Expats Recommend Book for Those Moving to or Living in Ecuador

Ecuador continues to be a popular living and retirement destination for many from the United States and Canada over the last ten years. It is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. However, moving and living there is much different than spending a few weeks as a tourist and then returning home.

100 Points to Consider Before Moving or Retiring in Ecuador is a book prepared to lower the learning curve for anyone considering moving to Ecuador. Many expats find that there are substantial challenges in adapating to a new culture. The differences in the Ecuadorian culture and an expats home culture can be stark. Without having a good grounding in understanding the differences and ways to deal with them, many expats find themselves leaving Ecuador.

Some of the features in this book:
1. Substantial information as to the culture and how Ecuadorians think.
2. Information as to buying and renting real estate.
3. Information as to crime and other security threats.
4. Information as to hiring and working with a maid.
5. Issues in the logistics of moving.
6. Issues of stress that living in Ecuador may pose to couples.
7. Over sixty etiquette rules unique to Ecuador.
8. Language issues and the communication model for many Ecuadorians.
9. Substantial health information.
10. Interviews with Expats who live in Ecuador and some who have left.
11. How to negotiate with Ecuadorians.

THE FOLLOWING REVIEWS ARE FROM AMAZON.COM – IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THE BOOK IT IS AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE ONLY. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A KINDLE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A FREE APP FROM AMAZON TO READ ON YOUR DEVICE.

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Alisha King May 26, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
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!

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C. Koval April 25, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
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.

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B. G. Mcalevyon June 25, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
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.

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EcuadorLiving September 4, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
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!

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Deborah Brookhart July 31, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
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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barry walker July 23, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
I read this book after having moved to Ecuador and I wish it had been available prior to that decision. Having spent almost two years living there, I have to say Mr. Crowder really hit the nail on the head with his insights into the culture of the country. The book is full of little details that really should be considered by anyone thinking of making Ecuador their new home. Alas, I was one of the many who fell “out of love” with the country during my stay there. It, for me, is a wonderful place to visit but trying to live there was difficult to say the least. Had I had the information available in this book, I may not have made the move! If anyone has reservations regarding such a move, read this book first!

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J. Edwards September 26, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
I visited Cotacachi twice…the first time in October 2010 and again in March 2013. I loved it there and wanted to move. Instead I spent 2-1/2 months there this summer, 2013 and saw another side of Ecuador that I had not seen as a tourist. What I noticed is the “newbies” came in with rose colored glasses, and on their honeymoon….myself included. I was very social and talked to a lot of expats, took a class in Otavalo called “Living in Ecuador” which was very helpful and I highly recommend it, along with this book.

I discovered that people in Cotacachi did not come together as a community and many people experienced robberies, problems with immigration and over paying for services from the same Ecuadorians. I felt there needed to be a book that explained how things work in that part of the world. And when I returned home to the states….Nicholas had written the book only better. Thank You!

I saw too many people come for a day or a week and buy land to develop or a home at Gringo prices. I also saw people selling their homes within months of moving there, I saw a lot of development of land, subdivisions and condos started and never finished and lots of land that had been abandoned. I heard people in the restaurants talking about selling land and developing and how they were frustrated with the work ethics of the Ecuadorians. I knew the family whose child had been molested by the school administration and felt their frustration and pain. I heard of too many robberies that were inside jobs…petty theft that happened several times a week.

Cotacachi is going through growing pains and like the Mayor of Cotacachi said…”They didn’t know they were poor until you came here”. I think Cotacachi is a great place to live. I would walk home at night and not worry. I felt very safe there and the people are very friendly.

I felt like Nicholas’s book conveyed all the information in an easy to read, to the point, matter of fact way. Great job!

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Margaret Goodhart, Otavalo, Ecuador (Nearly 40 years as an expat in Ecuador) (Ms. Goodhart knows the author also as a personal friend)
As a long-time resident of Ecuador, I can say with certainty that you won’t find a book like this with profound cultural insights, Do’s and Don’ts, as well as invaluable ‘must-know’ information on what to expect when setting up residence in Ecuador. In this book, Nicholas Crowder draws on his 30-plus years’ years of first-hand experience in Ecuador, marrying into an Ecuadorian family, and dealing with locals and situations on all levels. While many of the “how to” books are written from the personal perspective of one or two people who have lived here in Ecuador for a few years…. Crowder hits us with bulleted fact after fact, replete with colorful anecdotes; this is an easy and entertaining read. Your life in Ecuador may very well depend on it!

Whether you are thinking of moving to Ecuador or you already live there, this book will clearly enhance your knowledge of this complicated culture and country.  INVEST IN THIS BOOK TODAY