Better Health, More Happiness, and Lower Costs in Cuenca
By Connie Pombo
By Connie Pombo
Though
we moved to picturesque colonial city of Cuenca, Ecuador in 2010, we
left again two years ago. That's right...we left our retirement paradise
to try out life on the Central Coast of California in San Luis Obispo
where we spent our honeymoon 40 years ago.
We
were 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean with its spectacular fireball
sunsets and enjoyed some of California's best beaches, including Pismo,
Morro Bay, and Avila.
It
was our good fortune, to find a 1,200-square-foot apartment on
Craigslist—fully furnished—for $895 a month (with utilities and internet
it came to $960). It was a bargain.
Our
slice of heaven was over a three-car garage on a private estate and
part of a 5,322-square-foot "mansion" with four bedrooms, four
baths...galley kitchen, theater room, 25-foot cathedral ceilings,
Jacuzzi...and three fireplaces. We called it our own little "Hearst
Castle." And we had full run of the house (the East Wing and the West
Wing) as the owner was a bachelor and traveled most of the time. We had
it made—almost!
Turns
out though that, compared to our happy life in Cuenca, the seven months
we spent in "Hearst Castle" was the most miserable time of our lives.
The gated community was isolated and our neighbors weren't exactly the
"Welcome Wagon." They were mostly professionals—doctors and lawyers—who
didn't bother to wave as they drove past in their BMW convertibles and
turbocharged Jaguars. I missed the daily human contact of Ecuador. Gone
were the hugs, kisses and familiar greetings that we were so used to
receiving on the streets of Cuenca: Que tenga un buen día (Have a nice day) or Cómo estás? (How are you?)
Although
our rent was a steal, everything else was more expensive ($650 a month
for catastrophic medical insurance; $450 for groceries; $300 for gas—it
was almost $5 a gallon at that time—car insurance $96 a month, and car
maintenance $100 monthly). We were living on three times as much as we
lived on in Cuenca.
At
the time we left Cuenca in 2012, we were paying $200 in rent for a
two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo with a balcony next to the wide, clear
Tomebamba River; $250 for groceries; $36 for high speed internet, and
$70 for medical insurance. We were even able to put $300 into savings a
month. Best of all, we didn't need a car—we walked or grabbed a bus. And
today—happily back in Cuenca—we live on $1,317 a month (minus rent
because we own our condo).
The
deal breaker for us in California came when we couldn't make an
appointment to see a doctor. Because the Central Coast of California is
considered rural, there is a shortage of doctors and no one was taking
new patients. The waiting list was a year! A few doctors were
experimenting with concierge service, meaning we would have to pay
$3,500 per person, per year just to get our foot in the door.
With
all the stress, my blood pressure skyrocketed and I was rushed to the
Emergency Room by ambulance. The total bill came to $18,000 (including
the ambulance) and I was only in the hospital for three hours. Since we
had catastrophic medical coverage with a $25,000 deductible, we were
responsible for the entire bill, which was more than what we lived on in
Cuenca for a year.
A
week later, we left the States for good and returned to our home in
Cuenca, Ecuador where we bought our first condo for $67,000. It was the
right decision for our health, happiness, and pocketbooks.
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