ecuador life expats first journey

Ecuador life expats first journey
Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog on ecuador south america for all you travellers and curious people! My first time in Ecuador
My story begins in september 2009, i was living in newcastle uk which is where i am from, working for a wine company, working crazy hours providing wine tasting to new and old customers, although i enjoyed meeting new people and the wine was great, i woke up one day and thought that is it ive had enough im gonna quit this job, take off and go!
bit of a mad decision to make but all has worked out well for me now!
Anyway once i quit my job i thought where should i go?not the land of oz because you find everyone ends up going there, i dont follow the sheep like to be different
Thailand? usa? southamerica? where?
i had spoken to a few people from all of these countries which i met on a popular social networking site, so my mind was all over the place, til a friend from south america known as marlon barcia basically pitched his story on why i should go there!
some reasons are
1 It is cheap brittish pound to the dollar is great!
2 Weather is hot all year round a little rain but beats England
3 Beautifull scenery beaches mountains galapogos islands and ofcourse not to mention the amazon rainforest!
So that was it straight on the internet found flights Newcastle-Amsterdam-Amsterdam to Guayaquil in Ecuador with a couple of stops one being panama!
when entering Ecuador you get quizzed on why you are here etc security being pretty tight!
you are initially allowed in the country for 3 months as a tourist  which is what i opted in for by filling out a simple form while on the plane, no bother at all! other visas vary if you research it!
Got to Guyaquil about 730 am after a long flight was shattered, i met mr barcia  who picked me up from the airport and drove me to his home down 3 hours away called Portoviejo which is in the Manabi district!

I have to admit when i got here, i thought to myself ¨Simon¨you are bloody mental coming here, not knowing anyone accept this man,
The first 10 minutes of driving was a bit of a culture shock, seeing poor neighbourhoods which i had only viewed before from watching the tv! keep an open mind i was told and that i did!

We got to Portoviejo quite a big place seems the size of Newcastle if not bigger, allot of people looking at me most probably because of me being white and all,but it didn´t phase me maybe they were just curious?

I got to a hotel that Marlon had sorted out for me, wasn´t 5 star but anything would do me as i needed a kip! i thanked him for doing all of that for me, and arranged to meet him the next day! the following day i was offered an appartment to rent was 100 dollars per month cant grumble from that like i tell ya, and in all honesty life became real for me then.
So went to the shops to fill up the cupboards etc straight away beer caught my eye  60p a bottle of beer and 1pound 20 for 20 cigarettes. ha ha what a belter! total score!!!!
there is so much to write on this blog the stories,prices conversations etc i could go on for ages.
I will add  photos and videos  for the duration i was there the first time round and go into much detail

Once my 3 months were up and had to fly back to the uk, i can honestly say i was crying, Why?
because i had fallen in love with the country made some great friends,including students at a university which i sat in on classes and helped people, and as for  the lifestyle it just knocked me for 6 relaxing beach life not a care in the world fresh fruit and fish on tap, a shop for everything not to mention the food and healthy living i encountered, i felt fresh strong and a new man!

Back home in january 2010 all doom and gloom back to the grind stone hating the thought that i was living it up in the sun just last week, but keeping my memories stored in my head from Ecuador kept me going, as i knew i would return, which is exactly what happened  i was back here in a flash October 2010 and i am now living here full time, bit of a whirl wind, but no regrets, i do miss my family and friends back home,it´s very hard at times, but this is my life here now best decision i have made!
I hope you enjoyed reading a little insider to my journey here, hopefully the longer i am here the more information i can give you, no doubt a few mistakes i make or general tips on living here, who knows?
feel free to comment if you have been here before or are just interested in what i get up to next
cheers guys speak soon
si kendrick