Betty Maclean Travel

Yesterday, I emailed our travel agent at Betty Maclean Travel with our Ecuador/Uruguay trip requests. Our agent, Betsy Patton, is a trusted resource for traveling abroad. While services are customarily for the luxury market, Betsy has been terrific at assisting us with trips of an economy nature as well.

Our first leg of the trip takes us to Quito. We will stay at the Swissotel, where the International Living conference we are attending is being held.

After Quito, we will head north to Cotacachi. My pick for a hotel is the expat owned Hotel Flores/Inn of the Sun. Gary Scott also does a host of living/investing seminars. I figure its a great way to mingle with like minded people.

At the previous Panama IL event, we booked 2 tours following the conference. While there were several benefits, it was exhausting. We plan on taking a more independent and leisurely pace. Pro-Ecuador is offering a post conference 3 day tour for those interested.

Next, we fly south to Cuenca, Ecuador's cultural city. Cuenca has a large active expat community, as evidenced by the blogroll at South Of Zero.

After Cuenca, it's on to Montevedeo in Uruguay. Uruguay is a rural country makes me think it resembles what Texas was like before JR Ewing, the oil bust and the Enron scandal. Here ALL the cattle are grass fed and roam vast estancias. I am looking forward to my first experience of the parrilla.

It is likely we are saving the best for last, Punta Del Este. Known as the St Tropez of South America, wealthy Brazilians and Argentinians as well as international celebrities flock here for the high season of Dec - Feb. Without having been there, it reminds me of what it was like living in Naples, FL.

Naples was where we met Betsy. Despite moves to Texas, Nevada and now back to Florida, we have relied on Betsy to help us arrange memorable experiences abroad. We are confident our South American trip will not be an exception.

International Living Bookstore Holiday Sale

A useful resource in our search for living abroad has been the publications of International Living. Visit their bookstore for their holiday bookstore sale.

We have been subscribing to IL magazine for about a year now. Each issue includes articles on great places to live and invest as well as features about expats already living abroad. Now on sale for $49.

Our first investment into IL owner's manuals was the one for Panama. We have found it to be the most comprehensive. Rolodex includes many resources for living, investing, legal and professional. The author also lists many places to eat, stay, visit and be entertained that the manual is serves as a guide book in addition.

Our second purchase was the owner's manual for Costa Rica. It is on our list..mayber 5th or so. we purchased the fast track package which includes the manual, audio of all CR presentations, slideshow copies and a special bonus report.

It is hard not to get excited about Uruguay after reading this manual written by Lee Harrison. He relocated from Ecuador to Urguguay after traveling and working in there for IL.

This book covers the nuts and bolts of Ecuador sufficiently enough. I couldn't help wishing the author was as thorough as the Panama manual's guide book section.

Other manuals are published for Mexico, Italy, France and Brazil. Recordings of the last IL conference in Vegas on living and investing abroad is also available. All these have savings of 20%.

The holiday sale extends to its memberships and all other publications and recordings.

International Living's Ultimate Event - Ecuador

About a year ago, my husband came to me with the idea of expatriating from the United States. This was different from the time when we walked around Perugia and dreamed about residing there so we could eat our weight in black truffles at La Falchetto. Doug's idea was more about removing ourselves from our nation's troublesome political situation, protecting our hard earned capital and improving our quality of life. Besides, we are always up for an adventure.

Doug proposed we attend International Living's Panama conference held April 2010. He liked the banking stability, pro business President and investing opportunities. We became educated about all things Panama, socialized with two great couples in attendance, met with banking and legal professionals, went on a preliminary job interview and endured real estate and city tours. When all was said and done, we felt Panama has a lot to offer but were concerned about the poverty and crime.














Dinner with the Van Wormers and Kerns

Several months and a long distance move later, things have certainly not got any better at home. The economy remains unstimulated, unemployment continues to creep up, foreclosures are at all time high and we can now look forward to gate rape before boarding airplanes.

We still think Panama's interior might hold some promise. We are looking into Costa Rica. We signed up for IL's next event in Ecuador...and we plan to explore Cotacachi and Cuenca. But, Uruguay has risen to the top as a second home and residence possibility.

So this February, we are packing up for 3-4 weeks. We will attend IL's Ultimate Event in Ecuador. The event boasts over 100 speakers, receptions and sponsors. We will investigate the opportunity to be a part of the prosperity of emerging markets overseas versus adapting to the austerity now warranted by higher taxes, government expansion, higher inflation, rocky housing market and more unemployed in the states.

There are just too many American expats that are living healthier and happier lives outside our borders not to be just a little envious that they have gotten there before me.

To join the movement of those living and investing internationally, you might want to start with the Ultimate Event 2011.