The other day as we sat watching the birds from our living room. Our discussion was about getting a weather station. We started laughing and both agreed , we’re getting old😮! But Oh to be getting old together in Ecuador! Truly Blessed
Hey, you forgot to mention the donkeys braying as they communicate between fincas and also in town! LOL! Your advice is a good sound warning of things to Expect and advice, such as buying 'site unseen'. Looking forward to returning in the next month or so.
I had looked but salmon wasn't on any of the lists I saw for fish native to Ecuador... I see there are farmed trout that have the more red flesh due to chemicals and can be mistaken as salmon... I got excited there :) @@jolifarms-Ecuador
Thanks for the honest review of what to expect. I think you have to go and visit a place and stay for a while to get the gist of what it's like. Glad you still like it. Congratulations on your 6 year anniversary.🦜🦜
Hello friends, a correction, the police have another salary different from the basic salary of the blue-collar worker, Rafael Correa left a different salary for them where the lowest is double a basic salary, so they earn the lowest police officer in rank an average of 720 to 900 dollars a month, the officers earn more.
Thank you for all the great information. My husband and I will be arriving in Cuenca on the 10th to meet with Isabel and will be heading to Vilcabamba on January 18th. We would love to meet you both for coffee or lunch?? We are big fans of yours. We’ve been traveling through South America for the past 3 years and now we are looking for a home base.
I liked the beautiful bird pictures! I do have some safety questions though...we were in EC last year on vacation, and never felt unsafe or threatened. We loved it. However, in living there, do the criminals generally target gringos only, and if one did practice indigenous justice, say in a home invasion, what happens then? I've watched your videos about security and dogs, not being flashy, etc, to protect ourselves but my main concern is living a peaceful life in EC and somebody decides to pick us as a target. After hearing about Francesa and her family, and she lived there a longish time, I worry that it could happen to anyone, at anytime. Ps.. I convinced my husband we have to live there for a year before we buy. 😊
They do target gringo's but also Ecuadorian families. The gringo is sometimes perceived as rich. The laws concerning self protection are confusing, and I really cannot give you legal advice. I suggest contacting an attorney such as Yadira Alercon or Marco Munoz and asking questions of them.
At about 10:53, you discuss the current crime level there, and mention home invasions. There was an American expat named Steve Gray who lived in the Yangana mountains, about 10-15 minutes south of Vilcabamba. He mysteriously died about half a year ago, but there are no details online, that I can find, about how it happened. I'm curious if maybe you heard anything about his passing, in the local news there? I'm wondering if it was the result of a home invasion. He would fight back in a situation like that. He was a teacher of Tai Chi and Taoist Internal Energy Arts. His UA-cam channel is entitled: Tien Shan Taoist Internal Arts. I mention it only because it puts a face to the name. Maybe you bumped into him a couple times in the past, as I imagine he went into Vilcabamba often.
I knew Steve, he was a part of our homestead group. He was going through a divorce. One day his wife shows up with the police and they made him leave the house. He was living in malacatos in a rental and was just a few weeks from finalized divorce when he mysteriously died in his sleep. Santiago and I were visiting with him in town just a couple days before his demise. He was distraught. That is all I know and that information is what he told me.
@@jolifarms-Ecuador Wow, that's so sad to hear, but thank you deeply for sharing that. It's definitely a shocker and tragic. Yes, I can imagine anyone in a similar predicament would be greatly distraught; some even to the point of ending it all sooner rather than later. However, I can't imagine Steve going out that way. Stress is a hidden killer, and I suspect his demise had to be stressed induced, most likely. I can only imagine the lose of his homestead paradise, that he worked so hard to build, crushed him; and for his wife to do that to him, the stress from all that would take out the best of us. I'm sure the pain of it shattered him beyond words. The ultimate betrayal of a life partner.
I went to Uruguay in 1980. Felt safer there than back home. The people were incredible! Everyone I came across invited me for dinner. The asado and mate were addictive. I didn't speak English for the whole month so I really increased my Spanish fluidity. Flights were abundant. I flew in a pan am 747. One of my favorite routes in Ecuador is through Cajas. There's an option to go through Canar, I don't know which you're referring to as currently a big risk. We're actually inheritants of property in Ecuador, out in the country where my wife's grandparents lived. But there's other descendants living there and farming the land so we don't want to buy everyone out and displace these folks. And it's hard to know how well you'd really be received by the community over time. There, it's all about sharing, so we really couldn't close up our place and hide our goodies from our neighbors, that if we didn't share, we'd be ostracized as selfish.
@@Sketchbook9999 Yes we are grateful to God for His blessings! Have not experienced Peru nor Paraguay. But both look amenable to visit going by documentation of travelers.
What is happening to Ecuador in recent years is because we have had inept, corrupt presidents like Lenin and Lasso who have done nothing to improve the economy and security and with this new, improvised, carboard president, same thing is happening. About the police it's because there is a corrupt government. Thanks for the beautiful beginning of the video.
Second, how about civil forfeiture? Thousands of hard working honest people have their cash stolen by DEA, federal, and local police on a daily basis without due process and no recourse. We are talking billions of dollars. Watch a few videos from the institute for justice.
I was held hostage by the City of Austin electrical code enforcement who would not give my personal tools back because they claimed I was doing work without a permit. I had to hire a lawyer and only then were they returned.
Never received a citation for a traffic offense that you were innocent of? Most everyone I know has at some point. If that is not extortion, you just are not paying attention.
Thank you for your honesty. I've been to Ecuador and actually Vilcabamba several times. I follow a number of UA-camrs and some are not as open as one would hope... & yes, I'm still making the move. What do you know of Santorum?
You are most welcome. Santorum is past Cucanama on the way to Tumianuma. It is warm and close to the river. I met an American couple there who were robbed once. No violence, just list a little money. Not many gringo's out there About a 20 min drive to Vilcabamba.
It is very Ecuadorian. Not a town, just a wide spot in the road. Before you get there, there is a community on the left called Las Vegas. Mostly gringo's there.
@@dianamayfield5615 in the uk while i was shopping for curtains i saw 2 ladies talking and 1 lady looking like you mentioned the word Spanish? I wish I went up to her because I am trying to learn it.
I know from personal experience (from 7 years ago) that Isabel Mosquera is absolutely the best person to contact. Many of the visa agencies that advertise will charge much more for the same outcome.
Friends, with respect to the properties, the indigenous people have control of the land that for hundreds of years belonged to them and the government understands that and has given them certain areas as properties that cannot be sold or taken because their ancestors lived there, in addition they cultivate the lands and supply the large and medium-sized cities. The government wants to protect its lands, there are areas that a foreign or local citizen can buy without problems 😅
Well, folks, guess where the guns come from??? From the U.S. I live in the Galapagos Islands and last month the maritime patrol caught 2 speedboats full of high caliber weapons, rifles, ak, they came from the USA, normally those boats come to Galapagos to supply gasoline to continue the trip to Ecuador. Ironic, a poor and violent country, it has a country like the US that sells weapons, we sell drugs, they weapons haha 😂
The other day as we sat watching the birds from our living room. Our discussion was about getting a weather station. We started laughing and both agreed , we’re getting old😮! But Oh to be getting old together in Ecuador! Truly Blessed
My friend here in Vilca just installed a weatherstation... I will try to find the web address for you!
I LOVE YOU GUYS UA-cam CHANNEL SO MUCH AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON WHEN I ARRIVE IN VILCABAMBA, ECUADOR!!! 😄
Hey, you forgot to mention the donkeys braying as they communicate between fincas and also in town! LOL! Your advice is a good sound warning of things to Expect and advice, such as buying 'site unseen'. Looking forward to returning in the next month or so.
7:40 I'm so chocked to know that there is salmon in rivers here?! I tought all salmon was imported.
No, there is no salmon in the rivers.
@@jolifarms-EcuadorI make salmon curry if you eat curry with Rice?
what type of salmon? :) @@jolifarms-Ecuador
The kind that swims in the 💦. Sorry but I really don't know.
I had looked but salmon wasn't on any of the lists I saw for fish native to Ecuador... I see there are farmed trout that have the more red flesh due to chemicals and can be mistaken as salmon... I got excited there :) @@jolifarms-Ecuador
Joe & Lisa, thanks for a VERY informative video! God bless you both! - Dennis McDonald 🎸🎼
Thanks for the honest review of what to expect. I think you have to go and visit a place and stay for a while to get the gist of what it's like. Glad you still like it. Congratulations on your 6 year anniversary.🦜🦜
Hello friends, a correction, the police have another salary different from the basic salary of the blue-collar worker, Rafael Correa left a different salary for them where the lowest is double a basic salary, so they earn the lowest police officer in rank an average of 720 to 900 dollars a month, the officers earn more.
Thanks for that info.
Thanks for all your information! It's very useful!
Really appreciate your safety recommendations. I won’t get there for a couple of years but will stay tuned to your experiences.
Love your videos and thanks for the great information and beautiful photos! We really like your authentic easy style and telling it like you see it.
Thanks for watching!
I hope you guys are ok
Fine, thanks for asking!
Thanks for the info..Joe&Lisa...Joe could you take photos of the inside of the churches in your area...
Will do!
great one guys
Thanks Marc
Thank you for all the great information. My husband and I will be arriving in Cuenca on the 10th to meet with Isabel and will be heading to Vilcabamba on January 18th. We would love to meet you both for coffee or lunch?? We are big fans of yours. We’ve been traveling through South America for the past 3 years and now we are looking for a home base.
Sure, give us a holler when you get here.
I liked the beautiful bird pictures! I do have some safety questions though...we were in EC last year on vacation, and never felt unsafe or threatened. We loved it. However, in living there, do the criminals generally target gringos only, and if one did practice indigenous justice, say in a home invasion, what happens then? I've watched your videos about security and dogs, not being flashy, etc, to protect ourselves but my main concern is living a peaceful life in EC and somebody decides to pick us as a target. After hearing about Francesa and her family, and she lived there a longish time, I worry that it could happen to anyone, at anytime.
Ps.. I convinced my husband we have to live there for a year before we buy. 😊
They do target gringo's but also Ecuadorian families. The gringo is sometimes perceived as rich. The laws concerning self protection are confusing, and I really cannot give you legal advice. I suggest contacting an attorney such as Yadira Alercon or Marco Munoz and asking questions of them.
At about 10:53, you discuss the current crime level there, and mention home invasions. There was an American expat named Steve Gray who lived in the Yangana mountains, about 10-15 minutes south of Vilcabamba. He mysteriously died about half a year ago, but there are no details online, that I can find, about how it happened.
I'm curious if maybe you heard anything about his passing, in the local news there? I'm wondering if it was the result of a home invasion. He would fight back in a situation like that. He was a teacher of Tai Chi and Taoist Internal Energy Arts.
His UA-cam channel is entitled: Tien Shan Taoist Internal Arts. I mention it only because it puts a face to the name. Maybe you bumped into him a couple times in the past, as I imagine he went into Vilcabamba often.
I knew Steve, he was a part of our homestead group. He was going through a divorce. One day his wife shows up with the police and they made him leave the house. He was living in malacatos in a rental and was just a few weeks from finalized divorce when he mysteriously died in his sleep. Santiago and I were visiting with him in town just a couple days before his demise. He was distraught. That is all I know and that information is what he told me.
@@jolifarms-Ecuador Wow, that's so sad to hear, but thank you deeply for sharing that. It's definitely a shocker and tragic. Yes, I can imagine anyone in a similar predicament would be greatly distraught; some even to the point of ending it all sooner rather than later. However, I can't imagine Steve going out that way.
Stress is a hidden killer, and I suspect his demise had to be stressed induced, most likely. I can only imagine the lose of his homestead paradise, that he worked so hard to build, crushed him; and for his wife to do that to him, the stress from all that would take out the best of us. I'm sure the pain of it shattered him beyond words. The ultimate betrayal of a life partner.
💯 percent sure he did NOT take his own life.
I went to Uruguay in 1980. Felt safer there than back home. The people were incredible! Everyone I came across invited me for dinner. The asado and mate were addictive. I didn't speak English for the whole month so I really increased my Spanish fluidity. Flights were abundant. I flew in a pan am 747.
One of my favorite routes in Ecuador is through Cajas. There's an option to go through Canar, I don't know which you're referring to as currently a big risk.
We're actually inheritants of property in Ecuador, out in the country where my wife's grandparents lived. But there's other descendants living there and farming the land so we don't want to buy everyone out and displace these folks. And it's hard to know how well you'd really be received by the community over time. There, it's all about sharing, so we really couldn't close up our place and hide our goodies from our neighbors, that if we didn't share, we'd be ostracized as selfish.
You are BLESSED. 😊. So what do u think of Peru/ Paraguay please?
@@Sketchbook9999
Yes we are grateful to God for His blessings! Have not experienced Peru nor Paraguay. But both look amenable to visit going by documentation of travelers.
When is the Rainey season? I heard cold season is July and August
Thanks
Usually starts in November until June. It can fluctuate. There really is no cold season.
What is happening to Ecuador in recent years is because we have had inept, corrupt presidents like
Lenin and Lasso who have done nothing to improve the economy and security and with this new,
improvised, carboard president, same thing is happening. About the police it's because there is a
corrupt government. Thanks for the beautiful beginning of the video.
Where do you see extortion going on in the US? I have never experienced any kind of extortion in US.
That's about a two hour conversation. For starters, Lobbyists!
Second, how about civil forfeiture? Thousands of hard working honest people have their cash stolen by DEA, federal, and local police on a daily basis without due process and no recourse. We are talking billions of dollars. Watch a few videos from the institute for justice.
I was held hostage by the City of Austin electrical code enforcement who would not give my personal tools back because they claimed I was doing work without a permit. I had to hire a lawyer and only then were they returned.
You are extorted by the IRS, state and city taxing agencies. Try not paying and see what happens.
Never received a citation for a traffic offense that you were innocent of? Most everyone I know has at some point. If that is not extortion, you just are not paying attention.
Is hunting allowed, and if so what kind of game. Thank you.
I don't know anything about hunting here. I just don't know anyone who does it.
Gorgeous birds. If I start to feel unsafe, I just turn on the news from back in the U.S. of Dystopia and count my blessings!
Thank you for your honesty. I've been to Ecuador and actually Vilcabamba several times. I follow a number of UA-camrs and some are not as open as one would hope... & yes, I'm still making the move. What do you know of Santorum?
You are most welcome. Santorum is past Cucanama on the way to Tumianuma. It is warm and close to the river. I met an American couple there who were robbed once. No violence, just list a little money. Not many gringo's out there
About a 20 min drive to Vilcabamba.
@@jolifarms-Ecuador Is it one of those weekend towns you described that's quiet during the week and party time noisy on the weekend?
It is very Ecuadorian. Not a town, just a wide spot in the road. Before you get there, there is a community on the left called Las Vegas. Mostly gringo's there.
Lucky You probably know Spanish. Makes life very easy. I'm in England UK by the way.
Have u been to Uraguay/ Peru?
@@dianamayfield5615 in the uk while i was shopping for curtains i saw 2 ladies talking and 1 lady looking like you mentioned the word Spanish? I wish I went up to her because I am trying to learn it.
I was unsubscribed, but I'm back!
Awesome! I don't know why UA-cam does that. Maybe I shouldn't have openly criticized them?
I know from personal experience (from 7 years ago) that Isabel Mosquera is absolutely the best person to contact. Many of the visa agencies that advertise will charge much more for the same outcome.
Thanks for saying that. We really had great results with her and know many who have.
Friends, with respect to the properties, the indigenous people have control of the land that for hundreds of years belonged to them and the government understands that and has given them certain areas as properties that cannot be sold or taken because their ancestors lived there, in addition they cultivate the lands and supply the large and medium-sized cities. The government wants to protect its lands, there are areas that a foreign or local citizen can buy without problems 😅
Anywhere a foreigner buys there can be problems.
Well, folks, guess where the guns come from??? From the U.S. I live in the Galapagos Islands and last month the maritime patrol caught 2 speedboats full of high caliber weapons, rifles, ak, they came from the USA, normally those boats come to Galapagos to supply gasoline to continue the trip to Ecuador. Ironic, a poor and violent country, it has a country like the US that sells weapons, we sell drugs, they weapons haha 😂
Actually, most of the guns in our area are coming from Peru and Columbia.
@@jolifarms-Ecuadorwow hmm. Have you been to Peru/ Lima? Do you know any reliable female I can rent a place for few days over there please?
Going to Lima in a few weeks. No I don't know any female lanlords
you're right. I was unsubscribed. Problem solved
Glad you are back!