Why Ecuador?

I am often asked “why Ecuador?”, and how I ended up here in this tiny fishing village surrounded by so many wonderful weirdos. Since I am on the cusp of wrapping up another mini-retirement here, it seemed like a good time to share that story. 

The TLDR is that several years ago, I met a man at the dog park, which turned into an opportunity, and I took it. 

Read on for the whole story:

Murphy

My last dog, Murphy, would not, under any circumstances, poop in our own yard. For years, we slogged to the dog park in the early morning hours so he could take care of business and get in a good run before I went to work. Since it was so early, it was usually just us, and a couple of other “regulars”, mostly a handful of nice older gentlemen with their well behaved dogs. After sleepily walking in circles around the park for some years, we got to know each other pretty well. Two of those men were Jim and Geoff, and even though Murphy has been gone for 3 years, I still remain friends with both of them.

Our various travels were a frequent topic of conversation. One cold morning in 2021, Jim mentioned that he and his wife, Ellen, were selling their condo in San Clemente, Ecuador because they found a house down the road they wanted to buy. I asked Jim the same question: “why Ecuador?”. 

Jim had been a mountain guide and climbed all over the world, and he said that of all the places he had been, Ecuador was one of his favorites. Ellen wanted to retire on the beach, so they had settled on buying a place in coastal Ecuador.

Ever since I lived in the Caribbean for a few years in my 20’s, I knew I belonged on the beach and dreamed of buying a place on some beach, somewhere, someday. Because of the enormous debt I carry from veterinary school it all seemed like a pipe dream until, one day, Geoff casually suggested that I should buy Jim and Ellen’s condo. I laughed about how I would love that but I couldn’t see it happening. Jim said something like “I bet there’s a way it could be figured out”, and for days all I could think about was that this felt more like an opportunity I wanted to pursue than a pipe dream. 

I decided that I should at least go look at the place. Afterall, what could be the harm in that? (Hint: it’s very similar to “just going to look” at a puppy or kitten that “you don’t want” or “can’t afford” - you’re probably bringing it home anyway).

When I finally made the journey from Denver to San Clemente, it didn’t take me long to fall in love. Our property is gorgeous, but aside from that, this sleepy little town has a certain charm that’s still hard to describe. During my first few days here, a few things happened that solidified my decision to go for it and just find a way to buy the place. 

The first day, I walked the half mile to town to get some lunch. The first place I came across was a bit cave-like, a dark and cool reprieve from the blazing equatorial sun. I looked inside and saw a man with a kind face and a clowder of cats lounging on various surfaces around the restaurant. Rural areas of developing countries aren’t typically known for welcoming cats, especially indoors, so of course I thought “this looks like my kind of place” and went inside to order some food. As I was waiting, suddenly a tiny woman riding a beautiful chestnut horse appeared out of nowhere. She rode right up to the door, hopped off her horse, walked inside, and sat down with a beer. I was sold. This place was my brand of weird and I already loved it. 

Pat's newest horse

I later learned that the woman on the horse, Pat, is one of our local angels who is deeply entrenched in the community and one of the biggest “helpers” I’ve ever known. I also learned that the man was nicknamed Gato and he was well-known and well-liked in the community here. Unfortunately he passed away before my next trip, so I never got the chance to know him.

The second thing that made me fall in love with San Clemente was another endeavor to find some lunch. This time, I walked further into el centro and finally spotted an open restaurant in a low building with a sand floor, and a bamboo fence lining the outside wall. There was a single large table with a red-and-white checkered plastic tablecloth and a lady in the corner stirring a big pot of something. 

I walked in and, knowing almost no Spanish, asked “comida?” while stupidly gesturing toward my mouth. The lady frowned at me for a long time, looking partially confused and mostly annoyed. Finally, she sighed, gestured towards the table, and left the room. I was waiting for her to bring me a menu when she returned, still frowning, with a big bowl of some kind of broth piled high with cilantro, and a large bone sticking out of the bowl. I had the feeling I wasn’t exactly welcome there, so despite a deep disgust for cilantro I was going to eat what I was given, cilantro and all, without complaint. It was delicious, and a few minutes later, she returned again with a plate of chicken, rice and salad which she plopped down in front of me before disappearing again into the bowels of the building. 

When she finally came back out with no apparent intention of giving me a bill or interacting with me if she could avoid it, I approached her and asked how much I owed. She frowned and responded with something I didn’t understand, so I held out a $5 in one hand and a $20 in the other. For the first time, the lady smiled, then she doubled over laughing, finally grabbing the $5 and, still laughing, shooed me out the door. 

I was amused by the odd interaction and heartened that the lady could have easily taken my $20 without a second thought from me. I decided I wanted to go back to this place on my next trip to San Clemente nearly a year later. I found the place empty and broken down, with the roof caving in, and overgrown with weeds. I asked someone what happened to that restaurant, and they had no idea what I was talking about. Suddenly it dawned on me - it wasn’t a restaurant at all, but more likely was this woman’s house and she was preparing almuerzo for her family. Whoever she was, I hope she’s around here somewhere, telling her people the story about that time some gringa loca walked right into her house demanding food. 

So why Ecuador? Besides the opportunity to buy here and many positive early experiences, I’ve fallen more in love with this country on every visit. I’ve been met with nothing but kindness each trip. Last year I was able to explore the sierra a little and see some gorgeous remote countryside, volcanoes, hot springs, big cities and tiny pueblos. Everywhere I have gone in this country, the pace is slower and every day I see something new, different, or surprising. When I am in the US, I am constantly overstimulated and overwhelmed with busy-ness. Here, I am always busy with something, but without the frantic feelings that come with the hustle and bustle of life in the US. 

Some of the friends here! Photo courtesy of Glenn Specht

But, the best part is the community that I have here in the three Sans. I thought this would be a fun place to avoid cold winters, but the friends I’ve made, locals and expats alike, have surprised me in the best way. It rivals that of my already incredible community in Colorado, and I couldn’t feel more grateful to be surrounded by so many wonderful people in both my homes. My friend, Kurt, summed it up nicely last week. He said that after his first few days here, he woke up one morning with his face hurting and he wasn’t sure why until he realized…it was from smiling so much.

All smiles on the beach!