In Vilcabamba, Ecuador, you feel like you could live forever. It’s no wonder that this boasts of being the "Valley of Longevity," where long, healthy lives are common and many of the locals claim to be centenarians—living well into their 100s. Perhaps it’s the climate. Just shy of the equator in southern Ecuador and at an elevation of 5,000 feet, temperatures in Vilcabamba average between 65 F and 81 F.
Roger Hughes and his wife Candace moved part-time to Uruguay four years ago. A big reason was access to affordable health care. “We didn’t fancy curtailing our lifestyle to preserve a great portion of our assets for health-care costs,” says Roger. As Roger and Candace had learned, a few countries in the world stand out as places where foreign residents can easily qualify for, and affordably buy, a private health-care plan. Uruguay is one of the best.
The morning mist burns away to reveal an expanse of velvety mountains and the green-carpeted valley in all its glory. Fresh air and blazing blue skies are to be expected here in the Andes. Here, you feel like you could live forever. It’s no wonder that this boasts of being the “Valley of Longevity,” where long, healthy lives are common and many of the locals claim to be centenarians—living well into their 100s.
The passenger bus in front of us slowed and shifted into low gear on the steeply winding mountain road. I got a good look at the slogan gaily tattooed in huge cursive lettering across its rear panel: Si Ud. nunca ha ido a Loja, no conoce mi pais. “If you’ve never gone to Loja, you don’t know my country.”
How to decide where in Panama you'll live? What to take and what to leave behind? Suzan shares the common sense (but easy to overlook) details about getting your finances in order, figuring the best ways to communicate with friends and family back home,
How to decide where in Panama you'll live? What to take and what to leave behind? Suzan shares the common sense (but easy to overlook) details about getting your finances in order, figuring the best ways to communicate with friends and family back home.
How to decide where in Panama you'll live? What to take and what to leave behind? Suzan shares the common sense (but easy to overlook) details about getting your finances in order, figuring the best ways to communicate with friends and family back home,
Sipping a cappuccino at a small table in a shady plaza outside my hotel, I’m reminded of days and evenings spent in similar sidewalk cafés in Europe. Stately 19th-century neo-classical and baroque-style buildings with wrought-iron balconies line the square. Curtains wave gaily through massive wood-framed windows.
I’m often asked why my husband Dan and I chose to live in Ecuador. Why we made our home in the small, mountain town of Cotacachi, a two-hour drive from Quito, the capital city. Our response is always the same. We’re here because we love the people and culture. We feel fortunate to have a majestic pine- and eucalyptus-covered volcano right outside our window. The cool mountain climate suits us perfectly.
International Living’s longtime editors explain how and why they made the decision to uproot their comfortable lives and embrace a world of adventure and uncertainty as expats. What went through their minds and how did they prepare for the big move? Listen in to find out more... (This presentation has no accompanying PowerPoint slideshow.)