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Five Steps to Take or Matters to Consider:

1. The water is "safe" for drinking in the largest EC cities.  But who knows how safe are the pipes, including those inside the building where you'll be staying-living.  So consider buying bottled water.  Gigantic bottle of Tesalia brand:  $1.25. 

2.  "Critters":   Naturally, there will be such in wooded areas and around water.  If it's insects that concern you, living in a condo in the highlands should solve your problem. 

3.  Trying to "blend":  You or I could live here for many years and still stand out instantly as Gringos.  My way of thinking is:  learn lots of Spanish and be kind to the folks around you, and you'll do well.  No need to wear a poncho or drink aguardiente or buy a "perrito."

4.  Don't buy any property for the first year (or two) or before you're sure you both are thriving at altitude in the highlands, or in the heat in most any other place.  And then, buy only if you feel compelled to buy and could absorb a loss if you decided you wanted to move on at some point.

5.  Connecting with people....You should be fine in the city you indicated earlier that you are choosing:  Cuenca.  What with the Gringotrees and the Gringoposts and the many Gringo Nights, you can't miss.

cccmedia in Quito

Hi Paul and Lynette, thanks for contacting me. I am also a member of International Living and has the same feeling about it, lots of news about several places to live but not enough about Ecuador. I received a note from an expat that advised that we should visit Ecuador before moving there. Now we are planning to visit, stay at an hostel for a week and check out several places before deciding to move there. We were also told some places are more expensive than others to live and since we will be spending only US currency, that's the currency of Ecuador, we would have to be careful with how we spend our money, especially with the Canadian dollar value against the US dollar. We have also learned there are no all inclusive resorts in Ecuador, that means all meals will be restaurant food, until we find a place of our own.  Congratulation on Lynette gaining her status here in Canada. Please keep in touch. My email address is: warklady@yahoo.ca
Juliet and Rinke

Hi Paul and Lynette, we are in Warkworth On, a small village near Trenton. Both my husband and I are retired and are finding the winters just a little too cold for our old bones. We spend summers in New Brunswick where we have a home close to the Ocean, so we really don't need to be near water in Ecuador. What we really need is a place for about 6 months a year. We are in the process of upgrading our home here in Warkworth to sell, sooner the better. We are also planning to visit Ecuador sometime this summer just to see what life is like there. Good of you to learn a bit of Spanish first, should make a difference when living there.
Please keep in touch, always good to know people who are planning to move and who are already living there.
My email address is: warklady@yahoo.ca.
Regards, Juliet
'

Hi Paul & Lynette,
My husband left on Saturday to Ecuador to see how it is like there.
We are also from South Africa living in Pretoria.  We want to immigrate to Ecuador.  Chris (my husband) is currently in Quito & he is leaving to Cuenca today.  We want to move to Cuenca but my husband loves Quito already.  Wonder what will happen when he sees Cuenca.  He says the language is a huge barrier.  The people don't speak English but are extremely help & pleasant. If we do plan to move then we will start learning Spanish.  I have already started with a course.  I wouldn't want to move to Ecuador & not be able to understand the people.  As long as I can help myself in the beginning with a little Spanish then I suppose living there one will learn it better.
If all goes well then we should be moving by September this year. 
Big step & scary.
Regards,
Sonja

Hi Juliet,

Why don't you try booking a hotel with
Their prices are not so expensive & you get breakfast included with your room.
Best of luck.
Sonja

warklady wrote:

. What we really need is a place for about 6 months a year.
'

You should realize that if you gain perm res status then each of the first two years you will only be allowed to be outside of Ecuador no more than 90 days each year.  If you do not go for perm res status then you can be a tourist for 90 days every 12 months.  Didn't IL tell you this?