I recently took a trip to Ecuador. The sole purpose was to investigate the lifestyle and business opportunities in this very unique country. My interest had been piqued by reading the huge amount of information on Ecuador by Gary Scott along with some others. Gary Scott and his wife Merri have lived a very unique and varied life. World travelers, explorers, writers & entrepreneurs. They have lived and worked in Ecuador for many years and written extensively in Gary’s e-zine/ blog and offer themed tours in this country that highlight the real estate and business opportunities for North Americans and Europeans.

Ecuador is a small country, the size of Nevada, with a population of approximately 11 million. The Pacific coast has fantastic unspoiled beaches and myriad real estate opportunities. The highlands (6-10,ooo feet elevation) offer some of the most consistent weather, breathtaking mountain backgrounds and like the coast - great real estate and business opportunities. Many North Americans & Europeans are discovering this great country. They are finding that they can escape the high cost of living in their native countries and live a very fulfilled & much less expensive life in Ecuador. I tend to compare Ecuador now to Costa Rica - twenty years ago. However, I believe that Ecuador has some distinct advantages over CR. No hurricanes or tropical storms, many different micro climates which allow you live in “eternal spring” like environments year round or coastal living without the intense tropical heat and humidity.

I found many things to like about Ecuador. I will be returning in 2009 to investigate this country further. This subject highlights one of the goals of Boomer's Life which is to discover other countries which would allow boomers to live comfortably on their savings and/or social security. I certainly believe this is not only achievable, but I met many in Ecuador that were doing just this. They were living better, healthier & more prosperous lives than they ever could hope to live in their former countries without the government intervention, taxes and bureaucracy.

Food is approximately 1/6 the cost of North America, gasoline is $1.50 per gallon. Did I mention that Ecuador is a “dollarized” economy? Yes, that’s right - they use the U.S. Dollar as their currency. More later…