Many people assume I am retired and just living out my years here, but this really isn't the case. If you go back through all of my posts, you will see that all of this began with just a simple holiday on my own, which escalated into living here full time.
As previously stated, Manabi, or even Ecuador, is not for everyone. People simply cannot adjust to the culture or do without their usual comforting luxuries, and I do not hold that against them. It is a lot to ask for at times. Many people I have met have lasted only a matter of weeks or even days before having a change of heart. Not what they expected, and rightly so.
In my opinion, the people that do this are retired expats. They have plenty of money and not a care in the world, but when things go wrong they can be like vultures preying on a new expat to arrive, butter them up and before you know it you are doing business with them, renting a property from them or even being persuaded to buy this cheap property that isn't so cheap after all.
There are probably many of my readers who are present expats who will be cursing me and saying I am talking out of my behind, but I have briefly chatted with a few people who felt cheated when they came here, but more so they felt disappointed because they thought they could trust their own, which is shocking behaviour. Who do you trust?
I am not saying every expat does this, but there seems to be quite a trend going on. I have even been approached on a few occasions. Maybe I should have signed up to an Ecuador group. People seem nice, then all of a sudden they are pushing me to invest. When they realize I have been living here longer than them, they ease off. Another example: a foreigner tried to dupe me into paying $30,000 more than the asking price for a property; it's not nice and really irritates you, so I tread carefully when meeting expats.
By reading Ecuador Expats living in Manabi the truth! You can see for yourself all of the mistakes I made, some that would just make you throw in the towel and walk away, but before making any commitment to visit here, the idea is to educate yourself through the resources I have provided and also understand what to expect the moment you get off the plane,and what to expect to pay for life here,but most importantly, come with an open mind. This is key to a successful trip.
Legal
Transportation services
The process of determining whether a car's paperwork is up to date before purchasing it.
Advice from an architect
Personal translator
And many more are included to help get you started in your quest to become a future expat.
If you take a look at the book and have any further questions or simply fancy a chat, all my details are listed there. I shall look forward to hearing from you. Si
