Day 12: Quito, Ecuador

Our final day in Ecuador was spent at the highest altitude any of us have ever experienced.

The Teleferico is a gondola that takes you an additional 3000 feet above Quito.

Our first picture is a shot of a warning sign that notes you are at nearly 12500 feet.

The views are absolutely stunning as we view Quito and the surrounding Andes mountains.

It is possible to ascend an additional 1000 feet or so to a peak that takes about 3 hours to summit. It is very accessible for all of us amateurs. It simply requires the time and getting acclimated to the altitude in Quito for a few days. Next time I visit here I will take some pictures from the summit!

With the Teleferico also checked off the list, we have officially seen all of the tourist attractions in Quito. The higher altitude this morning did take some energy out of us and we took the rest of the day off to eat, drink and reminisce about our time in Ecuador.

Ecuador is definitely a country worth visiting if you are interesting in going off the beaten path a little. As I have mentioned in previous updates, Ecuador is likely what Costa Rica was 15-20 years ago. Vacations here are very inexpensive outside of flights, which are about the same to all major cities in South America.

We believe that more retirees will flock here as the cost of living increases in North America over the coming years. The early investors are already here. We have met many North Americans who are either thinking about coming here to live, or are living here already. The numbers make sense, as a basic Social Security check from most countries will cover living expenses quite comfortably. Real estate is comparatively very cheap.

There are already scores of ex-pats flocking to Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina and Chile to name a few.

As with most countries outside of the US and Canada, you simply need to adjust your expectations as to what amenities you want versus the price you are willing to pay. As with any place, for some it will not meet their needs. For others it will be perfect.

Tomorrow we head back to North America at the crack of dawn. We will all be on US soil by Noon, and in our respective home towns later Monday evening.

In the days coming I plan to add a few more summary updates, along with some video that I have captured. So stay tuned for a little while longer for more on Ecuador!

Did you know: Taxes on real-estate are measured in the hundreds of dollars each year, not thousands. For a small one bedroom condo in a nice part of the country, the total of rent, condo fees, taxes and utilities will not even equal the taxes of some coastal properties in North America.