Ecuador Living

This is to Gary Scott and all others who can rationalize in an even handed manner. I was so surprised that this individual decided to write this awful “book” to you about the woes of Ecuador . I have actually been affected by his negative comments and the only way for me to get past it is to express this to you.

How sad that he was in that wonderful country and he didn’t even see it. There are problems everywhere.

Oklahoma is a wonderful place to live. Beautiful rolling hills covered with green and too many lakes to name. Good people who work hard and as a rule are honest and law abiding folks.

As I sit here in my living room in the heart of our wonderful country I watch the Tulsa morning news and I listen to the reports of how many died as a result of violence, how many were robbed, and how many children were abused. We hear these reports everyday. In Tulsa alone there were 68 murders last year. This is in the center of the “Bible Belt” and we still have high numbers of homicides. The reports of gang related crimes is raising daily. Needless hate crimes against each other occur everyday and we are seeing increased incidents of road rage making it risky to take the 45 mile trip North for shopping.

We hear about babies being left in cars and dying as a result of the heat or cold while a parent is in some store shopping or in a strip joint doing what ever…. These reports are a daily occurrence and we are almost desensitized to the graphic and horrific nature of the morning and evening news.

My own little community is drenched in Methamphetamine and I cannot name one person in my town who hasn’t been affected in one way or another due to this horrible drug problem.

My point in writing this to you is that I delighted in the simple life of Cotacachi. Babies wrapped and carried close to their mothers were secure and sweet. Smiling faces of the locals were a welcomed sight and the beauty of the landscape… Incredible! 

Quito was a wonderful place for me and I enjoyed fantastic service and low prices at our 4 star hotel. The open air art market in the park was one of the highlights of the trip and I was never uncomfortable or threatened. I took the same precautions there that I would in Tulsa.

My coastal trip 3 years ago was adventurous and safe. We actually had a co-traveler who left her purse hanging on a chair at a restaurant. When they returned to the restaurant over an hour later the purse and all of its contents were intact. We were never at risk.

If the truth be told we have many more incidents of Americans killing each other in the States than we have of solders who are killed in the war. If someone put this country’s yearly numbers together the total would be staggering.

What a waste for the person who goes abroad and only sees the bad. Believe me it is everywhere! Even in the Green Country of Oklahoma .

Thanks so much for your love of Ecuador . I am a hard working person and my money is going to have to carry me through this life. I am thrilled to find a place that isn’t “cheap” but not so “expensive”.  I hope to make Ecuador a major part of my retirement plan.

Barb