One Year in Ecuador - The Verdict - The Good and The Bad!

Рет қаралды 4,320

7 ай бұрын

We are moving to Ecuador. Join us on our Expat life in Ecuador. We love nature photography and this channel will focus not just on our new lives in Ecuador but also on us capturing this amazingly diverse country. Are you thinking of maybe moving abroad? Are you ready to move out of your comfort zone? Well maybe its time to "Live the Life you Love"

Пікірлер: 113

@SyD256 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Kris and Mike, loved your video. We're Ecuadorians living in Canada and we can't wait to be back in Ecuador. It's very encouraging for us that you find more positives than negatives in your first year. Ecuador is really a wonderful country. Take care!

@perrykomick9478 7 ай бұрын

No surprise...Canada SUCKS now...

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Hi. Thanks for watching. Yes we truly love it here.

@thebucksstophere8870 7 ай бұрын

Happy Anniversary! We’re at 17 months, loving it! Our goals have been met, Tranquility being number one.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Fantastico. Congratulations 🎉🎉. Yes we are spoiled here.

@TampaVW 7 ай бұрын

Hi guys. Congratulations on your first year in Ecuador. My wife and I will have our first anniversary’s in Ecuador on 31-Jan, we live in Cuenca. Like you we bought a place shortly after we arrived and we love it. Like you we find the positives outweigh the negatives. We love the weather and the fact that we can go for walks without the of the coast. The more we are here the more we learn about things we can do. For instance I recently discovered that I can order from Amazon and they deliver directly to our door. I just disconnect the VPN and Amazon know I’m in Ecuador. I just add my local address in Amazon account. The shipping DHL includes all three applicable taxes including duty. I ordered electronics twice and it was cheaper than buying them here, and it was items you can’t buy here. Sharing in case you’re interested. We enjoy your videos, you have a beautiful home. Keep posting.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

That sounds wonderful. We loved our trip to Cuenca. Great place. Yes the online shopping is more than most expats realize. We have stuff coming all the time. lol Take care.

@fredwyese 7 ай бұрын

Good morning, Michigan native, living in the Serria. I agree with you that expectation have been exceeded . Love the different climates, all the food and the festivals full of color and easy smiles.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Yes it's a very good life here.

@ffcolon2738 7 ай бұрын

Thank you Kris and Mike for creating good, honest and positive content regarding the area where you live, greatly appreciated. Take care 😎

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much. We have done 42 videos now and it's an added benefit to have a record of our lives here. Take care.

@proyectonuevo7487 7 ай бұрын

Happy New Year 2024 welcome to Ecuador, greetings from Galapagos

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍

@gamthrax 6 ай бұрын

I'm coming down from frozen Minnesota soon and your positivity and perspective really helped with some of my concerns. Thanks and all the best to you!

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

The last couple days have been quiet. Based on right now I would still come. Things are fluid so keep watching.

@gamthrax 6 ай бұрын

@@KrisandMike thanks so much. I think my dislike of the cold will keep me motivated! If I get to your neck of the woods I'll look for you :)

@victorpanora2430 4 ай бұрын

Frozen Minnesota? you got that right it's been snowing here for two days in the twin cities, more than 12 inches of snow already,... I will be down there soon too.

@Lauropalmavelez8768 7 ай бұрын

Congrats!! We r follow u a entire year....enjoy my beuatiful country

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Awe thanks so much. We love it here

@vitaliorehov3612 3 ай бұрын

I am from Vancouver, and I am looking forward to following your steps..

@KrisandMike 3 ай бұрын

That's great. We don't regret a thing. We love it here.

@kristiG5259 7 ай бұрын

Congrats on your Ecuanniversary! I've followed you from the beginning and have really enjoyed all your videos!

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Awe thanks so much. We love comments like this. Take care

@user-kx7ix8mf5f 6 ай бұрын

Great re cap. I like to hear the great, the bad, and the ugly😅

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Hey. I hope you are doing well. Take care.

@JonJohnsDad 7 ай бұрын

Happy New Year ! congratulations on you anniversary. Looking forwars to some San Jose vibe videso ...

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Thanks for your suggestion 🙂

@mr-vet 6 ай бұрын

Belated congratulations!

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍

@kudakoda 7 ай бұрын

🎉 Congrats Chris and Mike! We are set to leave Alberta on the 20th of January for our first month long exploratory visit. We have followed and enjoyed your videos very much. We will land in Guayaquil and will make our way to our rental in Olon to put down roots. With your on line advise our travel agenda will take us to Cuenca and Quito as well to check out retirement homes. Happy New Year and keep up the great work informing us of those that are making plans for a retirement home. Cheers from Edmonton!

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

That's wonderful. You will have a great time. Enjoy your adventures.

@colleenjolicoeur6059 4 ай бұрын

I am a new subscriber and can relate to a couple of fellow Ontarians with a fun story and great info. Take care.

@KrisandMike 4 ай бұрын

Thanks 😊 and welcome to our channel.

@carolartis2149 6 ай бұрын

Your place is beautiful

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Thanks 🙏

@lizmariewest1514 7 ай бұрын

Loved the recap! Congrats on your #1 year in Ec. Let the adventures continue 🎉

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much. Yes many adventures some planned but many not lol.

@littletravelmonkey6727 7 ай бұрын

Nice big house with pool and garden. Must be very costly 💰

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Relative to Canada and USA very cheap.

@afkhanop 7 ай бұрын

Hope you guys are safe with the recent issues in Ecuador. Hope it does not spread elsewhere.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Yes, we are safe . We just did another video talking about it in more detail. Take care

@francouchie63 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the re-cap! Your videos are always informative - and very interesting! Live the life you love!!!

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Fran. Thanks for watching. I hope you and your family are all well. Take care.

@tomcorridan5236 7 ай бұрын

Congratulations on 1 yr anniversary....big accomplishment....thank you for the wonderful update

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much 👍

@fabyespa6084 7 ай бұрын

Wow time flies.....Happy first anniversary guys 🎉🎉🎉🎉 and I wish you everything goes pretty good this new year...health, happiness, peace and tranquility!! I enjoy watching your videos its make me feel like I'm over there especially now that the weather is ❄️🥶here in New Jersey 😢!!God bless you 🙏

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks so much. Yes we don't miss the snow. Lol.

@jorgezanafriavasconez9315 7 ай бұрын

Happy new year, Cris and Mike! Thanks for sharing those cool memories from 2023. And Mike, your pronunciation of "El Niño" was perfect 👌

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much 🙏

@paronoja 6 ай бұрын

You guys are cool❤️

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Lol thanks my friend

@raiz91 6 ай бұрын

Happy Anniversary Kris and Mike!!!

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Thanks 🙏

@anniesshenanigans3815 7 ай бұрын

Buying a house is a big plus for you. that takes care of the noise and the garbage issues in your immediate area. I am glad that your experience has been positive. I don't know if I would want to buy a house immediately, so those issues might be more of a problem for renters. There's another youtuber that is always talking about the noise and trash. He lives in Manta in a condo, so that is much different setting than yours. If I may ask. What did your home cost? And do you have a pool person or service that takes care of all the chemicals and stuff? If I moved there I would buy something with a pool and a/c. Or rent. either one. Love your videos!!!

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Hi Thanks for watching. Sorry we don't share too much personal stuff. But a nice 3 bedroom home in an gated community here costs 120K and up with multiple pools in the complex. We do have someone here who takes care of the pool, gets us water and gas as well. But yes almost always rent first unless you are 100% sure like we were. We have a video about why we purchased a home. Take Care

@Scott-Terry 7 ай бұрын

Hi guys, you are simply fantastic! You are so relax and it is a real pleasure to watch your Videos Please keep making these fabulous Videos!!

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks so much. That's very kind of you and very much appreciated. Thanks for watching

@DanvilleTrain888 7 ай бұрын

Congrats on year one!🎉So cool that you donate your tuber money to the community. Always enjoy and learn something from your vids. Keep up the good work U 2. All the best in 24🎆

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much. All the best to you. Take care.

@jessicahenry3929 7 ай бұрын

Congrats on your first year!!! I hope our first year is just as amazing 🎉

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍. You guys will have a great year.

@aylex1974 7 ай бұрын

🎉🎉congratulations 1 year making great adventures living the life tranquilo keep it up. More health and happiness ❤

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks 🙏.

@Expat-happy-hour 7 ай бұрын

Congrats Kris and Mike , nice wrap up video for the year .

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍

@jamielivingston7765 7 ай бұрын

March 29th for us will be one year. We were supposed to arrive at 12:15 on Jan 1st but had to delay.

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Things are pretty much back to normal now. Take care

@lisa5639 7 ай бұрын

Well, this was such a lovely video! Love you two's positive yet realistic approach🙂

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much for your kind words.

@keaton705 7 ай бұрын

Another great video! Looking forward to coming down!

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Keaton. You guys will have a blast.

@mistymounthomestead8594 7 ай бұрын

Congrats on your first year in Ecuador, for Canadian crime updates it's up 40% and some places in big cities are getting scary at time. Even the politics there sounds better, hope we can make this happen for us to move permanently in Ecuador. It's the dream ❤

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Keep that dream alive.

@ameliaberton4411 7 ай бұрын

Happy New Year to you both! It looks like you really have found your true new home!!! I hope all goes well this year in Ecuador. Here in New York we started with a storm snow mixed with rain and very low temperatures. Another one announced for Tuesday 😩. Stay warm and safe!

@BPe-ie9je 7 ай бұрын

Amelia, stay safe. Forecast keeps intensifying , nasty storm !!!2 huge storms.... 'feet....'

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks very much. Yes we love it here.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

👍

@Kelly-ln9mp 7 ай бұрын

Great video !!!!!!! My name is Kelly & my wife is from Colombia we met in the States. I'm leaning to Ecuador because of the Dollar. Hope to meet 😊😊

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Sure would be happy to meet. Yes that is a factor as it provides a lot of stability to the country.

@brianhansen2202 7 ай бұрын

Happy 1 year 😊 I haven’t seen the video yet, but how is security in 2023/24? Any assaults, robbery or extortions? Ecuador is now the forth most violent country in the world 😔

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Yes crime is bad. However we have not noticed anything from a year ago when it was half as much. 85% of crime is cartel against cartel. And most of it bad in a few areas of the country. Very hard to compare to other countries because of that. If we didn't read the news we wouldn't know a darn thing.

@brianhansen2202 7 ай бұрын

@@KrisandMike News is the worst... It's hard to avoid, and you probably shouldn't. But the world is bigger than mainstream media, and all the wars, crimes, migration-, and climate crises will do just fine without us watching them. It's all probably real, but also all just events hand-picked by journalists with an agenda.

@fabioscandella928 7 ай бұрын

Hi Kris and Mike., Congrats on your first year In San Jose. We are in Manta now enjoying the city life. Already missing the beach in San Jose. The beaches here are different and more busy. For us the garbage issue was not extremely bothering, we saw more worse garbage lying around in other countries. We think that of the countries we have visited south of the equator, Ecuador is the most organized country, people are mostly reliable and friendly. Ecuador is for sure a country we will look into closer as a winter retread.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Very nice to hear your perspective from someone who has traveled in South America.

@marilynpeoples5099 6 ай бұрын

Did a whale watch last year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico… the sound of the tails slapping the ocean is truly an unforgettable experience.

@tonyyoussef5267 6 ай бұрын

Love your channel I have Question how far are you from Manta city Because I’ve been there Thank you And stay safe

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

Thanks very much. We are pretty far south of Manta, just north of Olon

@janhertzberg1797 7 ай бұрын

Excellent videos…excellent content. Might be interesting to hear your impressions of being KZfaqrs. Were you KZfaqrs in Canada? How have your experiences been?

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Hi. Thanks. No we were not KZfaqrs in Canada. So we really like doing the videos. It gives us a nice record of our journey and life in Ecuador that we will have forever. We don't do it for the money as we give that away to local charities. It really is more of a hobby. As long as it contiues to be fun we will do it. I (Mike) do the editing and I enjoy that as well. We try not to let it control us but more a tool for us. We are not after the views or subscribers in a big way. That would require more work. We do enough so that the quality is not to bad and we have something to show or say. Another benefit has been the amazing notes, emails and visits we get from so many really good people. That was something we were not expecting. It is one of the advantages of having a channel in a narrow niche. Thanks for watching, take care.

@Sheila-eo9gj 3 ай бұрын

Was that a snake you took out of the tree? Is there lots of snakes? Was that wasps in the tree you were filming? Was that a snake in your pool?

@KrisandMike 3 ай бұрын

Wasps in the tree and snake in the pool. Snakes keep to themselves and avoid humans. Don't see them hardly at all. Thanks for watching.

@PhoenixBeI 6 ай бұрын

Great video! Thank you. One thing I missed from your videos is healthcare. Did you do any research regarding medical emergencies? I'm curious as to how one would be evacuated to a hospital. Would it be Salinas or Manta? Also, how about vets? Have you guys found decent vets in the area? Thanks!

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

There are lots of various hospitals but you need to go-to Guayaquil for the most serious matters. Much closer for less serious normal things. Doctor to your home for 30 bucks. Small hospital in Manglaralto. About 4 vets very local but for major operations La libertad. An hour away. Everyone has their own opinion. Very personal.

@PhoenixBeI 6 ай бұрын

@@KrisandMike thank you. This is very useful.

@BPe-ie9je 7 ай бұрын

Are you getting heavy rains? Is your house safe this time ? News saying flooding on coast.....

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

New heavy rains where we are yet. More north and south of us. We made changes to the house so now expect minimal flooding.

@BPe-ie9je 7 ай бұрын

Just terrific. 1 HR wouldnt be too long!!!!! Gracias. Q's: Safes? can you buy? Cash Machine:where for you? You talk air...what about dehubidifiers? Cost? good? Because CA/AM do you feel price gouged?(ex:how much was Indian dinner NYE? ) Matttress comfortable? or buy new ? Was your place hard to find ? find yourself? help? Thanks. Kris, Yourve lost weight. Look great.

@BPe-ie9je 7 ай бұрын

Q: Are you going to ADD solar? Do people steel solar panels down there ?

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Indian dinner was 18 normally around 10. International food is more expensive. Mattresses are good here if you like a little on the hard side. We use a locked cupboard as our safe. You can likely buy.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

We have dehumidifier built into our air conditioner. I suggest doing that.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Not too worried about exchange rate as things overall are about a third of the cost. Lol. I do pick and choose when to bring money down.

@jamielivingston7765 7 ай бұрын

Just fill up on bag on each walk. All of that doesnt go out into the ocean

@KrisandMike 6 ай бұрын

👍

@CutieTheKitty 4 ай бұрын

Hola Kris and Mike! I am visiting here in Olon (solo surf trip) from California. I’ve enjoyed your videos and I really wish I could take you both out to lunch and pick your brain a little bit or some thing? Please let me know and maybe we can exchange numbers I am here until April 17. 2024 my name is Megan your videos are great and in part did inspire me to come. Love it here

@KrisandMike 4 ай бұрын

Hi Megan. Thanks for your nice note. We are in Mindo for a few more days. Write us at my email michaelalbertnelson@gmail.com and we can figure something out before you leave. Enjoy.

@tomsaxton970 7 ай бұрын

Agree about the litter. Its terrible. Number one for me with dogs a close second.

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

👍

@steveweiner95 5 ай бұрын

May i ask Where in Ecuador are you? Brach community? Which one? Thank you

@KrisandMike 5 ай бұрын

Sure we are 5km north of Olon in San Jose.

@steveweiner95 5 ай бұрын

@@KrisandMike Thank you Can you do or have you made a video as to how and why you decided on moving there. You are VERY informative Thank you

@KrisandMike 5 ай бұрын

@@steveweiner95 check out our channel and you will see a video on why we chose Ecuador. Thanks for watching

@matswinberg5045 7 ай бұрын

How is the curfew affecting you ? Did you watch the tv channel being taken over by gangs ?

@KrisandMike 7 ай бұрын

Curfew is not an issue. It looks like the government is essentially declaring war on the cartels. Military in the streets and cartels fighting back. Stay safe if you are here.