Canadian Couple Make New Life in Ayampe Ecuador

thestar.com reported…Vanessa Lavigne sold her Edmonton home and moved to Ecuador with her husband in 2008. The two settled in Ayampe, a peaceful town with a population of 120, and opened a school to teach surfing, yoga and Spanish. The 33 year old now has two young kids and she’s staying put on the coast.

Q: Why take a big leap and leave everything behind?

A: I was 25 and waitressing. Ryan was 28 and managing a warehouse. Neither of us had careers yet. When the Alberta oil industry boomed in 2007, we sold our house for a good price and figured we’d go to Ecuador with our backpacks. We heard lots of good things. It’s one of the most diverse countries for its size.

Q: Where do you live now?

A: After a year of getting a feel for the culture, we found a town called Ayampe. It’s very small. There’s only about two or three groups of expats here. It’s nestled in between two cliffs with mountains behind and oceans in front. It feels protected. It’s green all year round. There are no bars, only a couple of restaurants. No 18-year-old partiers here. Read Full Article

THIS IS ONE BOOK THAT SHOULD BE READ BY ANYONE THINKING OF MOVING TO ECUADOR