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S.A.:
Country (Want to visit most): Peru
City (Want to visit most): Cusco
Favorite Country (so far): Chile
Favorite City (so far): Buenos Aires
C.A.:
Country (Want to visit most): (Can we include Caribbean? If so, Cuba, if not Nicaragua (been to 5/7, not El Salvador either)
City (Want to visit most): Tie between Antigua (Guatemala) and San Jose (Costa Rica)
Favorite Country (so far): Costa Rica (haven't seen much of any though)
Favorite City (so far): Belize City
N.A.
Canada Most Wanted City: Saint John's, NL
America Most Wanted City: New York City, NY (Been, but only for a bit. Want more thorough experience.)
Mexico Most Wanted City: Guanajuato, GTO (Central Mexico region in general with DF a close second.)
Canada Favorite City: Toronto (Vancouver's landscape, though)
America Favorite City: Cleveland is home, but probably tie between DC Metro and SF Metro
Mexico Favorite City: Merida (Have not been around a ton, but this one had historic appeal)
Can you share the aspect of Ecuador that you don't like? I am curious why tons of American want to retire thefe.
What I didn't like: It's really a very poor underdeveloped country with serious infrastructure problems. The whole country is basically a mountainside that goes from 0 to 20,000 feet with not a lot in between. There are all but no services on the coast at all, and I don't want to live at 9,000 feet in elevation where there is more development.
What I did like: Great people, family culture with a low addiction to the cell phone lifestyle.
Expat retirees mostly move to Cuenca @ 8,000 feet. It's fairly well documented that most of them leave within 5 years and go somewhere else, or back home.
wow, how can anyone pick out a favorite city with so many choices. We did love Vancouver for starters and have always liked some of the cities in the southern part of the USA, but favorite has more to do with why one is visiting a city I think. For relaxation we would prefer a city near water and not too crowded. For history you can't beat DC and for just plain fun, maybe Las Vegas or some of the resort cities in Mexico. We love visiting Roatan which I classify as a city, I don't know it might be a state. We also loved Costa Rico, but again that is a country. The cities I do not like or the place period is eastern Canada like Quebec City. We have spent time in some of the major cities, they are expensive, not friendly and really do not seem to like Americans.
In latin America I have only been to Ecuador, twice. Nothing really to recommend it which is why we decided not to retire there.
We spent a day wandering around Lima Peru. Can't recommend it either.
So at least you can take both of those off your list.
As an American, I can say that I've never been especially thrilled with any place in the US either, corportization has pretty much big-boxed and strip-malled the entire country into an uninteresting city/burb/subub/exurb. It's all the same everywhere except for local topography.
I'm honestly sitting here trying to think of a place in the the US that gets my juices flowing. Nothing comes to mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nn2036
Can you share the aspect of Ecuador that you don't like? I am curious why tons of American want to retire thefe.
Ecuador is the only country in South America that I have been to. I think it is a great place as the people are very friendly there and community oriented. It also has a great climate.
The main downside with Ecuador as far as I am concerned is the safety issue. For example one can't walk around alone after dark in Ecuador's biggest city Guayaquil.
Ecuador, hands down. Low cost of living, world-class medical care in the big cities, much improvement on the infrastructure. Unbelievable scenery. Folks are a little reserved at first, but very friendly when you get to know them.
I would retire to Quito or Cuenca in a flash, but would have to leave the boyfriend behind. Hmmmmm.....
As an American, I can say that I've never been especially thrilled with any place in the US either, corportization has pretty much big-boxed and strip-malled the entire country into an uninteresting city/burb/subub/exurb. It's all the same everywhere except for local topography.
I'm honestly sitting here trying to think of a place in the the US that gets my juices flowing. Nothing comes to mind.
Sadly, the Global World is coming to any number of areas around the world, and the time will come when you won't see much difference between cities in the U.S. as opposed to cities in Japan, China, Europe or even parts of Mexico/South America. And there's no stopping it!
What city in the world, today, where you won't collide with an American fast food chain?
When I did my 12 trips to Central/South America between 2004-2009, I generally flew into the biggest city and immediately went to the bus station, and headed for all the mid-size cities in those countries, with exceptions, and I detest cities that are too clean, antiseptic, sans litter, a la San Diego.
I fell in love with Tegucigalpas, Honduras, my top choice in Central America. Argentina: Mendoza
Chile: Rancagua/Valpariso Peru: Huarez/Cajamarca Ecuador: Otavalo Bolivia: Tarija/Cochabamba and La Paz. I can't think of a more unique city in the world as La Paz, a city of 2 million situated way up there at 12,000+ feet in altitude. Haven't been there since 2007, but I understand that they now have zip lines, or lifts to take you up those steep vertical hills to El Alto, from the bottom of the bowl.
What city in the world, today, where you won't collide with an American fast food chain?
I love having a nice McDonalds or KFC in town somewhere for the occasional craving of such food. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate the local fare (eating is one of my biggest travel motivations) but there is something about a nice consistent McDonald's cheeseburger that hits the spot.
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Nicaragua (been to 5/7, not El Salvador either)
