Italy
or Ecuador?
Where people choose to move
and how long they choose to reside in a given locale will obviously vary from
person to person. A number of expats
here in Cuenca, for example, have recently been exploring Italy for
consideration as a possible place to resettle.
I am quite contented with my life in Cuenca. My recent travel to Italy was the fulfillment of a
life-long dream, and I never seriously considered it as a place for me to
live. However, for those who may wish to
give countries like Italy a serious consideration for migration, let me present
you with my perspective of the pros and cons of such a move:
Cuisine,
Food, and Wine
1. Italy has some great
advantages, such as some of the finest cuisine in the world that is exceptional
at every level from gourmet to humble family-owned ristorantes. It’s almost impossible to get a bad meal in
Italy. Italia is also wine country, and alcohol there is not as expensive as in
Ecuador, which holds true even with the difference in value between the dollar
and the Euro. I was in supermarkets where two to three dollar bottles of wine in Italy cost
six to nine dollars in Ecuador.
Travel to Nearby Countries
2. Just as Ecuador serves for me not only as my home, but also as
a way-station to visit other parts of South America; Italy serves with the advantage of its
great Euro-express trains to move travelers quickly to other cities in Europe without
the hassle of visas, and without the inconvenience of converting currencies,
since most countries in Europe use the Euro. Both issues are a problem when traveling from
Ecuador to some of the other South American countries. For example, visiting countries like Brazil
and Argentina will cost hundreds of extra dollars to secure the visas with a
U.S. passport. Not to mention the time spent in processing a visa to Brazil. Unlike Ecuador, other
countries in South America are not on the dollar. Therefore, currency
conversion is required, which includes the hassle of familiarizing oneself with the foreign currency, and
then translating the cost of everything from a given country’s currency back into
dollar value to understand what one is spending.
One can also travel from
Italy to many countries in Europe in less time and with less expense than one
can travel from Ecuador to most other South American countries, due to closer
geographic proximity between Italy and their European counterparts.
Cultural
Capitals of Their Respective Countries
3. No doubt, Italy is a
cultural center of the world, with which Ecuador cannot compete. Cuenca may be the vibrant cultural capital of
Ecuador, but it is not in the same cultural league as Roma or even Florencia. Of course, to enjoy the cultural activities
of Rome and Florence will be very expensive for most retired people, who no
longer enjoy the incomes they did while they worked. Cultural activities in Cuenca in comparison
are reasonably priced and often free, and much is offered for retirees to
explore and dabble in the arts at prices they can afford.
Bio-Diversity
and Natural Beauty
4. Both countries have
remarkably beautiful scenery, with Ecuador possessing greater natural
diversity, but Italy does not do that badly in that category as well. Much of coastal Italy is breath-taking along
the Adriatic and the Mediterranean seas, the mountains and lakes to the north,
and the beauty of the Tuscan country-side, and Italy too has it islands. Ecuador’s northwestern coast in the province
of Esmeraldas is said to be quite attractive, but I have yet to visit it. As one travels down the Ecuadorian coast
south of Manta, the coast is nice but from what I have been told, it is not as
attractive as north of Manta, and it is not comparable to the Italian coasts in beauty. Both Ecuador
and Italy have a great deal to offer dependent upon what appeals in topography
and climate to various expats.
Cost-of
Living Factors
5. The best bet for a somewhat
comparable cost-of-living in Italy with Ecuadorian cities would be to settle in
a small town in Italy, if you are amenable to small town living. Generally, the small towns will often have
more amenities to offer than one would find in many small towns in Ecuador.
When compared to Cuenca, Quito,
or Guayaquil; numerous small towns in Italy will provide less
dependable electrical and internet services.
Even in Rome, we often had to step on a pump to generate tap water in public
restroom sinks. Small towns in Italy as
compared to Cuenca will also have fewer people who speak English, which can be
quite a problem for new expats who do not know Italian. Nor will Italian small towns offer the
cultural amenities and social activities that Cuenca or other large cities in
Ecuador do. As for me, I am big-city oriented;
the thought of living anywhere much smaller than Cuenca has no appeal for me.
Overall, the cost-of-living
factor is definitely in Cuenca’s favor.
Unless people are quite affluent they can expect to forget about living in the nice neighborhoods of the central cities like Rome and Florence, as is
the case in most of the big cities of the world. Every day I spoke with well-educated,
two-income couples in Rome, Florence, and Venice who daily took trains into
work, because they could not afford the housing costs in the central areas. Of course, the last leg of the trip into the
historic districts of Venice requires boat rides to work as well.
I also can’t imagine being
an Italian and living in these particular cities and dealing with such massive
waves of tourists who are there all the time, although I suppose to some degree that depends upon in what part of these cities one resides.
No doubt, some relief is experienced in the winter months, but there are
still so many tourists even then. Cuenca
is growing as a tourist magnate.
However, unless the Chinese inundate Cuenca with throngs of tourists as
they are encouraged by the Ecuadorian government to do, I don’t see Cuenca
attracting the numbers of tourists that even Florence which is more comparable
in size to Cuenca currently attracts.
Climate
and Weather
6. I absolutely loved my
month in Italy. Nonetheless, at the end of my month-long stay,
I looked forward to returning to my home in Cuenca. Rome was just beginning to get very hot when
I left, and I was just beginning to notice mosquitoes. Avoiding the hot summers and the cold
winters in Italy was also one of the major reasons why I left Chicago for
Cuenca, and I don't miss mosquitoes. No doubt, upon my return to Cuenca, I do miss some of the totally
sunny days from mid-April through mid-May that I enjoyed in Rome, when I could bask in the warm
temperatures that were in the 70’s and low 80’s. I wish we had more sunshine in Cuenca than we
normally get, especially in the afternoon.
However, nothing is perfect, and it’s difficult to beat Cuenca’s
over-all moderate temperature patterns of general consistency throughout the
year. On the other hand, other parts of
Ecuador do have some of the same extremes in temperatures as found in various
times of the year in Italy, and Guayaquil is always hot and humid.
Italianos
and Equatorianos
7. The Italians are an
interesting, fascinating, and a generally helpful people. They know that their contributions to Western
Civilization from ancient Rome, through the unity provided to Europe during the
Middle Ages by the Roman Church, through the Renaissance of the Italian
city-states have far exceeded their numbers and the size of what constitutes
modern day Italy. Yet, they are not an
arrogant people, and very much like being appreciated for their love of life,
and their passion and zest for living. Italian
contributions include some of the most fabulous art and architecture ever
created, world-leading fashion designers, creation of music and opera of a high
order, development of sports-car designs second to none, and extraordinary cuisine
and wines that all bespeaks of the Italian love for the sensual and the
aesthetic; and Italians take the time to enjoy all that they have created. What is there not to like about a culture and
a people who have contributed so much to factors that make life worth living,
and why an immersion by living in such a culture would not be appealing?
Generally, Italians can be
helpful to tourists, but some can also become quickly short-tempered or
impatient when faced, for example, with giving instructions in Italian which
are not quickly understood by English-speaking tourists; or having difficulty
communicating with a tourist over something being ordered. Cuencanos, on the
other hand, are among the most patient and friendly people in the world, and
very slow to anger. Maybe it is part of
the indigenous cultural background as well, but Equatorianos generally appear to be even
more laid-back than the Italians. Both
groups have roots in a Mediterranean culture, and similar to Ecuador, Italians
also take their respite at similar times from 1:30 to 3:30 every afternoon to
close down their commerce to relax. Even
where I stayed in the Trastevere area of Rome, the department store and the
supermarket closed as well, which doesn’t happen in Cuenca.
Parli Italiano a Habla Usted Espanol?
8. I do miss the sound of Italian. I believe it truly is the most beautiful
language in the world. No wonder the
greatest operas were produced in Italian.
I love the emotive quality of the language, and the synchronization of hand
and body movements of the people with the spoken word. In the U.S. if a guy uses his hands to speak,
he’s accused of being gay. In Italy, the
hands are as integral to communicating as the spoken word.
I was surprised at how
little English is spoken in the places I visited in Italy. I marvel at the Northern Europeans who
travel. They speak in their native
tongue, easily transition into English, and have no problems sounding fluent in
Italian when speaking to the wait-staff or retail clerks.
There definitely is more
English spoken in Cuenca than in Italy, which was a surprise to me. English is the universal language, and
Americans and Brits are among the major tourist groups to visit Italy
especially during the summer months.
Nevertheless; Italians, maybe out of a cultural chauvinism, generally
resist learning English.
As beautiful as Italian
sounds to my ears, I want to continue to learn Spanish. At my age I don't want to
give thought to learning another language.
I also love the sound of Cuencano Spanish. While it does not have the flourished
intonations of the vowel sounds like Italian; it has none of the harsh (sh)
sounds of most other Spanish dialects including Castilian. Cuencano Spanish is also said to have a
musical lilt to its sound, which truly makes it an inviting sound to the ears; and is spoken with a crispness
and clarity that is missing in many Spanish dialects.
Currency Convenience for Expats Living in Ecuador
9. At least for the
foreseeable future, Ecuador and the United States will continue to share a
common currency. Italy also shares a
common currency with most European countries.
However, for expats living in Italy, there is the inconvenience of exchanging
dollars for Euros based upon their income sources from the United States.
Bureaucracy
10. From what I read and
experience, both Ecuador and Italy are balls of monstrous confusion when
dealing with their government bureaucracies; with their ever-changing laws, their
ever-changing daily bureaucratic interpretations of laws, and their very
bureaucratic enforcement of rules. Make
a move to Italy from Ecuador or as an alternative to Ecuador, and there will be
no change for the better in dealing with bureaucracy, not to mention starting the entire documentation process
of getting settled in a new country all over again.
Medical Services
11. Both Ecuador and Italy
have good to excellent medical services in the big city areas, and both
countries offer socialized medical coverage as well. Between the two countries, the cost of
medical coverage to the individual and the quality of medical services appears
to be a draw.
Political and Economic Factors
12. Political and economic factors
are also making both Italy and Ecuador very shaky at this time. However, this is a world-wide phenomenon; so
I cannot say in this respect that one country has an advantage over the other
as far as a consideration for expat migration.
Italy, however, is being inundated with large numbers of migrants, legal
and illegal. Not to mention boatloads of
refugees, most from Muslim countries; which if it continues unabated will
certainly cause major problems in the big-city areas of Italy as is currently
happening in much of Europe.
These are my perspectives as
to the pros and cons of living in Italy or Ecuador, particularly Cuenca, and they
are simply intended to be a starting point of considerations for any expats in
Ecuador who may be considering the possibility of a move to Italy, or for
others who wish to become expats and are considering what may be the best place for them to relocate. As for me, while
Italy has many favorable advantages, my deal killers are the extreme variations
in Italian weather throughout the year, and the higher cost-of-living in
Italy. I will continue to enjoy my wonderful
life in Cuenca, dream about where I want to travel next, and continue to drool
over the memories and images of the fabulous food I left behind in Italia.
Click on the link below, if you wish to see the Story Photos of my travel in Italy:
http://cuencaperspectivesbyjim.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2015-06-30T00:06:00-05:00&max-results=7
Click on the link below, if you wish to see the Story Photos of my travel in Italy:
