds us, nowhere is perfect and that Ecuador has at least as many problems as the country we’ve left behind. Must reading for anyone living in Ecuador or contemplating a move there.

– This should be REQUIRED READING for anyone considering moving to Ecuador. I certainly would not have gone to Ecuador if I had this kind of information before we went. Our story is included in this book, and that is how we became acquainted with the author….our story is the first one hyperlinked in the book “Ecuador expat from Chicago tells story of home invasion at beach home near bahia de caraquez”.

It is very true that most expats that return to their country of origin do NOT share their stories….who wants to hear “I told you so”, “Boy were you stupid” or worse, as I was told when I published my accounting of our stay in Ecuador (now removed…I don’t need the negativity). I DID receive notes thanking me for my honesty, which I appreciated, but there were more bad than good.

Nick’s book is 100% truthful in all of the facts of Ecuador, both good and bad. There are things that plenty of North Americans take for granted: clean, potable-from-the-tap water available at ALL TIMES, electricity that never goes out, and no fear of diseases from insect bites, dog or bat bites. There are some cultural things that may be hard to adjust to as well: public urination; five or more people on a motorbike; maltreatment/disregard of animals, esp. dogs; poor quality products at higher prices; lack of customer service or common sense, and other things. The hardest thing for us to adjust was is the rampant corruption, graft and theivery that takes place on a daily basis and no one seems to care….and coming from Chicago, that is saying a lot!!! Life in EC is very much “the wild west” where the bad guys act with impunity and no one is held accountable for anything. I also did not appreciate being thought of as a walking ATM machine for the locals.

I am very much a “type A” personality, and the manana attitude drove me insane. I would rather have the truth (even if I don’t like it) than to be lied to straight to my face, just because someone doesn’t want me to be “mad”. This is what goes on in Ecuador constantly….being told lies (or given constant delays) to avoid any unpleasantness.

I applaud those who have gone to Ecuador and stayed….it was too much for me to put up with, and if that makes me a “high-maintenance North American”, then so be it. If you don’t mind all the (true) negative realities that Nicholas Crowder points out, then I’m sure you could make a go of living in Ecuador. It is still a third-world country, but if you have low expectations, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you, Nicholas Crowder, for publishing this book, and thank you for your sage advice after our home-invasion. We appreciate you! Your book publication was too late for us, but hopefully it will help others to decide if it would be worth it to sell everything and move to a third would country, where you are a minority. Thank God we were able to get the money to make it back to the U.S., and were never so happy as when we landed in Miami and the immigration guy said, “Welcome Home”. No longer would we worry about roadblocks by corrupt police, no rights to personal firearms, or rights of free speech. Do yourself a favor…read this book and make an informed decision. Be sure to have a way to get back to the U.S., should the need arise…there are reasons so many people want to live in the U.S.

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